Miracle kick: Tucker’s record boot sinks Lions at the buzzer
Nearly eight years ago, he crushed the Detroit Lions’ playoff hopes with a game-winning 61- yarder. On Sunday, he outdid himself on the same field, with an all-time kick.
Justin Tucker’s NFL-record 66-yard field goal hit the cross-bar and went through the uprights as time expired, in a dramatic 19-17 win for the Baltimore Ravens at Ford Field on Sunday. The crushing defeat sends the Lions to 0-3 for the first time since 2015 and denied Dan Campbell his first win as Lions head coach.
In December of 2013, also at Ford Field, Tucker hit from 61-yards late in the fourth quarter to beat the Lions 18-16.
The Lions were in position to win after a go-ahead field goal of their own, thanks to Ryan Santoso’s 35-yard go-ahead kick. Santoso just called up from the practice squad in place of Austin Seibert who was placed on the COVID-19 list earlier in the week, had just two field goal attempts in his career before Sunday.
But Ravens starter Lamar Jackson completed a 36-yard pass on the 4th-and-19 pass to Sammy Watkins with no timeouts and the clock winding down to set up Tucker’s miracle kick.
The teams played a scoreless first quarter, including a missed 49-yard field goal attempt from Ravens star kicker Justin Tucker. He did get the Ravens on the board first with a 39-yarder early in the first quarter.
In a ragged first half, the Lions seemed to get the break they needed in the second frame when Lions safety Dean Marlowe recovered a Ravens punt return fumble deep in Baltimore territory. However, Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs ran out of bounds on the play, nullifying the turnover.
It cost the Lions dearly on the next drive when Jackson found receiver Devin Duvernay for a 19-yard touchdown reception on a third-and-18 yard play. The Ravens blanked the Lions 10-0 in the first half, giving Detroit zero points in four straight quarters.
The Lions finally broke their scoreless skid early in the third quarter thanks to a 2-yard touchdown run by tailback D’Andre Swift, cutting the lead to six. Another field goal by Tucker, however, put the Ravens ahead 16-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
Tailback Jamaal Williams pulled the Lions to within two points with a short scoring plunge halfway through the final quarter. The Ravens’ next series was halted by Amani Oruwariye’s interception, their first pickoff of the season, which set up Santoso’s go-ahead field goal.
Lions Quarterback Jared Goff finished 22 for 30 passing with 217 yards. Kalif Raymond paced Lions receivers with 68 yards through the air.
Jackson went 16 of 31 passing for 287 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also finished with 58 rushing yards to lead Baltimore.
The Lions will travel to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears next Sunday at 1:00 P.M. EST.
