Akers Was Pissed Today

[PhillyPhreak54]

On SportsFinal they showed a clip of Akers saying how pissed he was that Simoneau kicked the XP and not him. He said that he was on the trainers table when they scored and they were going to go for 2. But when he saw "someone else kicking" that he didn't like it at all.

So he went back out there essentially because he was pissed that he wasn't the guy kicking.

Come on, Ake. I know you're struggling and hurt and those lead to hard feelings...but jeez.

[MDS]

Kickers are sissys.

[General_Failure]

Cut Akers.

[SD_Eagle5]

When his injury occurred my first thought was "he's faking it cause he's struggling". Yeah, I know that's very uncharacteristic of him, bu that was my initial thought 

[WEST is GOD]

I don't get what's up with him all of a sudden. I know he's lacking confidence, but he's kicked  a billion field goals in his life. Just stick with what is working for you.

[pinoyboy2pt0]

That's 2 he missed in preseason, 2 on monday's game, 1 today...all around 50 yards (I think it was like 51,49,48,47,45 - if anyone has the real numbers, let me know.

just keeping track.

IT'S ALL MENTAL AKERS!!  I wonder why he's brain farting.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Injury adds to Akers' frustrating year


He didn't see this coming. Not the misses. Not the mistakes.

But David Akers isn't concerned about his mind or his kicking motion. His right hamstring, however, could be a serious issue.

During a first-half kickoff yesterday against San Francisco, Akers strained the hamstring on his non-kicking leg and was sidelined for a subsequent point-after attempt and a kickoff. He returned in the second half with his right leg heavily taped and made extra-point kicks and handled kickoffs.

After the Eagles' 42-3 victory, a dejected Akers said he would not know what to expect from the injury until this morning, when he will be reevaluated at the NovaCare Complex.

The Birds certainly hope that Akers' injury is not serious. They need him. He is one of the best kickers in the league, a three-time Pro Bowler and a constant on the team since 1999.

Akers is so money that his misses garner much more attention than his makes. Even though Akers is 1 of 4 from field-goal range this season, anyone the Eagles could get to fill in while he recovers would pale in comparison.

"We'll see how David does here overnight," coach Andy Reid said. "I'm sure he'll be a little sore tomorrow. It's right up in the [gluteus] there, up high. We'll see how he is."

After the game, Akers was not doing well. He was frustrated and upset, often at a loss for words to describe what has happened to him this season. The National Football League's second-most accurate field-goal kicker ever is at 25 percent through two games after missing a pair of 49-yard attempts in the Eagles' season-opening loss at Atlanta a week ago and a 43-yarder yesterday.

Akers said that all three missed kicks felt perfect coming off his foot. He doesn't have a mechanical problem. He doesn't have a mental block. On the miss yesterday, Akers said he simply aimed wrong, incorrectly thinking the wind would push the football back between the goalposts. Instead, the ball clanked off the left post.

"If I wasn't hitting the ball well, if I wasn't making them in practice and I wasn't hitting them in pregame, I would be upset," Akers said. "But I'm hitting the ball good. It's just not going in."

After Akers got injured, Mark Simoneau, a linebacker by trade, kicked an extra point while Akers had his leg worked on. Simoneau's first-ever point - compared with Akers' 627 - gave the Eagles a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Long-snapper Mike Bartrum then kicked off.

After that, Akers insisted that he handle all the kicking duties. At halftime, he came out of the locker room earlier than normal, trying one field goal and one kickoff before deciding he could play.

"That's my personal pride there, I guess," Akers said. "I'm not going to let someone take my position if I can do anything at all... . If I could swing at all, I was going to be out there unless somebody pulled me off the field. This is my job. I'm going to do it to the best of my ability, right, wrong or indifferent.

"I think I can do it quarter-speed better than some of the guys can full. You only have one kicker on everybody's roster; that's kind of what happens."

Akers ranks first in team history, having made 140 of 171 field goals, giving him an all-time .819 career percentage, trailing only Indianapolis' Mike Vanderjagt in accuracy. Last season, he made 27 of 32 field-goal attempts and finished with an NFC-high 122 points.

"To start off the season this way statistically, missing some kicks, which is unheard of... it's frustrating," Akers said. "It would be one thing if I could say, 'OK, I'm in a slump,' but I feel like I'm hitting the ball great."

It would be easy to say that Akers is distracted by his desire for a new contract. He switched agents during the off-season, hiring Jerrold Colton out of Voorhees, Camden County, to try to get an extension on his current seven-year deal, which expires after the 2007 season. Akers is irritated that he is making $1.025 million this season while New England's Adam Vinatieri is hauling in $2.5 million.

But Akers is mentally strong, and way too competitive for petty distractions.

"He's very strong that way [mentally], and at the same time he's a competitive guy," said Koy Detmer, Akers' longtime holder on kicks. "He wants to be perfect. And he wants to be the best he can be. When you're not perfect, it's hard. Dave will fight through it. What's got him here is his work ethic and working hard and getting out there and battling. That's what will get him through it."

Even if Akers didn't see any of it - the misses, the mistakes or the injury - coming.

[bobbyinlondon]

I don't get what's up with him all of a sudden. I know he's lacking confidence, but he's kicked  a billion field goals in his life. Just stick with what is working for you.

C-O-N-T-R-A-C-T maybe???

[Don Ho]

I don't get what's up with him all of a sudden. I know he's lacking confidence, but he's kicked  a billion field goals in his life. Just stick with what is working for you.

C-O-N-T-R-A-C-T maybe???

Yeah, what a way to begin contract talks.  Damm that was a loud clank when the ball hit the goal post.  Didn't hear any boos though.  Denver crowd booed Elam after missing two 53 yarders against th Chargers.

[shorebird]

He's missed three in a row, most other kickers that do that would be halfway home right now.

I heard the clank when the ball hit the upright, and no boos, I think everyone must have been in shock.

[henchmanUK]

Maybe Akers can swap positions with Sims, he sure tackles better.

[Susquehanna Birder]

When I saw Sims kick that PAT, I was laughing hysterically. Sorry, Dave...

[Zanshin]

Maybe Akers can swap positions with Sims, he sure tackles better.

Hey, Sims seems to have been rejuvinated by his renewed 53.  He was a tackling machine yesterday.

[henchmanUK]

Maybe Akers can swap positions with Sims, he sure tackles better.

Hey, Sims seems to have been rejuvinated by his renewed 53.  He was a tackling machine yesterday.

Admittedly, I didn't see yesterday's game. I was in a bar watching the BENGALS rip it out of Fred Smoot  . But every dog has his day, y'know?

[SunMo]

He's missed three in a row,

no he hasn't, he missed his 1st two on monday night, and made his 3rd