The 'Snow Bowl' could cost Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri a $500,000 bonus
- Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri could miss out on a $500,000 bonus thanks to the team's loss to the Buffalo Bills in the snow.
- Vinatieri missed two field goal attempts in the brutal conditions, bringing his season percentage below the 90% accuracy he needs to cash in on his bonus.
- Vinatieri would need to go at least 5-for-5 in the Colts' three remaining games.
The Indianapolis Colts' dramatic loss to the Buffalo Bills in the snow on Sunday was disappointing for the team, but no player was likely more disappointed with the outcome than kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Vinatieri was 0-2 on field goal attempts in the brutal conditions. He missed a 33-yard attempt in the first quarter and a 43-yard attempt that would have won the game as time in regulation expired.
Those misses came with a potential financial blow, as they put Vinatieri's $500,000 performance bonus in jeopardy.
According to ESPN's Mike Wells, Vinatieri will receive an additional $500,000 if he makes at least 90% of his field-goal attempts this season. Heading into the game, Vinatieri was at 95.6%, going 22-of-23 on his kicks. But with the two misses on Sunday, Vinatieri dropped to 88% on the season.
Vinatieri would need to be perfect for the Colts on at least five more attempts the season in order to bring his percentage back into bonus territory. The Colts have three games remaining.
After the game, Vinatieri wasn't too hard on himself for the misses, speaking to the difficulty of kicking in such wintry conditions.
"Trying to run through snow and get good plant, that's crazy," Vinatieri said. "If it was just snow and no wind, it's one thing. But you get both of them. It was a tough game."
Another frustrating factor for Vinatieri about the misses is that he was actually able to hit the longest and most important kick he had of the game - a 43-yard extra point attempt that tied the game, forcing the extra period. After initially looking like it would go wide right, Vinatieri 's kick swerved back through the uprights just in time.
Vinatieri still has time to get back above the threshold, but should he fall just short, it will be tough not to point to this game as the one that cost him his bonus.