To quote A Tribe Called Quest, “Can I kick it?”
It’s not often that the main story coming out of an NFL game is kicking, unless it went really, REALLY poorly for one side.
The only time that I can recall good kicking being the central focus of a game was in December of 2013 in a game between… oh, whaddaya know, Baltimore and Detroit. In that contest, Justin Tucker nailed six kicks, including a 61-yarder that, at the time, set the mark for the longest kick in Ravens franchise history. Matt Stafford was intercepted by Matt Elam on the ensuing drive to ice the game, and Lions fans felt the all-too-familiar pangs of disappointment.
As longtime Lions fans took their seats at Ford Field this past Sunday, there had to have been a nagging hope that they would avoid the heartbreak of Baltimore’s last visit. But they say that history has a way of repeating itself, and boy, was it déjà vu all over again (video via Bleacher Report/TheOtherMC on Twitter):
What’s that? Not enough to show the agonizing history of the Lions being on the receiving end of kicks, you say? Very well.
Computer, ENHANCE! (via ESPN Stats and Info on Twitter)
Justin Tucker’s NFL record 66-yd FG in the Ravens’ win over Detroit Sunday marks the 2nd time in Lions history that they have lost a game on a record-setting field goal.
On Nov. 8, 1970, the Saints’ Tom Dempsey hit a then-record 63-yd FG to beat the Lions in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/6U9eckuxly
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 26, 2021
As if that wasn’t enough weirdly coincidental bad luck, the final score of that contest? 19-17.
The late Tom Dempsey said that he didn’t actually know how long his kick attempt was going to be at that time, and he felt that he probably would have missed it had he known. If Tuck didn’t know how long the kick was before he trotted out there, I’m glad no one told him. He didn’t have a whole lot of room to spare.
I can’t say it was a perfect day in the kicking department, though. Earlier in the game, Tuck did something that seemed equally impossible: he missed a kick in an indoor venue for the first time in his career. The Baltimore Sun’s Ryan McFadden had this one covered here:
You may have heard it mentioned on the broadcast, but the missed kick also snapped a streak of 27 consecutive kicks made on the road. Tuck’s miss definitely contributed to the early feeling that the Ravens were succumbing to Murphy’s Law, but it’s safe to say he more than redeemed himself.
While I’m sure Lions fans are sick of seeing the kick on repeat, there IS a silver lining for them, brought to you by Vinnie Parise on Twitter:
Justin Tucker’s NFL record setting Field Goal was 19 more yards than the Chicago Bears had total offense
— Vinnie Parise (@VinnieParise) September 27, 2021
I had to go back and check this one out just to be sure, because this didn’t sound like it could possibly be a real stat, but sure enough:
Don’t get me wrong, being on the receiving end of a last-second loss sucks, but it sounds like Chicago’s day was just as bad and maybe Lions fans can find some solace in that. There’s nothing quite like the ineptitude of a division opponent to put a smile on your face (see the definition for “Steelers, Pittsburgh”). Unfortunately, the Browns were the team putting it to the Bears, but they’re a problem for another week.
So far in this young season, football fans have seen a lot. Ravens fans alone have experienced agonizing defeat, a thrilling victory over a hated rival, and a record-breaking special teams performance. But I would be remiss if my kicking-themed article left out another rarity that we witnessed this past Sunday. Just before the half in the Jacksonville-Arizona game, Matt Prater of the Cards attempted a 68-yard kick, which would have preemptively robbed Justin Tucker of some of the glory of his monster kick.
Instead, we got this.
Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, here’s Gus Johnson calling an elusive kick-six: (via NFL on Twitter)
A 68-YARD FG ATTEMPT TURNS INTO A 109-YARD RETURN TD.
MAYHEM IN JACKSONVILLE.
?: #AZvsJAX on FOX
?: NFL app pic.twitter.com/XrYPXpMiF1— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2021
