Getty Matt Prater gets a handshake after a field goal in Arizona.
The Detroit Lions have had one of the most consistent kickers in the entire league in Matt Prater, and after a huge week on the field, Prater now has some NFL history all to himself as a result.
Prater, by virtue of a very strong week which saw him hit multiple bombs from beyond 50 yards, has become just the second kicker to hit 50 field goals from 50 yards or more in his career. The other? None other than Sebastian Janikowski, formally of the Oakland Raiders and a guy with a strong and bionic leg himself.
The crazy, record matching stat was brought up by the Lions PR Twitter account, who showed it off following a very strong week of kicking from Prater.
K @MattPrater_5 has joined Sebastian Janikowski & Jason Hanson as the only kickers in @NFL history to make at least 50 field goals of 50+ yards 🙌
Once again, Prater is on the right side of some huge history in terms of his place in the league, and this is something the Lions and their fans can truly be proud of.
History Maker
Not only does Prater have this new record, he also has the longest field goal in NFL history to his credit. While with the Denver Broncos, Prater boomed the 64 yard kick, which still stands today as one of the most iconic kicks in the game given its distance and difficulty even in the thin air of Denver.
By the time he is finished, it’s likely Prater is going to hold several other honors in terms of his history in the game given his consistency kicking the football. When all is said and done, he could be a candidate to go into the Hall of Fame and might be one of the most decorated kickers that is still going in terms of the game today.
Prater also has something which plenty of NFL kickers don’t have, and that’s a touchdown pass to his credit, which he picked up last season in Green Bay. Add it all up and it’s clear that Prater is also one of the most fascinating kickers in the NFL in addition to one of the best.
Plenty of Leg Left
Prater isn’t likely to slow down. Though the crash for kickers tends to be abrupt, he has shown no signs of hitting a wall whatsoever. At age 35, Prater could just be getting started in terms of making an impact on the game given what he has already done. At 83.4%, Prater is one of the more consistent kickers the game has to this day in terms of sheer accuracy and ability to make clutch, game winning kicks. He’s also been consistent in terms of extra points, even as the league has changed how that play works and has attempted to make it more difficult on kickers in order to make the game more exiting.
Prater continues to play big for the Lions, and while Jason Hanson is a legend in his own right, one day might give several of his marks a run if he can stay healthy and consistent. So far, so good with this in mind.
READ NEXT: Lions Eying Star Runner for Possible Trade