10 facts about Jake Elliott's unbelievable walk-off field goal

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Reuben Frank has 10 facts you may not have known about Jake Elliott’s 61-yard walk-off field goal.

1. Jake Elliott’s 61-yard game-winning field goal Sunday broke the Eagles’ franchise record of 59 yards set on Nov. 12, 1979, by Tony Franklin against the Cowboys at Texas Stadium. 

2. It was the longest walk-off field goal by an Eagles kicker by far, breaking the record of 50 yards set by David Akers on Oct. 24, 2004, in overtime in Cleveland.

3. It was the third-longest walk-off game-winner in NFL history and the longest in 10 years — since a kick Eagles fans remember well. The longest game-winner ever is Tom Dempsey’s 63-yarder as time expired on Nov. 8, 1970, that gave the Saints a 19-17 win over the Lions at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. The only other longer game-winner was Matt Bryant’s 62-yarder in Tampa against the Eagles on Oct. 22, 2006.

4. It was the longest field goal in NFL history by a rookie. The previous record was 60 yards set by Greg Zuerlein of the Rams, who made a 60-yarder against Seattle in a 19-13 win on Sept. 30, 2012. 

5. Elliott’s kick was also the longest field goal ever against the Giants. The previous record belonged to Mason Crosby of the Packers, who made a 57-yarder in a loss to the Giants in 2013.

6. Elliott is the first kicker in NFL history to make a kick from 60 or more yards before making a kick from 50 or more yards. Elliott’s previous long field goal was a 46-yarder moments earlier. Zuerlein and Dempsey each had one 50-yarder before their 60-yarder.

7. The kickers who made the longest and fourth-longest field goals in Eagles history are both currently on the roster. Franklin’s 59-yarder is now second-longest, David Akers’ 57-yarder in 2003 against the Patriots is No. 3 and Caleb Sturgis’ 55-yarder last October in Dallas is now fourth-longest. Sturgis is currently on injured reserve. Elliott was signed to replace him.

8. Believe it or not, Elliott is the first kicker in Eagles history to make two field goals of 46 yards or more in a fourth quarter.

9. Elliott’s kick was not the longest attempt ever by an Eagles kicker. Alex Henery missed a 63-yarder in the Georgia Dome against the Falcons in 2011, Tony Franklin missed a 62-yarder against the Colts in 1983 and Tom Dempsey missed a 61-yarder against the Cards in 1974.

10. Finally, this: Elliott, whose 46-yarder with 51 seconds left tied the game at 24, is the first kicker in 23 years to make two field goals from any distance in the final minute of a fourth quarter. On Christmas Eve in 1994 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Doug Pelfrey of the Bengals made a game-tying 22-yard field goal against the Eagles with three seconds left in the fourth quarter. Eagles fullback Brian O’Neal fumbled the ensuing kickoff and it was recovered by Adrian Hardy of the Bengals at the Eagles’ 35-yard line. Pelfrey ran back on the field and made a 54-yarder to win the game. Eagles head coach Rich Kotite was fired the next day. 

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