'I let down the team,' says Akers of missed field goals

KNOW THESE things, if David Akers never again kicks for the Eagles.

Last night, he flew blind. And on his second miss, he slipped.

The Eagles lost their wild-card playoff game to the visiting Packers by five points, 21-16. Akers missed a field goal from 41 yards in the first quarter. He missed from 34 yards in the fourth quarter. Both went wide right.

Field goals count for three points each.

Do the math.

"We can all count," said coach Andy Reid, unforgiving. "Those points would have helped."

"I let down the team. The fans. The organization," said Akers, as ruthless as Reid. "I misplayed the first one. Tried to drive it into that wind. I just kind of pulled the second one."

Then, he fired himself.

"Looking back now, 12 years, it's been a nice run. It's not really the way I wanted to go out as an Eagle," Akers continued, his voice soft and quavering. "I'm sorry that I didn't get to put the best foot forward for them . . . It hurts."

Akers is a 36-year-old free agent, a five-time Pro Bowl kicker entering an offseason of labor uncertainty with a lockout looming. Many players in his situation - viable pros with reasonable price tags - have not been re-signed because of the labor issues.

None missed two routine field goals at home in the playoffs.

But maybe those kicks weren't all that routine. Maybe there was more to what happened.

The winds at Lincoln Financial Field can be evilly deceptive.

The footing, in early January, can be treacherous.

Akers blamed neither. Both were to blame.

"It was one of those days where you have to put it where you think it's going to go and let the wind do the work, like a golfer," said Sav Rocca, the holder and punter. "Pregame, we tested a few things, and nothing really quite seemed to work. You just had to kick and hope it went in."

Rocca was shocked the 41-yarder missed, but he figured the 34-yarder was doomed.

"I thought he struck the first one pretty well," Rocca said. "The second one was due to our footing. It was pretty bad at times. He slipped on that last one. You could see the divot where he placed his foot."

Akers, of course, allowed for no such explanations.

"It came off a little weird," Akers allowed of the 34-yarder, on which he slipped. "It doesn't matter. It didn't go through."

As for the wind baffling him early, well - no mercy.

"It shifted all over the place. It's Lincoln Financial Field," he said. "I've played here a lot of years."

He has played here since it opened in 2003.

He has made 31 of 38 postseason field goals. He had made 19 of his last 20 entering yesterday.

He has played in 19 postseason games, an Eagles record; compiled 134 postseason points, third in NFL history.

He is one field goal shy of Gary Anderson's second-place postseason total.

What he wouldn't give to be in second place alone.

Brent Celek tried to take the charge.

Celek knew Michael Vick's pass was far over his head. He saw the defender closing. He figured, with the NFL's emphasis on protecting defenseless receivers, he might coax the Packers' A.J. Hawk into hitting him. At least then the Eagles, trailing by five and facing first-and-10 on the Packers' 38 with 70 seconds to play, would get some penalty yards.

Celek leaped, and was clobbered. He crumpled to the ground and lay still.

No flag was thrown.

"Honestly, that's the only reason I jumped up in the air. I knew the guy was going to hit me. I thought, 'Hey, I can't catch the ball. Try to get a flag, or something,' " Celek said. "I tried to get one. That's all I'm saying."

As the Eagles' fans hooted in outrage, Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg was unfazed. Mornhinweg said afterward that the crew, led by referee Peter Morelli, is well known for its reluctance to call penalties.

The teams last night combined for just nine penalties for 65 yards.