Monday, November 13, 2006

NFL: Mid November, time for long returns after missed field goals

In November 13, 2005, took place a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears at the Soldier Field stadium in Chicago. This game became historical because it witnessed the longest return for touchdown after a missed field goal: Nathan Vasher, a Bears' cornerback, catched the ball eight yards inside Chicago's own end zone after San Francisco's kicker Joe Nedney missed a 52 yard field goal. This kick was not easy not only because of the distance, but also because it was a particularly windy day.
Vasher managed to exit the end zone, and after a series of turns and twists to change his direction in a couple of times, he managed to run until the opposite end zone to score a touchdown and to impose a new record: the longest return after a missed field goal in history. Nice done huh?
But the story doesn't end here. It seems that it is a good time for the Chicago bears to return missed field goals.
Only yesterday, a match between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants took place at the Giant Stadium. During this match, the Giants sent their kicker, Jay Feely, to attempt a 52 yard field goal (exactly the same distance than San Francisco's attempt). The kick was just short from the target, and the ball was catched by another Bears' cornerback, Devin Hester, eight yards inside his own end zone. Hester feigned to kneel down after catching the ball (which would mean that the down would finish by then and the game would be restarted at the yard 20), and after all of the Giants' players took the bait, he started running with the ball fastly towards the opposite end zone! After a hell of a job by his teammates, who managed to block all of the Giants' attempts to stop Hester, this guy ran for 108 yards to score a touchdown, tying Vasher's record.
I'm sure that images are more clear than my descriptions, so click on the movie below to see the video (I apologize for the annoying hip hop music and stuff related to the bad edition, but it is the most decent movie that I was able to find to post for you).

So the Bears break a record on November 13, 2005, and they attain the same feat on November 12, 2006. What can we expect to see from the Bears around November 11, 2007? Let's wait for another year to see!

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