Matt Prater is a Buffalo legend: Bills’ emergency kicker gets unforgettable gift from his teammates and fans moments after win
Matt Prater, take a bow.
The Buffalo Bills’ victory against the Baltimore Ravens was straight out of a Hallmark film. It had all the drama while wrapping everything up in the last few seconds.
It goes without saying that Josh Allen was heroic in the contest, but perhaps more so was that of newly-acquired Matt Prater.
Immediately after nailing a game-winning field goal, he got a gift of sorts from his teammates: They finally learned who he was. For Bills fans, they were quick to label Prater a legend. The veteran was showered with praise and love, and even a hilarious mic drop statement from Dion Dawkins.
Some Bills players didn’t know who Prater was before the game
In a hilarious sequence of events, various members of the Buffalo Bills’ roster were asked about the game and the victory, pointing out that they had no idea if Prater was a coach or a player ahead of the contest.
“I’m not going to take a shot at his age, but [Prater] walks into the special teams meeting and I’m like ‘Oh, we got a new coach,’” tight end Jackson Hawes said after the game. “Wait, that’s Matt Prater, holy cow. This guy has been balling in the league.”
Hawes wasn’t the only one who didn’t know who Prater was after seeing him in the locker room. Receiver Khalil Shakir admitted after the game that he, too, didn’t know who the kicker was at first.
“First time I’ve seen him I was like ‘Is that a coach?’” Shakir said. “He comes out here, man, and he’s a great dude. Comes in here and kicks the game-winning field goal. He’s special and I’m just happy to have him with us.”
Dion Dawkins is a national treasure, offers a perfect response after the game
Dawkins was his normal self, offering some hilarious insights that even got some of the reporters cracking up. He threw some polite jabs at the 41-year-old kicker that quickly went viral.
“Oldest guy in the world, ain’t he?” Dawkins said. “Shoot, I’m thankful for him. Keep your old ass with the Bills. I’m thankful for him. I’m glad that somebody could come in on Thursday and help us big. Cause every piece matters, and he came in, he understood the assignment, he got the job done.”
What’s more, he earned an unforgettable gift from the Bills Mafia. After the field goal had gone through, Prater was named a Buffalo legend. Joining the team at the last minute and then delivering in the biggest moment of the game left everyone surprised. We’re shocked that the fan base didn’t start flooding a charity that he’s a part of.
Matt Prater helps lead the Bills to victory against the Ravens in Week 1
Tyler Bass has been dealing with an injury that saw him sit out most of the preseason, excluding the finale. During the week leading up to the game, Bass was trending in the wrong direction and forced the organization to bring in some help. Prater was with the team for less than 100 hours before hitting the game-winner. He was added to the team’s 53-man roster on Tuesday.
While Bass progresses through his injury, Prater is the guy moving forward. After just one contest, we think the Bills Mafia will be more than okay seeing him fill in.
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