Those who disparage Father Time like to say that 50 is the new 30. The Other Father is a Benedictine priest Maximilian Maxwell— sprinkled holy water in the end zone before his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers faced the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with the AFC North title on the line.
Fifty is the new 30, which also applies to field goals. These days, more than 70% of kicks over 50 yards are successful, a dramatic increase in accuracy compared to just five years ago. Pardon Maxwell for thinking that divine intervention might be required if a last-second blunder determines the outcome.
A 44-yard throw is a great shot for most NFL kickers, including the Ravens' rookie. Tyler Loopwho completed 90% of his attempts, including eight of eight from 40-49 yards when the ball was intercepted with three seconds to play and Baltimore trailing 26-24.
Two words were coined when Scott Norwood the missed 47-yard attempt that cost the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl XXV in 1991 was again shouted on television: “Wide to the right!”
Another memorable miss came from a kicker who was considered the best in the NFL 20-plus years ago. The brash and outspoken Indianapolis Colts' Mike Vanderjagt led the league in scoring in 1999 and four years later became the first player in history to make every kick in an entire season, going 83-for-83 on field goals and extra points.
However, he blew a boot with 21 seconds to play during a playoff game in 2006, allowing the Steelers to upset the Colts. Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl and Vanderjagt was replaced by Adam Vinatieri. He never regained his form.
We hope Loup bounces back better than either Vanderjagt or Norwood, who were released a year after the historic miss and never played again. Loup was All Pac-12 in 2023 at Arizona, where he holds the records for field goal length (62 yards) and completion percentage (83.75%). He was the Wildcats' GOAT before he became the Ravens' GOAT.
Loop, 24, hasn't shied away from the media spotlight, giving the impression that he won't let this setback define him.
“I just want to say I'm so grateful to Baltimore and the organization and the city, the way they've embraced me this year has been incredible,” he said. “It sucks to just end like that and I want to do better.
“Unfortunately, the nature of the job is that you have hits and they’re amazing, and unfortunately you have misses, and for that to happen tonight sucks.”
The specialized nature of kickers can put them on the periphery of team bonding, but Loop's teammates and coaches supported him after the season-ending loss.
Coach John Harbaugh walked with Loup from the field to the locker room. his arm around his back comforting him. Quarterback Lamar Jackson downplayed the impact, telling reporters: “You know, he's a rookie. It's all good. Just put it behind you.”
Only time will tell if Loop can do it.
