One way or another, Matt Prater’s field goal attempt at the end of the half in the Cardinals-Jaguars game was going to make history. Either Prater was going to set the NFL mark with a successful 68-yard field goal, or Jaguars receiver/defensive back Jamal Agnew was going to take the short field goal and return it 109 yards for a touchdown, tying the league mark for the longest touchdown ever.
Guess which one happened? Prater’s field goal fell short, Agnew took the ball nine yards in the end zone, and announcer Gus Johnson (of COURSE Gus Johnson was calling this game) got to go nuts about it, as is his wont.
A 68-YARD FG ATTEMPT TURNS INTO A 109-YARD RETURN TD.
MAYHEM IN JACKSONVILLE.
📺: #AZvsJAX on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/XrYPXpMiF1— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2021
Agnew’s play is tied with a few others. Cordarrelle Patterson had a 109-yard kickoff return against the Packers in 2013, Chiefs running back Knile Davis had a 109-yard kick return against the Steelers in the 2013 preseason, Antonio Cromartie returned a missed field goal 109 yards for the Chargers against the Vikings in 2007, and the most recent was Adam Humphries’ 109-yard missed field goal return in the 2018 preseason.
Want to know something really weird? The kicker on that play was also Matt Prater, who tried a 62-yard field goal that fell a yard short.
“I knew it was going to be short and I knew there was an opportunity to return it,” Humphries said, via Ric Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “We actually repped that in practice about two-and-a-half weeks ago. So, I’m glad Coach Koetter (then-Buccaneers head coach Dick Koetter) called a timeout and was able to get me in there and the defense did a great job blocking for me.”
So, maybe the Cardinals should have seen that coming, and maybe the Jaguars did. Prater also has the NFL’s mark for the longest field goal in NFL history with the 64-yrader he booted for the Broncos in 2013. Prater also hit a 62-yard field goal at the end of the half against the Vikings last week, so perhaps that was the source of Kliff Kingsbury’s optimism.
