[imagesource: Associated Press]

Tom Brady.

Peyton Manning.

Aaron Rodgers.

Throw in some Brett Favre with a side of Jerry Rice.

Even if you don’t follow the NFL closely, you may recognise some (if not all) of those names.

But Justin Tucker – sorry, who?

Well, much like Lionel Messi in actual football, Tucker can lay claim to being the GOAT, or ‘greatest of all time’.

At least when it comes to kickers, with the Baltimore Ravens man booting his way into the record books with the longest NFL field goal in history this past Sunday.

Not just that, but he did it with the final play of the match, securing his side a 19-17 win over the Detroit Lions.

66 yards, or about 60,35 metres. Johan Goosen and Frans Steyn might just about land one of those at Loftus, but Tucker’s kick was nailed in Detroit, which is only 200 metres or so above sea level.

Tucker silenced the home crowd, who were given a moment’s hope when the ball bounced off the crossbar before sneaking over:

JUSTIN TUCKER ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

NFL-RECORD 66-YARD KICK FOR THE WIN 🤯🤯🤯

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/J01TL9DPNc

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 26, 2021

Multiple angles are warranted:

No, we will not stop tweeting every angle of Justin Tucker’s kick. pic.twitter.com/bRp9YYTy5k

— PFF BAL Ravens (@PFF_Ravens) September 26, 2021

Every sports fan can relate to the person screaming in pain at the end of this video:

The crowd view of the Justin Tucker game winner is INCREDIBLE.

Nothing but pain in Detroit. (Via ig: Southenddearborn)@BSMotorCity pic.twitter.com/iJ6cBZGatw

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 26, 2021

Morne Steyn did it against the British & Irish Lions, and Quade Cooper and Jordie Barrett have done it during the Rugby Championship.

Sometimes you just have to suck it up.

Justin Tucker’s 66-yard game-winning field goal is the longest made field goal in NFL history.

🔹 Field Goal Probability: 10.4%

Since 2016, Tucker leads all kickers in field goal percentage over expected (FGPOE) since 2016 (+17.9%), min. 50 attempts.#BALvsDET | #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/csZB8M2D7s

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 26, 2021

Speaking after the win, Tucker said he made some minor changes to his usual kicking routine. This via NPR:

[He aimed] to launch himself at the ball more aggressively — and from farther away — to add more power to his kick. He took an extra step or two back, he said…

Tucker also changed his footwork for the record distance.

“Instead of landing on my plant foot, I just basically kick the ball off like it’s a kickoff, so I land on my kicking foot,” he said, adding that photos would likely make it seem like he was about to fall over due to his momentum.

He’d actually missed two 65-yard attempts in the pre-game warmup, but found the extra length when it mattered most.

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews summed it up well, according to The Fredericks News-Post:

…the Ravens have, in Andrews’ words, “the GOAT” — the greatest [kicker] of all time.

[Ravens head coach John] Harbaugh recalled that in the madness of the Ravens’ celebration, someone came up to him on the sideline and told him they’d never seen anything like what had just happened.

“And it came to me right away,” Harbaugh said. He raised his eyebrows. “Because nobody’s ever done anything like that before.”

Harbaugh also called Tucker the best kicker in NFL history.

How good would an 80th-minute winning long-range penalty from the boot of Frans Steyn (with a bounce on the crossbar) feel this Saturday against the All Blacks?

Probably not as good as a Cheslin Kolbe World Cup final sidestep try, but few things do.

Day 696 of 1 449 as world champions. Don’t forget that.

[sources:npr&fnp]