Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski did what some has expected him to do for quite a while; he nailed a record-tying 63-yard field goal through the uprights. The kick was the difference in a three-point 23-20 win over rival Denver Broncos on MNF.
After tying the record first set by Tom Dempsey in a game against the Detroit Lions decades ago, Janikowski said:
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“To be honest, I didn’t hit it that good. It barely got over the bar. I hit a 70-yarder in pregame.”
The Raiders started off the season 1-0 and the victory is the team’s fourth in a row in Denver.
The battle included the debuts of new head coaches, Raiders’ Hue Jackson and the Broncos’ John Fox.
In the earlier Monday Night Football game, Tom Brady connected with Wes Welker for a record-tying 99 ½ yard touchdown reception. After the Patriots stopped the Dolphins on a 4th and goal attempt at the half-yard line, Brady hit Welker on a slant the next play and Welker out sprinted the ‘Fins defense.
Used with permission of the author.
Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.
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