I get no kick from champagne. Mere alcohol doesn’t thrill me at all. So tell me why should it be true, that I get a kick out of you. -Frank Sinatra
Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! What a game, what a game. You can Darren “Little Tank” Sproles me. You can Phillip Rivers me. Heck, you can even San Diego Super Charger D me, I ain’t biting. I say the story of this game was punter Mike Scifres. Punting his way into our hearts.
Can a punter win the MVP? This one should. Big kicks. Important kicks. Game winning kicks. Kicked out the jams. Can he kick it? Yes, he can. Kicked his way to round two. Kicked his way into the record books. Kicked his way to glory.
Mike Scifres punted six times for a 52.7-yard average. Mike Scifres forced the Colts to start possessions at their own 10, 19, 3, 7, 9 and 1-yard lines. Forget about the effectiveness of his positional punting for a second. Just look at his gross average of 52.7 yards. Nothing gross about it. Nothing gross about the third-highest average in NFL postseason history. Nothing gross about being right up there with Ray Guy. Right up there with Hunter Smith. Right up there with guys like that. But those guys there only punted four times. Scifres punted six times.
488 times an NFL player punted at least five times in a postseason game, none of them matched Scifre. Scifres just surpassed the late great Slingin’ Sammy Baugh. Yowza! You surpass the late great Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, you’re doing something. Something good. Herman’s Hermits style.
Now, back to the effectiveness of his positional punting. Scifres‘ booming punts continually pinned the Colts deep in their territory. Scifres continually put the San Diego Super Chargers in a position to win. Scifres just became only the second punter to be credited with six “inside-the-20″ punts since the NFL started keeping track of such a thing in the 1970s.
So, as exciting as Darren Sproles was, this game was a game because of Mike Scifres. Scifres: “I don’t know if you can dream a game like this.” Me neither Mike, me neither.
Peace out homies. Six Two and Even!
Need More? Indianapolis Colts, NFL, San Diego Chargers
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