Matt Prater is no spring chicken, but he still saved Buffalo.
After being signed on Friday, the 41-year-old Prater drilled a game-winning field goal during “Sunday Night Football” while going 3-for-3 on attempts in a wild 41-40 win over the Ravens.
“I’m not gonna take a shot at his age, but he walks into the special teams meeting and then I’m like, ‘Oh, we got a new coach,” Bills offensive lineman Spencer Brown said after the game. “And then like that’s Matt Prater’ holy cow this guy has been balling in the league.'”
Prater made his NFL debut in 2007 with the Atlanta Falcons, enjoyed a successful stint with the Broncos rand, which included Pro Bowl trips in 2013 and 2016, and then went on to have runs with the Lions and Cardinals.
“The oldest guy in the world, ain’t he?” Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins joked to reporters.
“Shoot, I’m thankful for keeping you old ass with the Bills, man. I’m thankful for him. I’m glad that somebody could come in on Thursday and help us big cuz every piece matters, he came in, understood the assignment, we got the job done.”
The Bills were forced to put their usually reliable kicker, Tyler Bass, on injured reserve on Thursday with a pelvic injury.
They quickly brought Prater into the practice squad before eventually elevating him to the main team.
“Yeah, it was crazy,” Prater said on being signed on Friday. “Took a red-eye. Came, practiced… Honestly, I saw a really good practice. Saw a really good team and was really excited.”
“We had some crazy years in Denver with [Tim] Tebow,” Prater said when asked about Sunday’s chaotic ending. “I’m still on Cloud Nine.”
“He’s a true pro,” Coach Sean McDermott said after the game. “Awesome to execute at that level with the game on the line.”
Prater adds that he was coaching youth football during the offseason.
Prater’s kick finished a comeback from 40-25 down in the fourth quarter.
Bass being put on IR, means he will miss at least the first four games of the season and it is safe to say Prater did enough to keep the job for now.
Buffalo will face the Jets in Week 2 after the big win, as the Ravens host the Browns.