Ebenezer Scrooge. The Grinch. John McClain.
They've got nothing on Chad Ryland.
The kickerRyland is the latest protagonist to find redemption on Christmas Eve, earning it in the New England Patriots' rollercoaster 26-23 over the Denver Broncos. The rookie rang in the holiday in style, booting a career-long 56-yard field goal to secure the victory and throw a sizable wrench in Denver's postseason plans.
"He made a hell of a kick," quarterback Bailey Zappe said, per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. "I mean, that was unbelievable."
Ryland was probably pegged to be the scapegoat had New England (4-11) spoiled its Christmas dinner, as prior misfires placed the Patriots in such a precarious situation in the Rockies.
One of his previous kicks arose such a clatter, as an extra point after New England's first touchdown (Zappe's 15-yard scoring pass to Ezekiel Elliott) clanked off the left upright in deafening fashion. Had that kick, as well as a missed 47-yard triple toward the end of the first half, sailed through, all would've been calm and bright on the visitors' sidelines rather than the late scurrying that made up the final drive as Denver (7-8) tied the game after enduring a 23-7 deficit.
The ghosts of football past had also been anything but kind to Ryland: over the past five games, the fourth-round pick from last spring had converted only half of his last six field goal tries. Such misses, including a missed 35-yarder in the final stages of Nov. 26's loss to the New York Giants, are particularly glaring in the wake of the Patriots' most recent four losses, all of which have come by no more than 10 points. Prior to the fateful kick, Ryland was also only 1-of-3 on tries from at least 50 yards, his longest being a 51-yarder in a September win over the New York Jets.
New England brought in a few extra legs to try out at the kicker spot but Ryland has remained stationed on the active roster as the Patriots play out their final hours.
Ryland credited his teammates' faith for keeping in the right mental state when it became clear that he'd be called upon to launch after Denver made its comeback. Playing the role of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come was longtime Patriots special teams staple Matthew Slater: while injured and missing from Sunday's game, Slater foresaw Ryland's necessity as the Broncos crept closer.
“You have guys like Matt Slater coming up to you and telling you, ‘Hey man, we’re going to need you in the fourth quarter here. That’s what it’s turned out to be. Matt the prophet. Hey, that came true," Ryland said, per Nick O'Malley of MassLive.com. "Oftentimes you find the greatest treasure in the darkest caves."
"I’ve obviously been struggling this year, and I was really, really fortunate to be surrounded by a team that believes in me and that helps me to continue forward with my process and then go ahead and knock the last one down.”
Ryland's will likely look to keep the momentum alive in the Patriots' penultimate game of the season, which sees them face the Buffalo Bills next Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
More must-reads: