66 yards. That was the distance Baltimore Ravens‘ kicker Justin Tucker needed to connect from to not only secure a victory for his team but to etch his name in NFL history.
Every person in attendance at Ford Field knew that it was right on target. But everyone from John Harbaugh to the players on the field to the fans in the stands to Tucker himself waited patiently to see if it had the distance.
It did.
On a day where the Ravens did everything they could to make life harder for themselves, they were bailed out by the greatest to ever do it.
It was an ugly game from start to (almost) finish for the Ravens. Three Marquise Brown drops robbed the Ravens of multiple opportunities to put the game away.
There was a fumbled punt by Devin Duverany that was offset by a Lions penalty. The Ravens defense that was so dominant in the first half came apart in the second half with blown assignments and abysmal tackling.
Meanwhile, the offensive line took a step back following a stellar performance a week ago. The Ravens were a mess on Sunday.
But they won. And that’s all that matters.
Who was it that ultimately held lead this team to the unlikeliest of victories? Three players immediately spring to mind.