David Akers is one of the best kickers in NFL history and has made plenty of big time kicks in his career (I should know as a New York Giants fan), so it should come as no surprise to see him kick a 63-yard field goal just before half time with the San Francisco 49ers. No doubt it helped that there was only three seconds left on the clock so there is little risk involved, but Jim Harbaugh showed some stones by letting Akers attempt the kick.
I’m not really sure why the Philadelphia Eagles gave up on Akers last season, but he showed he still had plenty left in the tank by setting all kinds of records last season. His 44 field goals, six games with at least four field goals, 10 games of 10 or more points scored and 166 points in a season in 2011 are all records.
Why not add to his already impressive resume with a 63-yarder? He also holds the NFL record for consecutive post-season field goals (19), most points in a single decade (2000-2009) and most points in Pro Bowl history.
This captivated a great half for the 49ers, who led the Green Bay Packers 16-7 after this booming kick. Randy Moss caught a touchdown and Michael Crabtree is showing signs of improvement.
The refs are not making this game all that enjoyable to watch, but the match-up is pretty much everything we expected.
Jeff is an NFL Featured Columnist for www.RantSports.com. He contributes mainly to the New York Giants and NFL Rumors pages. He also will occasionally touch on the NBA and humorous videos involving all sports.
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