Gostkowski Doubles Up on NFL Honors
The accolades keep on coming for Stephen Gostkowski.
The Tennessee Titans kicker was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month on Thursday, one day after he earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He is the first Titans player to win one of the league’s weekly and monthly awards in 2020.
Kicker Stephen Gostkowksi has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week following his six-field goal performance (a career-high) in the Tennessee Titans’ 31-30 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
He is the first Titans player to win one of the league’s weekly awards in 2020. He was AFC Special Teams Player of the Week six times as a member of the New England Patriots.
The last to win AFC Special Teams Player of the Month was former kicker Ryan Succop (September 2017). The last to win any of the league's monthly honors was quarterback Ryan Tannehill (Offensive Player of the Month, December 2019).
At the beginning of September, not many would have envisioned this. In his Titans debut against the Denver Broncos, Gostkowski missed two field goals, had another one blocked and he missed an extra-point attempt. However, a streak of nine straight field goals started when he made a 25-yard game-winner with 17 seconds to play in that one.
Gostkowski has made three consecutive game-winning field goals to start the season. He is the only kicker in franchise history to accomplish such a feat. Joe Nedney (Oct. 14-21, 2001), Rob Bironas (Nov. 26–Dec. 3, 2006) and Ryan Succop (Sept. 16-23, 2018) are the only other kickers in franchise history to have made game-winning kicks in consecutive weeks.
The 36-year-old is currently tied for second in the league with 32 points and is tied for the league lead with nine field goals (12 attempts). Additionally, Gosktowski’s 55-yard field goal against the Vikings is the second longest of the year among all kickers (Arizona Cardinals kicker Zane Gonzalez hit from 56 yards).
En route to AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, Gostkowski made a career-high six field goals in the Titans’ 31-30 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The four-time Pro Bowler made field goals from 39, 31, 30, 51, 54 and 55 yards, respectively.
Signed by the Titans just before the regular season, Gostkowski spent the previous 14 seasons with the Patriots. He ranks seventh all-time in NFL history in field goal percentage (87 percent) and his 205 career postseason points rank second all-time in NFL history. In 28 career postseason games, including three Super Bowl victories, Gostkowski has made 39 of his 44 field goal attempts (88.6 percent). He has led the league in field goals three times in his career.
