Bills' Lindell kicking mad at himself
Misses show he's counterfeit money
Buffalo Bills place-kicker Rian Lindell recorded his fifth 100-point season Sunday, but he was in no mood to celebrate career achievements.
Lindell had a day he'd rather forget during the Bills' 10-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Lindell had been money on field goals inside 40 yards. His 53 consecutive conversions was the longest streak in the NFL. However, his run ended Sunday as he missed two of his three attempts from 40 or fewer yards.
What's worse is how he missed.
His 20-yard try in the first quarter sailed wide and hit the left upright. The odds of that happening again are rare, and yet he had the same result on a 40-yard try in the fourth quarter.
Even had Lindell made both field goals it still wouldn't have given the Bills enough points to beat the 49ers. But that was cold comfort for the inconsolable Lindell.
"On the first one, I tried to aim it a little too much and tried to get it off quick and flip it up in there," he said. "That's what happens when you aim. The second one, I'm just not hitting the ball well. It had a good thump on it and I had the distance. But .‚.‚. who cares when you don't hit it straight. It just has to go straight."
The snap by Ryan Neill was a little high and it may have thrown off the timing just enough. But Lindell wasn't hearing any of it.
"I'm not going to make excuses," he said. "I got to make it. I mean, I'm right there. I stunk. I don't know what to tell you."
Lindell has been known for his reliability since joining the Bills in 2002. He's the most accurate field-goal kicker (82.9 percent) in club history and set a team record with 18 consecutive field goals last season.
Lindell's numbers this season aren't that bad either. He's 24 for 31 overall and was coming off a game at Kansas City in which he made all four attempts.
But he doesn't feel like he has been on top of his game. Field goals he usually makes with ease have become different.
His last three misses have been critical. An errant 47-yard attempt in the final seconds resulted in a 29-27 Monday night loss to Cleveland two weeks ago.
After getting over that disappointment, Lindell now has another bad showing to deal with.
"I thought I was a little quick to the ball overall and making it a little erratic, so I tried to slow it down this week," he said. "I thought I hit the ball really well all week, and in pregame I hit the ball well. I've just got to be smoother and hit a better ball."
"I just haven't hit my target line this year, from the whole year really. It's just been an uphill climb. I try to get something going and make a couple and then today … that's ridiculous."
Lindell tries not to let bad kicks linger, even when they contribute to a Bills defeat. But with the season hanging by a thread and a big AFC East game against division rival Miami coming up next week in Toronto, Lindell knows he can't afford a crisis of confidence.
"I know I'm good. I hit good balls all the time," he said. "I line up and try to stay smooth and hit a good ball. I'm just not going down my line.
"I know what I can do and what I'm capable of. I just have to go back to work and try to fix things so I don't repeat a day like this again."
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