What could be more 2020 than kicking a game-winning field goal and likely losing your job?
That’s the situation Tennessee Titans kicker Stephen Gostkowski finds himself in after Monday’s 16-14 victory over the Broncos in Denver.
Gostkowski, a great kicker for the New England Patriots until injured last year, missed his first three field-goal attempts and an extra point before hitting the game-winner from 25 yards with 17 seconds to go.
Gostkowski missed three kicks early last season against Miami, two PATs and a field goal in a 43-0 victory. However, this was a national-TV calamity until the end.
A cool moment before the game-winning kick saw his former Patriot teammate, DB Malcolm Butler, come over and give the shaken kicker a pat and some kind words.
Kicking woes are not new for Tennessee, which managed to hit a total of eight field goals in 2019 while using roster five kickers at different times of the season.
What was bizarre on the Denver sidelines was Coach Vic Fangio failing to use his timeouts to preserve clock for his offense if Tennessee scored. And, then in a total stunner, he failed to call one to try and freeze Gostkowski.
Gostkowski has New England heritage like Titans coach Mike Vrabel. Not sure those ties that bind will be enough to keep him employed in Tennessee after the struggles.