It's not often that you see an NFL team attempt a field goal of 60 yards or more, but that's exactly what the Philadelphia Eagles did just before halftime against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.
With just four seconds left to play in the first half and Philadelphia sitting at Minnesota's 43-yard line, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni had a decision to make: He could either have Jalen Hurts attempt a Hail Mary or he could send Jake Elliott out to try a 61-yard field goal.
Sirianni went with option two and Elliott made the gamble pay off by absolutely drilling a 61-yard kick that gave the Eagles a 13-7 lead over Minnesota at the break. The kick, which you can see below, only cleared the crossbar by a couple of feet.
.@jake_elliott22 FROM 61 YARDS OUT!#MINvsPHI | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/yUSATyKk4a
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 15, 2023
The field goal was notable for multiple reasons. For one, it was tied for the second-longest kick in the NFL since the start of the 2021 season. It was also the SECOND 61-yard field goal of Elliott's career, which puts him in rare company.
With Elliott now 2 of 2 on kicks of 61 yards or longer in his career, that makes him one of only two kickers in NFL history to have multiple attempts from 61 or longer with a hit rate of 100% (Brett Maher is the other). Elliott's other 61-yarder came in 2017 when he beat the Giants with a game-winning kick during his first season in Philadelphia.
Those two kicks are tied for the longest in franchise history.
Any time a kicker hits a field goal from more than 61 yards, it's a big deal, and that's because they're so rare. The kick by Elliott marked just the 24th time in NFL history that someone has a made a field goal from 61 yards or more (Over the course of NFL history, kickers are 24 of 134 on field goal attempts of 61 yards or more).
Elliott and the Eagles are holding a 27-14 lead against the Vikings in the third quarter. If you want to follow all the action, be sure to click here so you can head to our live blog.
