Prater keeps kicking — and making — long FGs
You know a kicker has a pretty strong leg in the NFL when his head coach can tell — just by hearing the sound of the kicks themselves — that the football just went a country mile.
“When you hear him hit it out there, it’s different than I’ve heard,” Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said of veteran kicker Matt Prater. “I’ve been around some good kickers, but I mean, it jumps off his foot.”
Prater might be 39 and in his 17th NFL season, but he hasn’t seemed to lose any of his power or strength in his ageless right leg, which on Sunday helped him drill a 62-yard field goal at the end of the first half during a 28-16 upset victory over the visiting Cowboys.
It was Prater’s third field goal of the game, but it also was his staggering 73rd career field goal from 50 yards or longer, extending his own NFL record. For his efforts, he was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday, the third time he’s won the award in his three seasons in Arizona and the 15th time he has received such an honor overall.
Sunday’s 62-yarder, which tied Prater’s own franchise record in Arizona, was the third from that distance or further in his career. In Denver, he also made a then-NFL record, 64-yarder against the Bengals in 2013.
Cardinals special teams coach Jeff Rodgers, who spent four seasons in Denver working alongside Prater, as well as long snapper Aaron Brewer, who is in his eighth season with the Cardinals, was asked this week if he ever gets surprised by any of Prater’s parade of long field goals.
“Nope. We watch it every week and I’ve been around him a long time and we know what his capabilities are,” Rodgers said.
“It obviously takes the right situation to have him to attempt that, but we’ve got kind of a line every game where we feel comfortable in all situations, where we feel comfortable on longer down and distances, before the half, before the game, are you up, are you down or is it tied? All that plays into it, but Matt’s certainly capable of a lot.”
Prater said the kick actually felt terrible coming off his foot. It was also a low, line-drive kick, which isn’t typically his style. Oh, and on the hold from punter Nolan Cooney, the laces on the football were in when Prater drilled it.
“Anytime you’re back that far, you just hope it stays straight and you basically just try to swing and get it there,” Prater said afterward. “Fortunately, it went straight. When I first hit it, I didn’t think it was going to get there.”
But it did, even if Prater never saw it clear the crossbar because of the kick’s low trajectory. He didn’t know it was good, he said, until he saw the game officials under the goalpost raise their arms.
Rodgers knew it was going to be good all along and he and Prater both talked about the kick as they made their way off the field and through the tunnel on their way to the locker room at halftime with Arizona holding a 21-10 lead.
“Yeah, he alluded to it. It didn’t feel the best off his foot,” Rodgers said of that moment. “I said, ‘It went through the yellow uprights, so we’re good.’ ”
Gannon said he never had a doubt. “I thought it had a chance,” he said. “I have complete confidence in him. I’ve seen him do it in practice. When Jeff says to me, ‘Hey, the line is this,’ I’ve seen the line, so I feel good about that.”
The “line,” in this case, is the absolute definitive longest point on the field that Rodgers and Gannon will decide to let Prater swing for the fences. A lot of times, that spot — be it from 57 yards or 62 yards or longer — is determined by field conditions, time of game, the score, and other factors as well.
“Ultimately, it’s the head coach’s decision and what he feels like is right,” Rodgers explained. “I’ve studied this stuff for a long time and some of the more successful teams, what they do within those downs and distances and field position, that weighs into it. We’re never going to put Matt in a situation
where we feel like he can’t be successful, so that’s kind of where it starts.”
Asked if he thought Prater’s 62-yarder had a chance, Rodgers said quickly, “Sure. Anything that Matt kicks has a chance. It came off lower than some of his other kicks. … He doesn’t have to change trajectory, he doesn’t change footwork, he’s just got that kind of power in his leg.”
It could easily be on display this Sunday once again when Prater and the Cardinals (1-2) head to Santa Clara, California, to face the unbeaten 49ers (3-0) at Levi’s Stadium. If the situation calls for it, Arizona will unleash yet another 50-yard or beyond effort from Prater and the special teams trio that includes Brewer and Cooney.
If it happens, Rodgers would prefer that Cooney spins the football with the laces facing out when he makes the catch and spot.
“It’s not ideal, but Matt can overcome some things,” Rodgers said, referring to Sunday’s 62-yarder with the laces facing in, field goal. “I’ve always thought when you have a real good field goal kicker, I have to coach the holder, the snapper, the protection group because without all those things happening, it’s hard to make those kicks. It’s hard to overcome those things but we did in that instance, and you hope you’re more consistent going forward.”
But how does Prater keep doing it?
How does a guy nearing 40 still manage to drive the football and be so accurate on field goal attempts for so long? Rodgers and Prater have said it’s because of how the kicker paces himself from week to week in practice. He doesn’t over-kick and he spends a lot of time getting massages and resting his right leg.
There’s no real other secret to Prater’s success at nailing long field goals, though.
“It starts with leg strength, because you’re not going to attempt anything you don’t think you have a chance at,” Rodgers said.
Injury report
Not practicing for the Cardinals on Thursday were linebacker Josh Woods (ankle) and defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter (finger). Wide receiver Marquise Brown (thumb) and running back Keaontay Ingram (neck) each popped up on the injury report and were listed as limited. Linebacker Krys Barnes (finger) was upgraded to limited. Running back James Conner (back) was limited for a second straight day.
For the 49ers, wide receivers Deebo Samuel (ribs/knee) and Jauan Jennings (shin) missed a second straight day of practice on Thursday. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (ankle) and cornerback Ambry Thomas (knee) were limited.