NFL kickers are so good now that 60-yard field goals are starting to become a relatively common occurrence. We saw another one on Sunday afternoon when Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey drilled a 65-yard field goal in the first quarter to get his team on the board against the Baltimore Ravens, successfully making the second-longest field goal in NFL history.
It was just one yard shy of Justin Tucker’s NFL record of 66 yards.
Have a look.
The craziest thing about this field goal is not necessarily the distance. It is the timing of the attempt.
Usually when a team attempts a field goal of more than 60 yards, it is coming at the end of a half, at the end of a game or in a situation when the other team is not going to benefit from having the football if you miss.
This attempt happened midway through the first quarter in a game the Cowboys were already trailing by seven points on the scoreboard. Had Aubrey missed it, the Cowboys would have given the Ravens the ball in prime field position with a chance to extend their lead.
Instead, Aubrey made the attempt with relative ease. It just shows much faith Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has in a kicker who has has rapidly become one of the best in the NFL.