Getty Matt Prater looks on before a Lions game.
The Detroit Lions didn’t have the season anybody wanted on the football field, but in spite of all the negative in a 5-11 season, there was one ray of sunshine in the form of free beer.
Detroit has claimed free beer thanks to kicker Matt Prater, who banged through the long field goal in his competition with Brandon McManus this season. Prater hit a long kick of 59 yards against the Washington Football Team earlier this season, and that was just enough to edge out McManus, who hit a 58 yarder this season to barely lose the competition.
Bud Light proved that indeed they had not forgotten with a timely tweet on Sunday night recognizing the accomplishment and promising free beer for the Motor City.
No matter how things ended, it’s nice to see the Lions come out on the winning end of something this season.
Matt Prater Celebrates Free Beer
Prater was very exited about the beer situation after the game, giving a shoutout to Detroit and toasting the city for the accomplishment with a Bud Light. He posted to Twitter that while the season was frustrating, free beer was certainly a solid accomplishment. To that end, the kicker is right on the money.
Detroit I know we didn’t have the season we would like, however we did win you some bud lights. @budlight @PatMcAfeeShow
At times, Prater was far from consistent this season, only connecting on 20 of 27 kicks for a 74% conversion rate in 2020. He also has only connected on 36 of 38 extra points, missing a pair coming into Week 17, That’s lower than his normal percentages. Even such, Prater has been good overall, hitting four kicks from 50 yards or more this season and also nailing the game winning extra point against the Atlanta Falcons earlier this year.
Matt Prater Kicked for Detroit’s Free Beer in 2020
If fans were extra jumpy and wanted Prater to hit from distance the rest of the year, there is good reason. This season, Prater and Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus will face off with the promise of free beer from Bud Light on the line. If Prater hits the longest of the pair, Detroit will cash in free beer. If McManus gets the job done, Denver will get the prize.
Credit goes out to the Pat McAfee Show for setting this whole thing in motion. The original offer was free beer for Denver if McManus broke Prater’s record for a 64 yard field goal as longest in NFL history, but as McAfee said, Prater needed his chance to answer given he is the current record holder. The show had originally propositioned Coors Light to offer Detroit free beer if the Lions got into the playoffs, but with this friendly competition, Bud Light managed to spice things up even more.
As for who had the edge, it seemed McManus given he has the thin air of the Rocky Mountains to help aid him and his strong leg, and Prater has already used that to his benefit in his career. Prater, however, kicks the majority of games in a dome, which can allow for some extra length and consistency. That helped him win when all is said and done.
The Lions didn’t have a solid year, but Detroit managed to win free beer thanks to Prater. That itself is worth toasting.
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