Justin Tucker’s Miracle Field Goal Left Lions Fans Despondent
It never gets easier
Lions fans have been through it all, but fans of star-crossed teams know that things can always get worse, and they certainly did in Detroit on Sunday.
The Lions looked like they had an upset win over Ravens locked up after Baltimore was forced to use its final timeout following a six-yard sack on third-and-13 deep in its own territory. That left the Ravens with a fourth-and-19 from their own 16 with 26 seconds on the clock.
Game over, right? Well, Lamar Jackson found Sammy Watkins for a 36-yard gain and you know what happened next. Justin Tucker kicked an NFL-record 66-yard field goal to win the game, breaking the old record by a full two yards.
Even for fans of one of the few teams to endure a winless season, that’s a crushing way to lose a game. Dan Miller’s call on the Lions radio broadcast was a perfect illustration of what a gut punch it was.
And the fans in the stands had the same reaction. Videos from inside the stadium show the crowd getting amped up as Tucker lines up for the kick and immediately deflating when the officials give the signal that the kick is good.
The air got sucked out of the building so quickly I’m surprised the roof didn’t cave in.
It’s amazing to see the range of emotions fans had in those videos. Most of them are in complete shock, but in their own unique ways. That first video is a case study in distraught sports fans. The guy in black is just in total disbelief. There’s a man behind him slumped back in his seat staring at the ceiling. The woman in blue looks like she’s about to vomit. And then there’s the woman in black who just hits the camera with a sullen thumbs-down. The guy taking the video manages to sum it up nicely, though.
“Lions fans, we knew that was gonna happen.”
The best of SI
The Chiefs are looking vulnerable after dropping to 1–2... Clemson’s second loss effectively knocked the Tigers out of playoff contention, giving college football some much-needed parity. ... Want to know why the Cardinals are on such a tear? Look no further than Paul Goldschmidt.
Around the sports world
Trainers had to check on Gleyber Torres after Giancarlo Stanton hit him too hard during a home run celebration. ... Hakuho, the greatest sumo wrestler ever, is retiring. ... Cowboys lineman La’el Collins was reportedly suspended for trying to bribe a drug-test collector. ... Ohio State dismissed linebacker K’Vaughan Pope after his sideline blowup during the Akron game. ... The Rays say they’re getting closer to an agreement to split time between Tampa Bay and Montreal.
Poor clock management really burned the Niners
Aaron Judge really should have been called out here, but instead he was allowed to stay in the box and hit a go-ahead double
This is why he was the undisputed No. 1 pick
Maybe let Lawrence make good throws instead of getting tricky like this?
I’m so glad Gus Johnson was on the call for this game
Daniel Jones ran right over 305-pound Grady Jarrett
You gotta be kidding me
And he’s dedicated enough to do this in front of hardly anybody
Perhaps Justin Fields wasn’t going to fix all their problems
Second coolest play by a kicker on Sunday
The celebration was absolutely warranted
The most important part of training camp is learning how to fight
This guy is no Justin Tucker
I shouldn’t be laughing as hard as I am
Not sports
Garth Brooks is canceling his stadium tour and playing dive bars instead because “the dive bars are vaccinated.” ... A 22-year-old man in China died after drinking 1.5 liters of Coca-Cola in 10 minutes. ... Police in New York are cracking down on vans parked on the street that are being rented out on Airbnb. ... A thief who stole electronics from a kindergarten in Germany was busted after one of the devices revealed his location.
The story over-delivers on this outrageous headline
A good song
Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.