{"id":262250,"date":"2026-01-12T17:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T22:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=262250"},"modified":"2026-01-12T17:00:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T22:00:28","slug":"field-goal-kicking-the-determining-factor-in-nfl-wild-card-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/01\/12\/field-goal-kicking-the-determining-factor-in-nfl-wild-card-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Field Goal Kicking: The Determining Factor In NFL Wild Card Games"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

NFL Wild Card Weekend delivered plenty of high-scoring action, late game heroics, and thrilling 4th quarter lead changes. With most of the contests won by a three or four-point margin, the kicking game became a vital determining factor.<\/p>\r\n

Field Goal Kicking: The Determining Factor In NFL Wild Card Games<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

In a playoff scenario where a successful field goal can decide the outcome of a game, an NFL kicker\u2019s ability to convert under pressure is critical. There is nothing more thrilling than seeing a long-distance kick split the uprights just as time expires on the clock. This season, as the kicking game continues to improve, the league saw more long-distance kicks than ever before. But one NFL veteran’s missed kicks may have cost his team a premature exit from the playoffs. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

On Saturday night, kicking into Soldier Field’s swirling wind conditions, Green Bay Packers<\/span><\/a> veteran Brandon McManus<\/a> missed two field goals from 55 and 42 yards, along with one extra point, in the team’s 31-27 playoff loss to the Chicago Bears<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

In the NFL, Kicking 60-Plus-Yard Field Goals Is The New Standard<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Successfully converting a 60-plus-yard field goal is the new standard, with eight of the league\u2019s top-ranked kickers hitting the mark. The record for the NFL\u2019s longest field goal belongs to Jacksonville Jaguars<\/span><\/a> kicker Cam Little<\/span><\/a>, who nailed a spectacular 68-yard field goal this season. Resetting the long-distance bar, his kick smashed the former 66-yard record set by former Baltimore Ravens<\/span><\/a> kicker Justin Tucker.<\/p>\r\n

But that wasn\u2019t Little\u2019s only long-distance kick. In week 18, Little nailed a 67-yarder, giving him the undisputed record for the NFL\u2019s two longest kicks.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

This season, seven other place kickers connected on field goals of 60 or more yards. Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/span><\/a>\u2019 Chase McLaughlin<\/span><\/a> delivered a 65-yarder. With a total of six in his career, three-time Pro Bowler, Dallas Cowboys<\/span><\/a>‘\u00a0 kicker Brandon Aubrey<\/span><\/a> holds the record for the most 60-yard-plus scores<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Half of those long-distance field goals took place this season. Aubrey connected on a stunning 64-yard kick against the New York Giants<\/span><\/a> in Week 2, a 61-yarder against the Washington Commanders<\/span><\/a> in Week 7. \u00a0In Week 14, he nailed a 63-yard kick against the Detroit Lions. <\/span><\/a>Converting 5\/5 field goals with three over 50 yards plus one extra point, Aubrey\u2019s outstanding performance earned him Special Teams Player of the Week honors.<\/p>\r\n

The NFL\u2019s 60-Yard Club<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Other kickers joining the 60-yard club include Minnesota Vikings<\/span><\/a> kicker, Will Reichard<\/span><\/a> (62-yards), Indianapolis Colts’ <\/span><\/a>Blake Grupe\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/a> (60 yards), Pittsburgh Steelers<\/span><\/a> 11-year veteran Chris Boswell<\/span><\/a> (60 yards) Cincinnati Bengals<\/span><\/a> kicker Evan McPherson (63 yards) Las Vegas Raiders<\/span><\/a> kicker Daniel Carlson (60 yards), and former Green Bay<\/span><\/a> \/ UFL kicker Lucas Havrisik<\/span><\/a> (61 yards.)<\/p>\r\n

The Extra Point Challenge<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

As thrilling as it is watching an NFL kicker deliver a long-distance field goal, another key aspect of the kicking game, the PAT, is often overlooked. A 2015 NFL rule required the ball to be snapped from the 15-yard line, extending the kicking distance to approximately 32 yards. The longer distance made PATs much tougher and no longer automatic. This season, there were 49 missed PATs and 73 games that were decided by fewer than three points. Had the kicker not missed an extra point, there might have been a different outcome. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The league\u2019s worst offender was formerBuffalo Bills and NFL veteran Michael Badgley<\/span><\/a>, who missed five PATS this season. In addition, Kansas City Chiefs<\/span><\/a> veteran Harrison Butker<\/span><\/a> and San Francisco 49ers<\/span><\/a> kicker Eddie Pineiro each missed four extra points.

Fortunately, of the top 35 kickers in the league, 74.2% were either perfect or near perfect, with only one missed extra point this season. Lions kicker Jake Bates<\/span><\/a> topped the list with the most extra point attempts (56) and converted the most extra points with 54.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\"\"
Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers (5) kicks a field goal against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Ranking The NFL\u2019s Best Kickers For 2025<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Of the 14 teams that made the playoffs this year, 10 of the teams featured kickers who ranked in ESPN\u2019s Top 20 list<\/span><\/a> of NFL kickers.\u00a0

The top three kickers on the list are all playoff-bound. Despite playing only 16 games this season, Houston Texans<\/span><\/a> kicker Ka\u2019imi Fairbairn<\/span><\/a> tops the list with 44\/48 field goals (longest of 57 yards) and 28\/28 extra points. Fairbairn delighted his fantasy managers with 160 points this season. Seattle Seahawks<\/span><\/a> veteran kicker Jason Myers <\/span><\/a>is second on the list with 41\/48 field goals and 48\/48 extra points. Myers delivered 171 points to his fantasy managers.

It comes as no surprise that L.A. Chargers<\/span><\/a> kicker Cameron Dicker<\/span><\/a> <\/b>made the Pro Bowl this year. With his team headed to the playoffs, Dicker ranked number three among NFL kickers. He finished the 2025 season with 38\/41 for 92.7%, and 34\/35 EPs 97.1%. Dicker\u2019s longest kick was a 59-yarder. He also scored 148 points for his fantasy managers.<\/p>\r\n

Ranking The Remaining Kickers In the Playoffs\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Now, with the playoffs underway, the remaining teams with the best kickers in the league have a definite advantage. In a close game like the Bills \/ Jaguars game this past weekend, the Rams’ defense prevented Jacksonville from getting into field goal range. But would the outcome have been different if Little had the opportunity to nail a long-distance field goal? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The final Wild Card match of the season pits two high-ranking kickers, Fairbairn and Boswell against each other. Based on the sheer volume of field goals in relation to Houston\u2019s higher scoring offense, Fairbairn has the edge after converting 44\/48 field goals in 2025 to Boswell\u2019s 27\/32.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Of the teams remaining in the playoffs, Seattle\u2019s Myers strong leg, accuracy, and consistency gives his team the biggest advantage. <\/span>But don\u2019t count out the Denver Broncos\u2019 Will Lutz,<\/a> <\/span>or the Rams\u2019 Harrison Mevis<\/a>. Both are in the 100% club for extra points and have delivered on the majority of field goals this season.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The NFL Wild Card Weekend provided plenty of high-scoring action, and late game heroics, with missed field goals becoming a critical factor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5208,"featured_media":262626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,23,19,24,25,14,13,18,34,32,29],"tags":[10291,177,34032,42,49,266,43,44,135,1323,1501,192],"class_list":["post-262250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-panthers","category-bears","category-cowboys","category-lions","category-packers","category-texans","category-jaguars","category-chargers","category-rams","category-seahawks","category-buccaneers","tag-brandon-aubrey","tag-buffalo-bills","tag-cam-little","tag-chicago-bears","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-denver-broncos","tag-detroit-lions","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-jacksonville-jaguars","tag-jason-myers","tag-los-angeles-chargers","tag-los-angeles-rams"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5208"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262250"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":262632,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262250\/revisions\/262632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}