Imagine being the Bengals kicker Evan McPherson and start celebrating a victory before his field goal attempt slipped inches from one of the goal posts and was later embarrassed by television cameras. Imagine being Mason Crosby and run towards the center of the field to try for the fourth time a kick that gives the victory to your team in the same game.
Well, all of that happened at noon Sunday when the Packers managed to survive in overtime and defeat the Bengals 25-22.
One more week in which he teaches us to measure the true value of kickers. Long regarded in popular wisdom as the least important man of the 53 players on a roster, kickers for better or for worse are the names fans now can’t forget.
By the end of September Justin tucker He showcased the rest of the league by proving he’s the best kicker of his generation by converting a 66-yard attempt that entered the record books as the longest ever in the NFL.
However, the garden of paradise where the figure of the kicker rested for a few days, turned into a nightmare this Sunday when they were registered 12 extra points missed, the most in history.
Crosby and PcPherson combined to miss five field goals in the same afternoon and in the same stadium. However, the nice side of the coin was obtained by the Packers kicker who finally went home with the win thanks to a 49-yard attempt.
During the most recent decade, kickers are no longer what legendary coach Buddy Ryan said when he declared that “Like taxis, you could always go outside and get another kicker.”
Narrow slates
Having a player who has the ability to convert over 90 percent of field goal attempts is today a necessity rather than a luxury for teams. The NFL in five weeks into the season has been as close as getting a free taxi in New York on a rainy afternoon. So far 18 games have been decided with some last-minute touchdown, the most since the NFL merged in 1969. This campaign 2 have been registered1 games in which the score ended with three points or less that tied the 2007 and 1988 mark with this type of game.
The teams’ commitment now is to develop stronger kickers who have the ability to convert 90 percent of their attempts so as not to end the day with the bitter taste of defeat.
The public loves closed games and the NFL loves that fans come back to watch their games.
With a slew of games being decided when the clock is about to run out, the NFL has seen an increase in viewership, the highest in six years. During the first four weeks of the season, the average per game has been 17.3 million viewers, a 17 percent increase over 2020.
Tom Brady’s return to Foxborough with 28.5 million viewers, became the most-watched Sunday Night encounter since 2012.
At least one game has gone into overtime in each of the first five weeks, marking the second time (2018), that a season features at least one game that is defined in overtime during this period of the campaign.
The suspense sells and the NFL duels do not like anything more than to generate money with their product.
The big plays, the big games win and the scenes change.
In the most anticipated game of Week 5, the Buffalo Bills invaded Arrowhead to capture a game-changing victory for the AFC. Josh Allen and his offense were able to exact revenge for last season’s two losses by demolishing the Chiefs. Buffalo went into long halftime Sunday night – delayed an hour by a thunderstorm – thanks to his ability to get long-yardage plays. The Bills posted gains of 61.35 and 53 yards in the first half, the last two on touchdown plays.
The game situations demoralized Kansas City who could not maintain the pulse of a commitment marked by the caliber of offenses.
Even when the big plays weren’t reflected by getting points on the scoreboard, they were critical to keeping the offense consuming ground and the clock. Allen was largely responsible for achieving the above, thanks to his powerful arm and his ability to extend the plays thanks to his leg speed. He finished with 315 yards passing with three touchdowns and was Buffalo’s best running back with 59 yards and a touchdown.
Cardinals have defense too
For the first time since 1974 the Cardinals are 5-0 thanks to a 17-10 victory over the 49ers. They are the only team that remains undefeated. It is clear that with Kyler Murray Arizona’s greatest strength is their offense but as they showed on Sunday, they also built a great defense. In the first quarter of the game against San Francisco, they managed to keep Trey Lance out of the end zone when he twice fell within inches of the touchdown. Defensive back Budda Baker had an interception and JJ Watt was stifling Lance with three tackles.
Cowboys accelerate to postseason
With a good mix of offense and defense, the Cowboys beat the NY Giants with 201 rushing yards, including 110 from Ezekiel Elliot. Coordinator Kallen Morro’s offense completed 515 yards and the defense scored once more in addition to taking two fumbles. Dallas is committed to its postseason run, and given the weakness of its division rivals, it is likely to do so long before the regular schedule ends.