Detroit Lions kicker Matt Prater has been named the NFC's Special Teams Player of the Month after converting all six field goal attempts, four of which have come from 55 yards. The conference player of the month honor is the fourth of his career and second with the Lions.
Prater earned the Week 1 NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award after kicking a 58-yard field goal and filling in as the team's punter in Detroit's season-opening victory vs. Arizona. He also punted four times without allowing any return yards in win.
His four 55 yard field goals represent the most by a player from that distance in a single season (per Elias Sports Bureau) - and he's done it in just three games.
Prater has now made an NFL-record seven straight 55 yard field goal attempts. He has become just the second player in league history to convert at least 10 55 yard field goals.
Prater moved into a tie for fourth place on the all-time 50 yard field goal list with 40 for his career.
Week 1 vs. Arizona
- In his 140th career game, he served as the team's punter for the first time in his career. Against the Cardinals, he punted four times for 34.8 average with one punt downed inside the 20-yard line. None of his four punts were returned, and he finished with a net punting average of 34.8.
- In the third quarter, he pinned the Cardinals deep in their territory with a 47-yard punt that was downed at the Cardinals 6-yard line.
- Prater ended the first half by nailing a 58-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter to bring the Lions within one point, 10-9. The 58-yard field goal tied for the second-longest in Lions history, and it set a new franchise record for the longest field goal at home.
- He became the first player in the NFL to record 4 punts and make a 50-yard field goal in the same game since Atlanta P Michael Koenen (7 punts, 1 50 yard FG) vs. New England October 9, 2005.
- Prater joins K Jason Hanson as the only Lions kickers since at least 1960 to register a punt and a 50-yard field goal in the same game. Hanson punted 3 times and made a 53-yard field goal at Tennessee on September 23, 2012.
- He also took over the kickoff duties and registered four touchbacks on five kickoffs. On the only kickoff returned, the Lions halted the Cardinals return at the 20 -yard line.
- He finished the game 2-for-2 on PAT attempts.
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Week 2 at N.Y. Giants**
- With 30 seconds left to play in the second quarter at the New York Giants (9/18), Prater kicked a 56-yard field goal to give the Lions a 17-7 lead heading into the half.
- Including his 58-yarder in Week 1 vs. Arizona, Prater became the first player in team history to make 55 yard field goals in back-to-back games.
Week 3 vs. Atlanta Falcons
- In the second quarter, Prater put the Lions on the board with a 55-yard field goal. On his successful kick, Prater became the second player in NFL history make 10 career 55 -yard field goals. He joined K Sebastian Janikowski (13) as the only players in League history to make at least 10 55-yarders. With the Lions, Prater has now made six field goals of at least 55 yards and 11 for his career.
- With 11:48 left in the fourth quarter, Prater made a 57-yard field goal. The successful attempt was Prater's 12th-straight successful 50 yard field goal attempt, which ties an NFL record held by K Robbie Gould (2010-13), K Blair Walsh (2012-13) and K Justin Tucker (2015-16).
- Prater now joins K Jason Hanson (1992-2012) as the only kickers in team history to make 2 50 yard field goals in at least two different games. For his career, this marks the fourth game he has registered 2 50 yard field goals.
- Prater has the most 55 yard field goals in team history with six, and four of those have occurred in the first three games of the 2017 season (58 vs. Ari 9/10; 56 at NYG 9/18; 55 and 57 vs. Atl 9/23/17).
- Against the Falcons, Prater made four field goals, including from 55, 40, 35 and 57 yards. It was the third time since he joined the Lions in 2014 that he has made at least four field goals in a game (4 vs. SF 12/24/15; 5 at NO 12/4/16). In his career, he has now made 4 field goals in a single game eight different times.
