There is less than a half minute remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter, and the Baltimore Ravens have just scored a touchdown for 23-24 in Sunday’s game against New Orleans Saints. Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker is stepping onto the field, ready to score the extra point (PAT) and get the game to overtime. There is a snap, he confidently kicks the ball …. and it goes wide right. Ravens lost the game and Tucker has just missed the first PAT since he broke into the league in 2012.
That’s right. Tucker, who is currently the most accurate NFL kicker of all time, made 222 extra point attempts before missing the one against the Saints. This miss carries even more weight when you consider that the 28-year-old was also perfect in college, which means that before Sunday, he made 316 extra consecutive extra points.
“I feel like I cost us the game,” – said Tucker after the game. “Every single one of my teammates thus far has told me the opposite, and no one play wins or loses a game. But that’s a tough thing to grapple with when you’re the guy in that situation at the end of the game.“
“You play long enough, you’re going to have a kick that you want back, and tonight was that night for me,” –he added.
While Ravens dropped to a 4-3 record thanks to Tucker’s miss, his teammates won’t hold it against him.
“Justin’s the best in the world at what he does, and he’s the most confident person that I know. It’s not going to be an issue.” – said Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.
After going undrafted in 2012 NFL Draft, Justin Tucker was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent. During his career, he was named to Pro Bowl on two occasions while also receiving two First-Team All-Pro honors. During his NFL career, Tucker made 89.9 percent of his field goals (214 out of 238).
