Wouldn't you know it? The season of the kicker came down to a missed kick.
Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell hadn't missed an extra point all season until Ravens safety Kevon Johnson got a hand on the PAT after Aaron Rodgers threw a 26-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds left Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens in a win-or-go-home final regular-season game.
That blocked extra point, which the NFL this week officially changed from a missed PAT, left the Steelers clinging to a 26-24 lead and when Lamar Jackson connected with Isaiah Likely for a 26-yard gain on fourth-and-7 from the 50-yard line, it looked as if Rodgers would be missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
He sat on the Steelers bench looking forlorn as Jackson took the next snap and shuffled toward the right hashmark to set up rookie kicker Tyler Loop for the potential 44-yard game-winner.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) greets tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Jan. 4, in Pittsburgh.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh â who parted ways with the team on Tuesday after 18 seasons in Baltimore, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press â called timeout with 2 seconds left and Loop trotted out to send the Ravens into the playoffs and end the Steelers season.
He hadn't missed inside of 50 yards all season.
The snap was good, the hold was good but Loop didn't kick the ball cleanly. He said he knew as soon as it came off his foot funny that he'd pushed it to the right.
Maybe Harbaugh should have tried to get Loop a little closer, but 44 yards is a gimme for kickers nowadays.
âIt was a close kick,â said Harbaugh, who put his arm around Loop as they walked off the field and into the tunnel afterward. âWe wanted to center the ball. We wanted to make sure we got the (chance to) kick. We didn't want something bad to happen on the run. I don't think that was a bad decision.â
Field goals of 40- to 50-yards are now considered short kicks. Fifty-plus is medium.
Sixty-plus tries used to be unheard of. Not anymore.
Kickers have enjoyed unprecedented success with long-distance field goals of 60 or more yards the past two seasons thanks to rule changes favoring the specialists, such as the new K-ball, and more trust from coaches, leading to game strategy shifts and historic accuracy.
Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) reacts after missing a field goal in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jan. 4, in Pittsburgh.
Jacksonville kicker Cam Little kicked the two longest field goals in NFL history this season, nailing a 68-yarder at Las Vegas in Week 9 and splitting the uprights with a 67-yarder Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Sixty-yard field goals are no longer a big risk but a realistic expectation for today's kickers. Dallas' Brandon Aubrey made three field goals from beyond 60 yards this season, and overall kickers were 12 for 22 on field goals of 60-plus yards in 2025.
Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz said the tweaks in the kickoff rules in 2025 allowed kickers to save their legs by not having to blast every kickoff out of the back of the end zone as they used to. That, in turn, has allowed them to have more oomph on field goal attempts in the fourth quarter or overtime.
âAnytime your body feels better it helps,â said Lutz, whose five game-winning field goals helped the Broncos (14-3) earn the top seed in the AFC playoffs and the first-round bye that goes with it. âYeah, you feel fresher, you feel good, feel strong. I would say most kicker injuries probably came from full-speed kickoffs and you're not seeing that.â
Loop had plenty of length Sunday night, it's just that he didn't kick the ball as he had on all the other 29 field-goal attempts he'd made from inside 50 yards this season.
âThe operation was great,â Loop said in the sullen locker room afterward. "It was a great situation, exactly what we wanted. And unfortunately, I just mis-hit the ball. We call it âhitting it thin,â it spins fast and goes off to the right.
âI love this team and I love these guys. I wish it would have ended different."
Top photos from Week 18 of the NFL season
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (15) runs for a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the second half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates after sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) to set an NFL record for sacks in the regular season during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, left, escapes pressure from Miami Dolphins linebacker Quinton Bell during the first half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves (39) celebrates after making an interception during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (89) scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
An Atlanta Falcons fan celebrates in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Houston Texans linebacker Henry To'oto'o (39) celebrates his fumble recovery against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. (24) commits pass interference near the goal line against New Orleans Saints wide receiver Dante Pettis (11) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (2) makes a catch for first down against the Houston Texans during the first half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) fails to make a catch in front of Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) during the first half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Jacksonville Jaguars place-kicker Cam Little (39) celebrates his 67-yard field goal during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a touchdown pass against Cleveland Browns cornerback Sam Webb during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks (30) is tackled by Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (2) and linebacker Eric Wilson (55) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, right, is tackled Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39) during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. VÃĄsquez)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, left, talks with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold after an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. VÃĄsquez)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Deven Thompkins (83) carries against New Orleans Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom (27) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) scores a touchdown as he is hit by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. runs onto the field before an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) makes a catch for a touchdown over Tennessee Titans safety Sanoussi Kane, below, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Cleveland Browns cornerback Sam Webb celebrates after returning a fumble for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
An Atlanta Falcons fan cheers in the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) pulls in a touchdown pass that was called back on a penalty in the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs around the tackle attempt from Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison (21) during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
