Getty Matt Prater during a 2020 game.
The Detroit Lions needed a win in a bad way, and had blown a 24-3 lead against the Washington Football Team. Once again, Matthew Stafford proved that all he needs is a chance and a little bit of time.
With 16 seconds left in the game and 3 timeouts left, the Lions put together a quick strike drive, setting Matt Prater up for a 59 yard field goal. Even though Prater had struggled at times this year, he managed to line up and drill the kick.
Here’s a look at the play:
59 yards FOR THE WIN!!
Another @MattPrater_5 walkoff 🙌
The Lions had blown a huge lead and allowed Washington to kick a long field goal late in the game in order to tie the score. It appeared as if things were heading for overtime, but Stafford once again proved why he is one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league. It took him a short amount of time to thread the needle downfield and put the finishing touches on the big win.
It was yet another signature moment for Prater in Detroit.
Matt Prater Had Struggled From Distance During 2020
This season, one of the strangest anomalies of the year has been Prater’s erratic nature from deep. He hadn’t managed to make many deep kicks and had missed plenty of long attempts. That all ended on this day, as Prater pounded a 53 yard kick as well as the game winning 59 yard kick as time expired.
In recent weeks, there had been questions swirling about Prater’s dependability. Even such, he had a game winning extra point to his credit earlier this season in addition to this big kick as well.
Matt Prater Kicking for Detroit’s Free Beer in 2020
This kick may have accomplished another feat. If fans are extra jumpy and want Prater to hit from distance, 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. Fans will be able to keep up week to week to see who is ahead while rooting for their guy.
As for who has the edge, it’s tough to say. McManus 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 was the case this week.
This kick could get Lions fans and Prater in the money for beer. McManus has a long kick of 56 yards so far this year, and now, Prater has him by 3 yards. The battle continues.
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