Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski on PAT miss: ‘I lost the game for the team’
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski blamed himself for New England’s AFC Championship loss to the Denver Broncos after missing an extra point attempt in the first quarter.
The miss broke Gostkowski’s NFL-record streak of 523 consecutive extra points, stretching back to 2006.
“I feel like I lost the game for the team,” Gostkowski said, according to USA Today. “It’s a sickening feeling. I can’t put it into words.”
• Watch: Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski misses first extra point in 524 tries
The missed point put the Patriots in the position to be within two points of tying the game with 12 seconds left. Their two-point conversion attempt was intercepted, and the onside kick that followed was also recovered by the Broncos, who secured their Super Bowl berth with a 20–18 win.
“I’ve made hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of those. Sometimes timing is everything,” Gostkowski said. “I never would have thought missing a kick in the first quarter would be the difference in the game, but that’s why you’ve got to be good all the time.
• FARRAR: Poor protection, throws doom Patriots in loss to Broncos
“I put them in a bad spot by missing that first kick. I was ready to go, hoping to get another shot, and I didn’t get it. It’s going to be a long few weeks.”
With the loss, the Patriots failed to earn a chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Instead, the Broncos will face the Carolina Panthers on Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET in Super Bowl 50.
- Erin Flynn
