Scott Norwood and the Most Notable Failed Field Goal Kickers in the NFL Playoffs

Scott Norwood is one of the most famous kickers of all time, although he isn't too happy about his acclaim to fame. He missed a 47 yard field to give the New York Giants the win in Super Bowl XXV. Norwood was blamed for the Giants loss but throughout the entire regular season, Norwood's longest field goal made had only been from 48 yards away. During that regular season, it was quite normal for a field goal kicker to miss a field goal from that distance.

In the 1982 Super Bowl in which the San Diego Chargers played the Miami Dolphins, Chargers kicker Rolf Benirschkes missed a game winning field goal along with Dolphins kicker Uwe von Schamman. Then in overtime the Chargers kicker redeemed him by making a 29 yard field goal to win the game. The football game would go down as one of the greatest games in NFL history as it went almost 14 minutes into overtime before the Chargers scored.

Perhaps one of the biggest kickers who are infamous in New York Jets fan history is Doug Brien who cost the Jets at a possible run deep into the playoffs. In the 2005 playoffs, the Jets played the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, a game that the Steelers were heavily favored to win. The Jets would loose the game 20-17 but not before the Jets had 2 opportunities to win or tie the game. Jets kicker Doug Brien missed 2 field goals and would be released at the end of the season because of his playoff failure.

Brien missed a field goal kick from 43 yards away. He would miss another kick in overtime from about 40 yards away. The 2 missed field goal kicks left Jets fan to think of, what if, had the Jets won the game. The Jets had come off an upset win against the San Diego Chargers and should have won the game for the right to play the New England Patriots who would go on to win the Super Bowl. Jeff Reed made a 33 yard field goal to give the Steelers the win in overtime. The Steelers would go on to lose to the Patriots.

In NFL history, Tony Romo is famous for his botched field goal snap. Giants kicker Jay Feeley is also famous for taking a botched snap and trying to run it into the end zone. The NFL stated in the aftermath the San Francisco 49ers player had been off-sides but it didn't matter since the game was over and the Giants lost.