Sebastian Janikowski’s lethal left leg will cure Seahawks kicking game
Just how good (or bad) was Janikowski in 2016?
First, we’ll focus on the worst of Sebastian Janikowski. His first miss was in week two versus Atlanta. He missed his only attempt, a 58 yard kick at the end of the first half. He made all four extra points in the Raiders 35-28 loss. His miss had minimal impact on the game.
His second miss was in game five, a tough road game against the San Diego Chargers. It was a 50 yarder in the first quarter of what turned out to be a very tight game. Raider Nation probably forgave him, as he nailed a 46 yard kick as time expired in the first half. Oh, and Janikowski made three other field goals and both extra points in a 34-31 Oakland win.
The very next game he missed a 52 yard kick early in the second quarter against the Chiefs. Of course he then drilled a 46 yarder to pull Oakland within three at the end of the half. The Raiders 26-10 loss to Kansas City gets pinned on a weak offensive performance.
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Now we come to Janikowski’s only bad game, the only game in which he missed two kicks. It’s also the only game where those misses came in potential game-winning situations. Luckily for Seabass, the Raiders won anyway. (What a great nickname for a guy in Seattle). With four seconds left in a 24-all game in Tampa, he missed a 50 yard kick. Given a reprieve in overtime, he missed a 52 yarder. This time the offense pulled it out, and Oakland won 30-24 despite Janikowski’s struggles.
He didn’t exactly struggle the following week against Denver. The Polish Cannon made three of four field goals, his only miss a 48 yard attempt in – you guessed it – the second quarter. He also made all three of his extra points. The Raiders won 30-20, so I suppose you could say his 12 points were the difference in the game.