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The Saints were not permitted to cut Hartley until he finished out his suspension, but it certainly wouldn't have been a surprise if they did. With Hartley unavailable, the team turned to one of the legends in team history, 45- year-old John Carney, who promptly made 6-of-7 field goals while Hartley was out and made a case for a permanent roster spot on the then-undefeated Saints.
But New Orleans hedged its bets, keeping Hartley on the roster but not playing him until Dec. 6th, when Carney was struggling with his accuracy and a related hip problem. Hartley made the most of his second chance, making 4-of-5 field goals, including the game-winner in overtime, in a 33-30 victory over the Redskins.
Carney was waived on Dec. 22, and signed as a team consultant on Dec. 24.
But it would not be happily ever after for Hartley. A little more than a week after he was handed the full-time job back, Hartley missed what would have been a 37-yard game-winner in a home game against the two-win Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Adding to the embarrassment of what would become a 20-17 overtime loss was the constantly-replayed clip of team owner Tom Benson throwing his hands up in exultation, only to be told that Hartley had missed the kick.
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(Sports Network) - Garrett Hartley is 23 years old, has played in 15 meaningful NFL games, and has made 515 fewer field goals as a pro than his Super Bowl XLIV counterpart, the Colts' Matt Stover.
Hartley can also lay claim to a kick that, at this very moment, ranks as the most indelible positive image in the 43-year history of the New Orleans Saints.
Amazing but true, and even more astonishing when considering that Hartley's tenure with the Saints appeared to be on thin ice on multiple occasions this season. The first time, the precarious status of Hartley's job had nothing to do with his play.
The University of Oklahoma product, who parlayed a successful eight-game cameo with the team into the full-time job as 2009 began, was suspended for the first four games of '09 for violating the NFL's policy on banned substances. Hartley claims that he took Adderall in order to stay awake while driving from Dallas to New Orleans for an offseason workout, leading to the positive test.
Amid criticism, Payton again opted to stick with his young kicker, and that confidence gave the youngster the resolve to get through another rough patch. "The miss versus Tampa was a learning experience," Hartley told the New Orleans Times-Picayune earlier this month. "I just go out there every day at practice and continue to strike the ball the way that I know how to. I have the confidence of the coach and the team behind me and know on Sunday that I am going to go out there and [make] the best of my ability." Since the miss against the Bucs, Hartley has been letter-perfect, making all 11 of his point-after tries and going 3-for-3 on field goals. Not that anyone is talking about those other 13 kicks.
The 40-yard boot that split the uprights to lift the Saints to their first-ever Super Bowl was not only the biggest kick of Hartley's career, it will stand as one of the most significant field goals in NFL annals.
This time, Hartley got a pre-kick lift from the head coach that had stuck by him on multiple occasions. "I just told him there's a little fleur de lis (the flower on the Saints logo) up there right between both uprights, and I said, 'Why don't you see if you can hit this fleur de lis dead center," said Payton. "'We belong, you are here for a reason and you are going to hit it through.'" Hartley complied. "I just knew when it came off my foot that it was going to split the pipes," said the native Texan. "The season's been a roller-coaster ride, from the offseason until now...It was fate for this team to head to Miami to head to the Super Bowl this year. I'm just honored to be a part of it. "Below is a capsule look at the special teams of the New Orleans Saints: Placekicker: Hartley certainly doesn't have the pedigree of his predecessor Carney or his counterpart Stover, but has an accurate leg and should have plenty of confidence coming off his NFC Championship heroics. Punter Thomas Morstead handles the team's kickoffs, and has done a nice job during the postseason with six touchbacks in 13 attempts.
Punter: The rookie Morstead (43.6 avg.) has not quite lived up to his fifth- round billing during the regular season, with only 18 of his 58 punts landing inside the 20-yard line, though the SMU product has been better in the postseason. Morstead has averaged 48.2 yards on 11 boots in the Saints' two playoff games, with only 15 return yards against his group.
Long-snapper: Among the Saints' most grizzled veterans is 37-year-old long- snapper Jason Kyle, who was signed by New Orleans in June after previously playing for the Seahawks (1995-96, 98), 49ers (2000), and Panthers (2001-08). Kyle, a fourth-round pick by Seattle as a linebacker out of Arizona State in the 1995 Draft, played with Carolina in its Super Bowl XXXVIII loss to New England.
Punt Returners: Reggie Bush's 83-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Cardinals in the Divisional Round is one of the enduring images of these playoffs, though Bush averaged just 4.8 yards per return during the regular season and lost a potentially costly fumble against the Vikings in the NFC Championship. There has not been a punt return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history.
Kickoff Returners: Courtney Roby may be just as dangerous as Bush, as he ranked near the top of the league in kickoff return avg (27.5, 1 TD) during the regular season and has a 61-yard return to his credit in these playoffs. Roby was briefly a member of the Colts, appearing in the 2008 opener against the Bears as a kickoff returner.
Special Teams Defense: The Saints were the worst punt-covering team in the NFL during the regular season, allowing 14.3 yards per punt return including a 77- yard touchdown return for Micheal Spurlock that helped sink them against the Buccaneers late in the season. As mentioned, they've had no problems in that area during the 2009 postseason. New Orleans wasn't much better against kickoffs, ranking 29th in the league with 24.5 yards allowed per return, though the Saints did not allow a TD in that realm. In the postseason, New Orleans has not allowed a kickoff return of longer than 32 yards and held the Vikings' Percy Harvin (2 returns, 33 yards) in check during the NFC Championship.
TOMORROW: Colts special teams: Once more around the block for Stover
North American Sports Betting Analysis, News & Views. The latest online betting info on Super Bowl XLIV from Bookmaker.com January 29 2009
