Novak to the Cardinals

[Justice Hog]

Looks like Novak signed with the Cardinals to replace their injured kicker. I wish that kid well.

Read more here.

[redskingush]

I too wish him good luck, Well se how good he is because he will be busy with the no touchdown just field goal Carinals

[Jake]

I hope he doesn't make a field goal next week.

[thaiphoon]

I too wish him good luck, Well se how good he is because he will be busy with the no touchdown just field goal Carinals

I might pick him up in my Fantasy league since I had Rackers and he's out for 3 weeks at least. Rackers has been averaging 11 points a game for me with my league's scoring system (no extra points for longer FG's just each FG = 3pts). Too bad too b/c I'm assured of getting into the playoffs but won't have Rackers in the 1rst round.

[Punu]

I hope he doesn't make a field goal next week.

second that

[Justice Hog]

I hope he makes 3 field goals....and that's all the scoring the Cardinals do!

[tcwest10]

I hope he makes 3 field goals....and that's all the scoring the Cardinals do!

...and with our luck, we score 7.

[REDEEMEDSKIN]

Let's trade John hall for him this week!!!

[hatsOFF2gibbs]

Cardinals kicker Rackers to return from calf injuryBy Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com


Arizona Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers, the league's leading scorer among placement specialists, will return to action on Sunday, after missing last week's game because of a partially torn calf muscle in his plant (left) leg.



It was originally believed that Rackers, who had his streak of 31 consecutive field goal conversions snapped two weeks ago, would miss three games with the injury. But the six-year veteran practiced this week and, with a slight modification to his approach, was able to kick without incident.

Yet to be determined is the maximum distance from which Rackers will kick in Sunday's home game against the Washington Redskins. Nick Novak, who was signed by Arizona last week, and who spent five games with the Redskins earlier this season, will handle the kickoff duties for the Cardinals and perhaps long field goal attempts.

Novak made his only field goal try, a 30-yarder, in last week's win over San Francisco. He also converted two extra points and averaged 55.8 yards on four kickoffs. In his stint with the Redskins, the former University of Maryland kicker made five of seven field goal attempts and all 15 of his extra point tries.

In 11 games, Rackers has converted 32 of 33 field goal attempts and all 14 extra point tries in what has easily been the best year of his career. His 110 points give him a five-point edge over Jay Feely of the New York Giants. The league record for most field goals in a season is 39, shared by Jeff Wilkins of St. Louis (2003) and Olindo Mare of Miami (1999). Rackers has averaged 2.9 field goal conversions per game and, if he is able to play in the final four games, has an excellent shot of breaking the record.

His performance recently earned Rackers a four-year contract extension through the 2009 season. He had been scheduled, before the extension, to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

The former University of Illinois star made his first 31 field goal tries this season before he was wide left on a 43-yard attempt in gusting winds Nov. 27 at Sun Devil Stadium.

Rackers spent the first three-plus seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, but was released in 2003, and signed with the Cardinals as a free agent. Since joining the Cardinals, he has converted 63 of 74 field goal attempts.


Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/s ... id=2254670