(Eds: With AP Photos.)
AP Pro Football Writer
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Tim Tebow can be architectural almost all these comebacks for that Denver Broncos. It's Matt Prater that is wrapping up them.
Prater constantly regarded themselves an icy-veined kicker in whose heart beat remained steady whatever pressure he appeared to be under. This year, they have getting the possible opportunity to demonstrate this - time and again.
Prater's 51-yarder around overtime that delivered the Broncos over the gob smacked Chicago Bears 13-10 on Sunday had been his / her third straight walk-off discipline goal. It adopted their 59-yarder that will tapped this together with 3 mere seconds left in the fourth quarter.
He as well as past Indianapolis Colt Mike Vanderjagt are the simply kickers with NFL history to possess some sort of 50-yard-plus conquer in order to tie a casino game after which you can one to gain the idea inside overtime. Vanderjagt would this upon Nov. 24, 2002, against Denver.
"Those were fabulous clutch kicks, each connected with them,'' coach John Fox reported connected with Prater about Monday. "He's completed this lately. He had been in the tiny bit of the slump about a month in the past along with he did wonders himself out of it. We have great self-belief throughout your ex boyfriend truly from every range.''
But especially from 50-plus, where he's 12 with 16 in his career.
Prater's teammates understood they had this place while in the bag when Prater jogged onto the discipline within overtime - they'd watched your pet boom 70-yarders during warm-ups, consequently 51 back yards was a new nick shot.
"That's amazing,'' linebacker Wesley Woodyard said. "Prater does loads of good things intended for us. And I believe in the pup as well as I believe he has been ultimately believing within himself.''
Prater's right bottom can be a big purpose that Broncos are usually 7-1 given that Tebow took over with quarterback, changing the particular Broncos from a 1-4 eyesore in the AFC West management during 8-5 as they quite simply fall in love with his or her very first playoff berth since 2005.
Prater features kicked that game-winning industry intention around the previous engage in involving regularions or perhaps with overtime four times on this stretch. That's one particular self conscious with the NFL single-season document placed by simply his predecessor, Jason Elam, throughout 2007.
"This may be probably the most entertaining I've at any time acquired actively playing football,'' Prater said. "Where in the past people sorts of experience including you might be just likely to your job, at this point it's returning to high school football, in which you are trying to play with most your family members and also you need his or her shells and all this stuff.''
While your Broncos players plus coaches will be huge believers throughout Tebow's capability in order to pull out there wins inside recession time with five second-half comebacks within the previous a couple months, that they feel equally self-assured about Prater less than pressure.
When many people arrived at your Bears' 40-yard range inside overtime, these people played this safe, placing him in place for just a 51-yarder, which often is definitely correct inside his comfort zone. He's nailed 3 or more regarding four from this distance this kind of year.
"There's without doubt his or her leg toughness is often a weapon, throughout particular below in your house considering the altitude,'' Fox said.
Prater owns the top arena target percent (.750) from 50-plus yards throughout NFL story between kickers having at least 10 attempts. But this kind of year, he has growing to be recognized for more as compared to just simply his howitzer of any appropriate leg, which has produced an NFL-high 110 touchbacks considering that 2008.
In his or her first several NFL seasons, he experienced one game-winning field goal , your 41-yarder for you to whip New England 20-17 in 2009.
Now, they may be arriving along almost every 1 week as he's sealed is the winner about Miami, San Diego, Minnesota in addition to Chicago. All ended up in overtime with the exception of a succeed with the Vikings as moment expired.
"This year or so I've experienced much more when compared with I have my own full career,'' Prater said. "I'm surely visiting be bald when they get home with the season. Bald or maybe gray, among the list of two.''
Prater will not mind which Tebow seems to receive all the credit rating for any Broncos' heart failure comebacks, either.
"I'm only performing my part,'' your dog said. "This is usually a team effort and most of us celebrate together. It's a crew win.''
Prater has manufactured a powerful comeback of his / her own, from a torn in two groin that cost him one more partners regarding game titles previous season as well as a blunder in teaching camping that will he at first feared may possibly cost your ex boyfriend his / her job.
Shortly immediately after placing your signature to some sort of one-year, $1.8 million deal as being a minimal no cost agent, your fifth-year master from Central Florida had been recharged having drunken operating plus fleeing the world of an automobile accident on Aug. a couple of throughout Greenwood Village, close to the team's education complex. After their arrest your dog ended up being chastised from the Broncos, that said we were looking at disillusioned in his / her weak judgment.
Prater scheduled the misstep to help overcom away Steve Hauschka in teaching camp.
Prater always penetrates the fresh time of year that has a target inside mind. In 2009, it was to generate 85 percent of his or her field goals, in addition to he strike 30 with thirty-five (85.7 percent). Last year, it turned out for making 92 % of percent, along with he arrived up only short, switching sixteen connected with 18 ones (88.9 percent).
This year, he or she explained he planned to make the Pro Bowl and all involving his kicks.
That next component resolved to go by the wayside if your blowing wind blew your prolonged domain goal off-target within the opener against Oakland. But along with every one of these game-winners piling up, he or she could always be on the right track for just a getaway in order to Hawaii with January, while he has skipped some of 23 attempts.
"He's been great,'' Fox said. "He's been recently clutch.''
While Prater is definitely successful underneath pressure, he would want to possess some kicks that aren't on the do-or-die variety.
"I choose to conquer additional points,'' he explained which has a smile.
Notes: Fox said SS Brian Dawkins (neck) needs to be OK, however CB Andre' Goodman will need to go through concussion assessments this particular 7 days in advance of staying harvested in order to practice. Both received harm Sunday.
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