With the final seconds ticking off the clock in Wednesday’s practice, the team turned to kicker Matt Prater to do what he did four separate times last season – convert a game-winning field goal.
Trailing by two points with :23 left on the clock and the ball spotted on the opponent 40-yard line, Peyton Manning completed a 7-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas that moved the ball to the 33-yard line. With time winding down, Prater ran onto the field and drilled a 50-yard field goal to win the game.
“It’s as close to realistic as you can get, especially with the crowd out here and everything,” Prater said about the situational drills. “It’s good, I like the practice and as long as I’m making them it’s always good.”
Prater converted three other clutch kicks during the situational sessions at the end of practice.
First, it was a 48-yarder that tied the game for the first-team offense with just seven seconds remaining in the game.
Then after Adam Weber led the second-team offense down the field, Prater converted from 34 yards out for the game-tying points.
Lastly, Prater ran out to cap a Caleb Hanie-led drill with a 48-yard game winner.
While the players that set up each kick changed throughout drills to rotate the reps, Prater is the only kicker on the roster, so all the training camp reps are his.
Along with punter Britton Colquitt, Prater is one of only two Broncos not competing with any other players in camp for a roster spot, but that doesn’t mean he’s gotten complacent with his status on the squad.
“With the NFL, you’re always competing, whether it’s with somebody in the building or on the other 31 teams with other guys in camp,” Prater said. “You have to do your best or they’ll always be looking for someone better.”
WINDSHIELDS BEWARE
Unbeknownst to Prater, his accuracy went beyond the field goal posts on Wednesday. One of his kicks split the uprights and crashed squarely into the windshield of a parked car in the employee lot at the team’s training facility.
When Prater found out about it after practice, he laughed and said it’s the fifth time that’s happened since he joined the team.
“It’s insurance, it’s not my fault,” he said, laughing when asked if he’d be responsible for the repairs. “I guess don’t park anywhere near the uprights.”
The team usually kicks toward its turf field, but to change things up today, Prater’s kicks all pointed the other direction.
“Today they wanted to switch it – maybe so I didn’t get too comfortable kicking it at one set of uprights,” Prater said. “The wind is always different, too, so depending on the wind, that kind of decides where we’re kicking.”
While he’s willing to kick at the employee lot from time to time, Prater joked that he’d be afraid of kicking towards his teammates’ cars.
“I never kick toward (the players’ lot) just because everyone in this building is a lot bigger than me,” Prater joked. “So I don’t want to hit their cars.”
Tags: Matt Prater, Training Camp 2012
LOL!!!! I love having Prater on our team… Awesome. Breaking a windshield.
So glad we signed Prater!!!!!
Best clutch kicker in the game today!
Hey bro!!! What’s up?!?!!?
Hey tlc,not much,just laying low,lol……and you?
Me?? I’m getting pretty excited about Broncos football on Saturday!
I’ll have to catch the NFL Network replay again dangit,they don’t show preseason Bronco games locally.I have the NFL Sunday ticket,but it don’t kick in until regular season,then I’ll be stoked!!!
That’s when it counts buddy! I get to be there though…. Peyton’s first home game even though it doesn’t count!! I think I’m almost as excited about the orange jerseys LOL
49er game is on tv though right?
Hey y’all. Too bad about Hunter, but we all know injuries happen. The key is when they happen, and to whom they happen to. You’re never happy when they occur, but so far I can deal with what we’ve been dealt. Kuper still isn’t 100% from that brutal ankle injury yet, so perhaps this will give him a little extra time to heal up from that as well. Hunter was projected as a starter, but part of me thinks that was a way to light a fire under Ayers, as I don’t see Hunter as a starter personally.. This injury also makes the Derek Wolfe pick look even better (if that’s possible), with him being able to play both DT & DE.
You’re lucky,I wished I could be there live!
I love the Orange jerseys!
chat atcha later tlc,I’m watching American Hoggers!
Malik Jackson can also play DT/DE!
Good point sec! Del Rio is gonna have them boys bouncing all over the DL! We could line up 4 rushers in certain situations!
But I still wanna draft another pure pass rusher next year early, if not in the 1st round. The Crush is back to stay!
Cat – to answer your question from earlier, I’m curious to see how the Seattle’s rookie Bruce Irvin looks. He supposedly can bring the heat..
Sec, today Royal was asking about you, if we`ve seen you. By the way, good to see ya! Broncos 2012!!!!!
Prater is the second coming to Jason Elam. He`s money!
Prater has a dangerous foot breaking windshields. LOL
Haavnt gone back and read much. Whats been going on folks?
Everytime I tried to get on I was able to then got busy again.
Prater is at it again kicking some bombs to win the game in practice. His confidence is building daily by making those long kicks.
OT, I forgot about Irvin… I’m pumped. I think the game is going to be fantastic on both sides of the ball. I look forward to see what the SeaChickens have to bring.
Guys, I think it’s more than impressive that he’s broken five windshields!
Strong leg Cat! HaHa!!
Just a few more days until game time.
This week has gone by quick so far. I like that!
Strand, we have the LEG and the NECK, remember? Both will score tons of points for us this year.
Yeah!! Its going to be a great year!!
I like Peytons new commercial along with Deion Sanders. It`ll be a classic. LOL
I have not seen it yet!!! dang it! Not fair!
Didn’t Prater crack a windshield of a teammates car last year in practice??? I was thinking it was Orton’s(Kyle)
Rookie hazing at the hotel tonight. Clothes in the lobby, but I’m sure there’s much more than just that. Hilarious, if its all in good fun!
Well DJ was found guilty of a reduced charge.
Ability impaired driving.
Singer I bet he gets at least two games tacked to his six
I agree. At LEAST 2 more games. Time to cut him loose? OR wait and use him the 2nd half of the season then trade him if we can?
The coaches like him too much and hes the best we have at the position. I don’t know what they will do but it wont be this season.
I have no tolerance for drinking and driving. I just kinda wish they would cut him.
Anybody know what DJ’s sentence was?
Bogus – we have SD, KC, and Broncos all playing Sat. night. THey could at least feature a game we want to see each night.
Hey Bronco fans – FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!
Morning Y’all!
I still stand by my guns and say just cut DJ already. He’s likely to get more games from Goodell………..and we really don’t need this type of guy on our roster. I hope others step up and the team decides we’re still good, and better off without him.
Hopefully it won’t be on Prater’s leg to win games in the 4th or OT this season, as we’ll just beat teams outright. But points are points and I think he’ll be used a lot this year. PM might not punch it in the endzone everytime this season, but I’m pretty confident he’ll be able to move the chains enough to allow Prater to rack up the points. But let’s be honest here………I’d much rather see TD’s than FG’s but all points count!
Let’s hope this is the end of the injury bug spreading on our team………..jeesh! Or at least I hope we get them all out of the way now and remain healthy the rest of the ways.
Anyone know what’s up with Warren? He’s been missing due to family reasons. Hope all is okay and we get him back to practice. We really need him to have a good year.
OSS:
BBBP: DJ will but cut before the Pitt game.
Hey Kod! I saw you mentioned the fox feed for seattle you get, well im assuming you have rodgers and I was wondering if you could tell me what channel it is! I know mine will be different being in a different province lol but jus an idea where to look. Thanks.
BBBP: Derek Wolfe will be second on the Broncos will 14.5 sacks.
Hey Scalp,
I actually have Eastlink…………usually here out east when you have the Time Shift channels for the networks, the east feed comes from Boston and the West feed comes from Seattle……….
Not sure if that’s the same with Rogers or not………..but just check if you have FOXW and if you watch the news you’ll know where it’s coming from.
Eastlink has a sweet deal………..NFL Sunday Ticket and NHL Centre Ice for only $30/month. Now that’s a steal! I think Eastlink is only in the Atlantic provinces though.
Thanks man, ya sports pak is 30 a month here too you get NHL, NFL NBA MLB and NCAA football and basketball and even Nascar channels too haha its amazing only reason im with rogers haha
awesome…………..I believe that’s the same sports pack I got too. Can’t wait for Nascar!! NOT! lol
If you have the Time Shift channels, then you’ll prob get the west feed from Seattle too……….hopefully anyways!
Kod… I think we should cut DJ too. I don’t want him to keep someone else’s spot. However, I hear from people much closer to the Broncos han us that he will not he cut or traded because he will cost us nothinf while suspended and the coaches like his ability. Annoying!
Yeah, they’ll prob keep him as insurance incase he’s needed when his suspension is over. But to that, I wonder what kind of game shape is he going to be in at that point?
He’s not allowed in the facility or contact with the coaches……….and lord knows what other trouble he can find himself in during his time off. It’s just a horrible spot he’s put the team in.
darn it………….didn’t win the trivia contest again. Only a couple more chances! I want that prize pack SO BAD!
Broncos don’t have any bluchippers behind DJ at WLB. Woodyard, hard working, but can he take a 16 game season beating. Brooking.. probably past his prime. Trevathan remains to be seen. Tough spot to be in.
Not saying Broncos should keep DJ, but then again it’s easy to cast stones at those who have done wrong.
Me too but I yesterday was an awful day for me to guess. Honest. LOL!
Oh and you’ve got to think that Ty Warren had a death in his family or something. Which would be really sad.
So it looks like you’ll see a full half of PM this weekend cat. Looking forward to seeing how the rhythm has progressed with the receivers and getting more possessions will certainly help and we’ll get a better guage of where they are. I certainly hope they can punch a few in the end zone!