Dan Carpenter admits surprise at Rian Lindell’s 56-yard kick

Taking one last look back at last week’s game against the Bills, it’s easy to forget the play that provided the deciding points in Buffalo’s 31-14 victory with all that came afterward. Nonetheless, Rian Lindell’s 56-yard field goal that gave Buffalo its first lead of the game at 17-14 with 11:25 remaining deserves another look, if only because it underscores how huge factors field position and special teams play can be in a close game. Buffalo punter Brian Moorman had pinned the Dolphins at their own 2 with a coffin-corner punt, and two long Chad Henne incompletions and a 1-yard Ricky Williams run got it only to the 3 before Brandon Fields tried to punt out of danger. He hit a 48-yarder that Roscoe Parrish returned 12 yards to the Miami 39. A false-start penalty and a sack pushed the Bills back to the 47, from where a field-goal attempt would have been unthinkable. But a screen pass to Marshawn Lynch up the right sideline gained 9 yards and prompted interim Bills coach Perry Fewell to ask special teams coach Bobby April what he thought. According to the Buffalo News, April asked Lindell “Can you do this?” and Lindell replied, “Yeah, let’s do it.” Added April, “His confidence pushed us over the edge.” Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter said he was a little surprised at the decision. “It’s one of those situations where if you make it it’s great, it’s three

points for your team, but if you don’t the other team gets the ball (near) midfield. A lot of guys figure it’s not worth the risk vs. the reward.” Lindell had missed a 44-yarder going the other way in the first quarter. He’s only made 3-of-6 from 40-49 yards this season. “He had 50-plus distance on the one he missed,” Carpenter said. “I think the wind switched direction a little bit on him before that miss and caught him off guard.” Carpenter said the wind was favorable to the longer kick, though it wasn’t blowing hard during the game. It was gauged at 15 mph out of the south-southwest at game’s start. The 56-yarder was the longest of Lindell’s career and the second-longest in Bills history. It’s the only attempt he’s had from beyond 50 yards this season, and it gave his team a huge emotional lift. It’s understandable if the emotions on the other sideline went the other way. There was one point upon pretty much everyone agreed: Had Dick Jauron still been coaching the Bills, that kick never even would have been considered. Jauron always took the conservative route, which ultimately proved a major factor in his dismissal. Fewell, on the other hand, had nothing to lose. The fact his gamble worked proved the start of an avalanche of bad news for Miami.

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Dan Carpenter admits surprise at Rian Lindell’s 56-yard kick

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