February 15, 2019 5:04 PM PST
MINNEAPOLIS -- For most kickers, a game-tying, 58-yard field goal as time expires would qualify as the highlight of their careers. Running Shoes Clearance Online .For Matt Prater, it just barely made the top five on his list.Praters big leg got the Detroit Lions to overtime against the Minnesota Vikings and Matthew Staffords big arm took over from there in a 22-16 victory on Sunday.Prater has the NFL record of 64 yards and three kicks of 59 yards on his resume, so when he trotted on to the field at indoor U.S. Bank Stadium with the game on the line, it was nothing new for him.Im confident, Prater said. More than likely Im not worried about missing it short. ... I expect to make every kick. I dont overanalyze it or think too much. I just kick it and hope it goes straight.It usually does. Prater is 23 for 23 on game-tying or go-ahead field goal tries in the fourth quarter or overtime, according to ESPN. So when Stafford took the ball down 16-13 with 23 seconds left on the clock, he knew all Prater needed was a chance.Matt Prater will say get to midfield and he will have a chance, Stafford said. He has got a big leg.Once it got to overtime, Stafford hit Golden Tate for a 28-yard touchdown to give the Lions (5-4) their fourth win in five games. Stafford completed 23 of 36 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and Tate had 11 catches for 79 yards.Sam Bradford completed 31 of 40 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings, who have lost three in a row coming out of the bye after a 5-0 start.But the vaunted Vikings defense couldnt come up with one more stop.Its hard to feel good after a loss, but today we looked like we have in the past, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.Obviously we didnt get it done and theres no guarantees, but Id rather go into a fight with these guys the way they were today than the last couple of weeks.Here are the top takeaways from the game:WALSHS BREAKING POINTJuxtaposed against Praters dependability in big moments is Vikings kicker Blair Walshs erratic play. He missed his third extra point try of the season, more than any other kicker in the league. He also had a kick that was blocked. Throughout his career, Walsh has impressed with his graciousness in fielding questions after missing big kicks. But on Sunday, he snapped.It didnt go in, right? he said. You guys are going to ask me this question a million times: `Did it feel good? Did I make it? No. Do I have to? Yes. Do I want to? Yes. So, just, if youve got something else, please. Seriously.STAFFORDS COOLThe comeback was Staffords fifth this season when trailing in the fourth quarter, the most in the NFL. The Lions five victories have been by a total of 17 points. Their four losses have come by a combined 18 points.You do not always want to be in those situations, but we have been the majority of the time this year and these guys just believe in each other, Stafford said. I believe in those guys.ZIMMERS REGRETZimmer deployed a prevent defense in hopes of avoiding getting beaten deep by Stafford. When the QB was able to complete two passes to get them into Praters range, Zimmer said he should have tried to apply more pressure.If I had to do it all over again, I would probably rush four and try and get it that way, Zimmer said. He scrambled around and made a play. Thats how it goes.SHARP SHURMURUnlike the past two games, the blame for losing didnt fall squarely on Minnesotas offense.Actually, the Vikings posted their third-highest yardage total of the season during an efficient, rhythmic performance behind sharp play calling by offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur in his first game in the role. He replaced Norv Turner, who abruptly resigned on Wednesday.They used a faster pace between snaps and favored quicker, high-percentage throws, effectively minimizing the pressure on Bradford, who was sacked only twice after taking a total of 11 sacks the previous two weeks.Still, the Vikings werent perfect. They had to punt after starting a drive at the 18-yard line following an interception in the second quarter. Then in the fourth quarter, Matt Asiata was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the 5.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Nike Running Shoes China . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. Nike Running Shoes For Sale Cheap . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. http://www.cheapnikerunningshoes.com/ . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. LAS VEGAS -- Carmelo Anthony wants more than a better U.S. basketball team heading into the Olympics.He wants a better U.S.Anthony called for an end to gun violence, the killing of African-Americans and the targeting of police, and said his quest for that is bigger than his desire for what would be a record third gold medal.Its unfortunate, its sad, Anthony said Monday. You cant really put into words whats going on throughout the whole country, throughout the whole world. For us as a country, we have to stand united. We have to come together.The New York Knicks forward has spoken out more and more lately, challenging fellow athletes to do the same. He has taken his message to Instagram and the ESPYS, and if he wants another forum, there arent too many bigger spotlights than the Olympics.Will he take his message all the way to the medal podium?We always say that the timing could not have been any better for us as a country, having a chance to come together and being united, Anthony said, then go over there on the biggest stage you can possibly play on and have that voice and represent something that is bigger than us as players.The U.S. team may not wait for Rio. Details are still being finalized, but Anthony, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski have hinted at plans for some kind of community forum in conjunction with the league when the Americans head to Los Angeles following camp to play an exhibition game against China.I think it can be great. When we talk about united, thats what we keep talking about, forward Draymond Green said. Obviously we saw a lot of guys speak out about guys getting in front of this thing, and coming together right now with the opportunity to possibly win a gold medal and try to lead the charge with whats going on in the country. I think it could be really special.Anthony isnt just a celebrity posting politically correct messages on his social media accounts. He marched with protesters in his hometown of Baltimore last year following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody and took part with other NBA players in an ad campaign to stop gun violence.In recent weeks alone, there were black men killed by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, followed by attacks on officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge. Anthony was moved to write a lengthy Instagram post and later a plea for involvement in a piece for The Guardian, in which he talked about the opportunity his teammates have to make a stand during the Olympics.Im kind of a guy who likes speaking behind closed doors. I dont like taking credit, Anthony said. I really like talking to guys one-on-one. Any of my colleagues will tell you Ive had that voice. Nike Running Shoes Clearance Sale. They always came to me for that type of advice. But now is an opportunity to get it out there. Its a very sensitive time for us.He wasnt planning on going to the ESPYS until a conversation with close friends and former Olympic teammates LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul, leading to their powerful opening to the awards show last week.What they did at the ESPYS was unbelievable, and we applaud these guys, Krzyzewski said.Those players were set for life financially two contracts ago, let alone what theyll sign for this summer and next. Some members of this Olympic team are still waiting on their big endorsement dollars, and speaking out about a cause can come with a cost.Even Michael Jordan was famously unwilling to take those stances as a player, but Anthony -- who endorses Jordans sneaker line -- wont hear that excuse anymore.At the end of the day, the tragedies thats happening, it affects people, Anthony said. Were athletes, but at the end of the day were human beings, so were affected by all of that. We have families that are in some of those cities.Twelve years ago, Anthony appeared in a video titled Stop Snitching in which alleged drug dealers talk about what happens to people who cooperate with the police.Anthony says he has since grown to understand the weight of his words and actions.I look back at those moments, I can fortunately enough, I can sit back and laugh at those situations because it made me grow up as a person and as a man, Anthony said. It made me grow up and realize ... I was an individual, how powerful my voice and presence is. It is something I didnt know at 19, 20, 21 years old. You just dont know those things. Youre going through life like nothing can affect you.As you get older, the plan is to grow and mature. For me, it was a matter of being knowledgeable and having the wisdom and understanding my situation of where Im at, being a professional athlete and what comes along with that.Anthony said that he doesnt have any solutions for the current problems and isnt sure anyone else does. But he feels he has helped spark conversation in recent weeks, and his teammates say they need to continue it.Thats our job, guard DeMar DeRozan said. A lot of people look up to us. Were an inspiration to a lot of people. So for us to share a positive light and try to make things better, as a collective group of guys, thats our duty to do that.Information from ESPNs Ian Begley and The Associated Press was used in this report. 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