Justin Tucker’s record-breaking 66-yard field goal was big enough to seal a Ravens win over the Detroit Lions. It was also momentous enough for the NFL’s end-of-season awards.
Tucker’s game-winning kick in Week 3, the longest field goal in league history, was named the NFL’s Best Moment of the Year at Thursday night’s NFL Honors event. Former Ravens teammate Ray Lewis presented Tucker with the trophy inside Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater.
“When you talk about what goes into a big play, to me, there’s always an element of, ‘You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time,’ ” Tucker said. “And beyond that, you have to have the right people involved in that moment.”
Tucker’s game-winner came just two plays after quarterback Lamar Jackson found wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a 36-yard completion on fourth-and-19 with 26 seconds remaining. Tucker’s kick inside Ford Field caromed off and over the crossbar as time expired, handing the Ravens a 19-17 win.
“We’re not even thinking about attempting that field goal if it’s not for Lamar Jackson and Sammy Watkins and our offense getting us in position,” Tucker said Thursday. “That kick doesn’t have a chance if we don’t our offensive linemen, our tight ends, [defensive lineman] Calais Campbell protecting up front for that extra tenth of a second to give the ball a chance to get up and out.
“And then there’s Nick Moore, our long snapper, his first career game-winning snap. Sam Koch, our holder and punter — in my opinion, in that order. He’s the best in the business. Special message to you, Sam Koch: Way to do your job.
“And then I truly believe, most importantly, in order to be a part of a big moment like that, there has to be some divine intervention. So in order for that ball to go 66 yards, bounce off the crossbar just so, clear the uprights, God was working.”
Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, earned first-team All-Pro honors this season for the fifth time after making 35 of 37 field-goal attempts (a league-best 94.6%). He also went 32-for-32 on extra-point attempts.
Source: Berkshire mont
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