Most fans and football personnel ignore kickers until they make game-winning field goals. But Baltimore’s placekicker Justin Tucker put on a show every time he stepped on the field, which included six successful field goals (i.e. ALL of the Ravens’ points) that enabled his team pull out a 18-16 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Tucker’s eventual game-winning 61 yard field goal with 38 seconds left in the game cemented his place in Ravens special teams history, as it is now the longest made field goal in team history. That 61 yarder beat his [Tucker] and former Raven Wade Richey’s 56 yard successful field goals in 2012 and 2003 respectively.
To put Tucker’s night in perspective here are some Baltimore records he tied, beat, or is on pace to set:
- Tucker tied Matt Stover (Ravens kicker from 1996-2008) for most field goals made in a quarter with 3 in the second quarter.
- Tucker is now the Ravens’ all-time leader in successful field goals in a game with 6.
- Because of the 6 field goals he made last night, Tucker is 1 successful field goal away from having the Ravens all-time record for successful field goals in a season. He currently has 35 successful field goals in 2013.
Early in this game it looked like the Detroit Lions were going to run away with this game. But Ravens defenders such as linebackers Daryl Smith and Terrell Suggs and assorted members of the secondary, made it their business to keep the Lions’ from making consistent entries into the red zone or the end zone.
The Lions got on the board first when running back Reggie Bush (17 carries for 86 yards and 1 score) used a Brandon Pettigrew block to race down the right sideline into the end zone to give the Lions a 7-0 lead with 10:57 left in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, a Dennis Pitta 9 yard reception on 3rd and 7 kept the Ravens first scoring drive alive. Pitta’s reception, a crossing route 25 yard reception to the DET 45 yard line by Torrey Smith (4 catches for 69 yards), and a Ray Rice toss sweep run down the right sideline to the DET 13 keyed this drive. Those plays set up Tucker’s first successful field goal of the night which came from 29 yards out which made the score 7-3 Detroit with 12:49 left in the first half.
Late in the second quarter from the BAL 27 on 3rd and 1, receiver Marlon Brown caught a Joe Flacco (20 of 38 for 222 yards, no touchdown passes or thefts) pass for 2 yards to the BAL 29 for the first down. A 3rd and 6 incompletion intended for Rice with Lion linebacker Stephen Tulloch defending, enabled Tucker to trot in and make a 24 yard field goal to cut Detroit’s lead to 7-6 with 2:32 left in the first half.
The Lions missed their chance to go up 14-9 in the third quarter, when Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata tipped a Matthew Stafford (18 of 34 for 235 yards, 1 touchdown pass and 3 interceptions) pass into the hands of defensive end DeAngelo Tyson who was tackled for no gain at the BAL 27 by Calvin Johnson.
Tyson’s theft set up Tucker’s 4th successful field goal of the game, with this one being from 49 yards out which gave the Ravens a 12-7 lead with 8:00 left in the third quarter.
Rookie running back Theo Riddick kept the Lions’ ensuing drive alive with a 6 yard reception to the BAL 23 where he was hit hard by Raven rookie linebacker Arthur Brown. That reception led to a successful David Akers 40 yard field goal to cut the Ravens lead to 12-10 with 1:49 left in the third quarter.
Smith ended an early 4th quarter Lions drive with an over the middle interception at the DET 37 where he fell down after intercepting the pass; but since no one touched him he decided to amble 3 yards to the DET 34. His theft set up Tucker’s successful 53 yard field goal that gave the Ravens a 15-10 lead with 8:11 left in the contest.
But the Lions answered with a Joseph Fauria leaping and near the back of the end zone 14 yard touchdown reception that gave his team a 16-15 lead with 2:21 left in the game.
Tucker’s 61 yard field goal may have won the game, but it was rookie safety Matt Elam’s interception (on Detroit’s last drive of the game and near the 30 second mark) that he returned 18 yards to the DET 28, that wrapped this win in a nice Christmas bow for the Ravens.
