Chad Ryland was in a pretty rough spot before he came on for the game-winning field goal in the New England Patriots’ upset win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The rookie kicker’s struggles continued again earlier in Sunday’s game. He missed a 47-yard field goal wide right in the first half and banged the upright on a point-after attempt in the third quarter, costing the Patriots four points as he moved to 14-of-21 on field goal attempts this season.
Still, the Patriots turned to him for the game’s deciding play. After Bailey Zappe helped orchestrate a six-play, 43-yard drive to get the Patriots to the Broncos’ 38-yard line with seven seconds left, Ryland had a chance to rectify his mistakes, which allowed the game to be tied at 23-23.
Ryland delivered, sinking a 56-yard field just seconds before time expired, giving the Patriots a 26-23 win. He shared how he remained confident even after his struggles to make the game-winning field goal on Sunday.
“Oftentimes, you find the greatest treasure in the darkest caves,” Ryland told reporters following the win. “I’ve obviously been struggling a little bit this year, and I was really, really fortunate to be surrounded by a team that believes in me. And that helps me to continue to move forward with my process and then go ahead and knock the last one down.”
Chad Ryland knew game-winning field goal would go through in Patriots’ win over Broncos
Ryland began to celebrate his made field goal nearly right after the ball left his foot, pumping his fist as the kick went straight through the uprights. The kick looked perfect off Ryland’s leg, and the rookie sensed it, too.
“I knew when I hit it,” Ryland said of the kick as he smiled.
The rookie credited Matthew Slater and other veterans for helping him through tough moments this season, helping him still feel confident in his kicking abilities.
“Honestly, I didn’t waver in confidence at all, because I knew the guys I had around me still believed in me and have believed in me all year,” Ryland said. “And that means more to an athlete, and even more so a kicker, that I think I could even put into words — just having that support system of the guys.”
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