The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might’ve been trailing the Philadelphia Eagles 24-6 at halftime, but Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin ended the half on a high note. McLaughlin kicked a 65-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half, booting it between the uprights with room to spare.
The kick was a career high for McLaughlin and set a new franchise record for Tampa Bay. More importantly, it fell just one yard shy of the NFL record set in 2021, though it marks the longest outdoor field goal in league history, per NFL researcher Jack Andrade.
McLaughlin’s kick came after the Buccaneers were dominated by the Eagles’ defense throughout the first half. Philadelphia kicked off the game with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown on the first drive, before forcing Tampa Bay to go three-and-out twice in the first half alone.
Advertisement
On the play leading up to the near-record kick, which was on fourth-and-4, Philadelphia went with a unique approach, putting no defensive lineman on the play and only having players drop back to defend the pass. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had two straight incomplete passes before McLaughlin went for the kick.
This story will be updated.
Read the full article here