NFL notes: Vinatieri sets record with 43 straight made FGs

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri has another record to his credit.

Vinatieri, 43, kicked two field goals Sunday against the Titans, extending his streak without a miss to 43 consecutive field goals for an NFL record.

He tied former Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt (42 made between 2002 and 2004) with a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Then Vinatieri took the record to himself with a 33-yarder with 3:46 left in the third quarter, which gave Indianapolis a 20-13 lead.

Vinatieri said he never concerns himself with personal goals and records, preferring a victory. “I’m sure I’ll sit back some day down the road and enjoy it,” Vinatieri said after the 34-26 win.

Conflicting emotions for National Anthem singer

Lawrence Brownlee was chosen by the Jets to sing the national anthem before their game against the Ravens, but the operatic tenor faced a difficult decision.

In a pregame statement he said he found himself “being torn in two different directions.” As the son of a veteran, Brownlee wrote, he was honored to be given the opportunity to sing the anthem – as he has before.

“I am grateful for the fact I have far more opportunities to succeed today as a man of color than my ancestors who were alive when the anthem was written,” he said.

He added, however, that he “cannot ignore how protests around the national anthem have escalated as of late. My fellow Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brother Colin Kaepernick began the movement by silently protesting the anthem in hopes that the public discourse regarding race relations, police brutality and misconduct toward people of color would change.”

Brownlee said the San Francisco quarterback’s decision is “an act of protest which I agree with and support wholeheartedly.” The opera star said he’s hopeful “people are gradually moving toward equality in all areas,” and asked himself whether he would sing the anthem before the game or “stand in silent solidarity.”

“In the end, I decided to use the voice that God has given me to sing,” Brownlee wrote, “to sing with the conflicting emotions that pull at my heart … the honor, the pride, the frustration, the sadness … Colin Kaepernick’s message, the hope of my ancestors, and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives protecting our flag.

“And I will keep on singing until I can no longer do so.”

Osweiler following Manning’s path, not living in his shadow

Brock Osweiler wanted to follow Peyton Manning’s path, not live in his shadow.

And that, he said, was the reason for his remark that drew so much ire back in Denver last spring.

Osweiler swears he meant no disrespect to Denver when he said at his introductory news conference in Houston that he chose the Texans over the Broncos in free agency because they gave him the “best opportunity to be successful.”

With his homecoming on tap in Denver Monday night, a game pitting two flawed 4-2 division leaders, Osweiler acknowledged it might not have been the wisest choice of words. But he’s not apologizing for saying it, just expressing regret that it came off wrong in some quarters.

After spending four seasons as Peyton Manning’s backup and presumed successor, Osweiler shockingly left the Super Bowl champs for a four-year, $72 million offer from Houston 48 hours after Manning’s tearful retirement.

His “best opportunity to be successful” comment was seen as one last jab at the team that had benched him for the playoff run. A dash of salt in the wound of uncertainty he’d left behind in Denver, the team was suddenly jolted with an unexpected search for a new quarterback.

“I don’t know what he was thinking,” Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said this week. “We’ve won a lot of games here, so I would think we’d give him the best place to win.”

Osweiler explained that while he felt he fit in very nicely with Gary Kubiak’s West Coast offense in Denver, where he went 5-2 as the starter last season, he felt his skills were better suited for Bill O’Brien’s more traditional downfield passing scheme.

“It seemed like a phenomenal opportunity as a quarterback to play in a system like this,” Osweiler said. “I was able to see Peyton play in similar systems in 2012, `13 and `14. And I don’t think any of us can deny what he was able to accomplish in those systems. So, as a quarterback, as a competitor, as someone striving to do great things in this league, it just seemed like a great opportunity to be able to play in a system that was similar to that.”

Osweiler also drew the ire of Broncos fans for skipping the team’s White House visit and ring ceremony . He explained he was too busy learning a new playbook with a new team in a new city to relive Super Bowl 50, although Von Miller and Emmanuel Sanders did Facetime him from the ring ceremony in June.

After a six-month search, the Broncos settled on Trevor Siemian as Manning’s successor.

“I think Trevor’s done a phenomenal job, I really do,” Osweiler said. “I really couldn’t be happier for Trevor.”

Osweiler is coming off his best game as a Texan, leading Houston back from a 14-point deficit for a 26-23 win in overtime against the Colts last week.

Siemian is coming off his first loss, 21-13 at San Diego, where he was still compromised by a sprained left shoulder that had sidelined him the week before.

“You know what, I’m really impressed with the guy,” said ESPN color analyst Jon Gruden, who watched the Broncos practice over the weekend. “No. 1, winning your first four starts in the NFL is hard to do, I don’t care what kind of team you’re on. Handling the pressure of not only succeeding Peyton Manning but taking the keys to the world champions, that’s tough.”

Gruden said he expects Siemian to do even better when the Broncos’ ground game gets going and Kubiak’s patented bootlegs and play-actions come into play more.

The only bigger shocker than Osweiler leaving Denver this year was Siemian winning the job he’d left behind.

“I think the credit goes to John Elway and Kubiak for a) finding the guy, but b) having the guts to play the guy,” Gruden said. “Most people would have said, `Hey, let’s just go with (Mark) Sanchez. We traded for him. Let’s save face and give Sanchez a shot.’ Or, `Let’s go with Paxton Lynch. He was our No. 1 pick.’ Let’s go with our seventh round pick who no one knows about? That takes a lot of courage. I think they deserve credit for playing the best player.”