Detroit Lions K Matt Prater Was Saved By Lucky Penalty
By Dave Daniels
@AllDave_AllDay
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
When K Matt Prater was released by the Denver Broncos, no one thought he would be kicking game-winning field goals so soon for a different team, but here we are.
To be honest, though, Prater kind of lucked into this one. He missed a 43-yard field goal attempt with four seconds to go, but a fortunate delay-of-game penalty gave him another shot at sealing the victory. He did not miss the second 48-yard attempt and secured a 22-21 win for the Detroit Lions against the Atlanta Falcons.
“I was just like, ‘Dang it,’ and then I started looking and going, ‘Oh, oh, OK,’” Lions receiver Jeremy Ross said to ESPN. “I was just like waiting to see what happened. Is he getting another kick or what? When he made it, it was fire.”
Prater has had hot streaks during his career without a doubt, but he should count his lucky stars after this latest victory. After a substance abuse issue caused his departure from the Broncos, it was fair to ask whether we had seen the last of this clutch kicker, however, it is now clear he still plans to play football for a long time.
Matthew Stafford had another solid showing with 325 passing yards and two touchdowns, and those scores through the air gave him 120 career TD passes, a Lions record. Matt Ryan had a solid first half for the Falcons and led them to a 21-0 lead, but he was unable to finish off the game in London.
Prater must have an angel watching over him, because he would have had a long flight back from England if his missed field goal had sent the Lions into another tailspin.
Dave Daniels is a Prep Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.
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