OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Justin Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, knew he wasn't going to make this one. With the Baltimore Ravens trailing 17-16 at Detroit's Ford Field on Sept. 26, 2021, Tucker was lining up for an NFL-record 66-yard field goal attempt when a thought popped into his head.
"Dude, there's no way you're going to get this there unless you just find a little bit of extra momentum into the ball," Tucker thought to himself.
Tucker remembered a technique he had experimented with over the previous couple of years, one that was inspired by watching outfielders putting more into their throws to home plate.