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Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott had been flawless in the 2025 postseason-until Sunday. With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, Elliott's first miss of the playoffs couldn't have come at a worse time.
The veteran kicker sent a 54-yard attempt wide right in the NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders, handing their divisional rivals prime field position in a tightly contested battle.
Elliott, who has been with the Eagles since 2017, has built a reputation for clutch performances, but his struggles with long-range kicks this season came back to haunt him at the worst possible moment.
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A questionable call by Sirianni led to Elliott's failure
The Eagles, facing a fourth-and-15 from Washington's 36-yard line, opted to put their faith in Elliott rather than pinning the Commanders deep with a punt. Nicki Siranni's gamble backfired as the kick sailed wide, giving Washington an opportunity to capitalize.
This season has been a shaky one for Elliott, who finished the regular season with a career-low 77.8% field goal percentage (28-for-36).
While he remained reliable from shorter distances, his struggles from beyond 50 yards were glaring-he had made just one of seven attempts from that range, after never missing more than three deep kicks in any previous season.
Elliott failed at the worst possible time
Despite his inconsistency, Elliott had been perfect in the playoffs before this crucial miss, going 6-for-6 on field goals. But in the biggest game of the year, his postseason perfection came to an end at the worst possible moment.
With the Eagles and Commanders battling for NFC supremacy in their third meeting of the season, every decision and mistake was magnified. Elliott's miss could prove to be a defining moment in a game where both teams were looking to limit errors and punch their ticket to Super Bowl LIX.