There was a lot to get lost in during the final minutes of regulation and overtime during Sunday Night Football between the Pittsburgh Steelers. Several major defensive stops. A game-tying field goal from the Seahawks at the end of regulation, after a go-ahead field goal from the Steelers with 90 seconds to play. An outstanding individual effort from All-Pro T.J. Watt in overtime to force a fumble and set his team up for the game-winning field goal.
But not to be lost in all of that late-game drama was the actual player himself who hit first the temporary go-ahead field goal late in regulation, and then won the game 23-20 for the Steelers in OT: Kicker Chris Boswell. Those two kicks were part of a three field goal day for him, and were part of a perfect day for the entire special teams unit for the Steelers. Boswell went 3/3, while snapper Christian Kuntz and holder Pressley Harvin III connected without issue on every field goal and extra point attempt to help set up Boswell’s 11 total points in the game.
After that unit helped kick Pittsburgh to the OT win, head coach Mike Tomlin lauded all three players for their part in a major victory.
“We got a great deal of confidence in Boz. Obviously he’s been here and done it at a high level for a long time, but I gotta compliment our snapper and holder there, and they’re new to us. And in some instances, new to pro ball, and they didn’t blink, either. Young Pressley, holding those balls in big moments,” Tomlin said. “We’re appreciative of everybody involved, man. Field goals, the snap, whole kick. So I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the efforts of all three men involved.”
The praise is nothing new to Boswell, who entered Sunday night as not just Pittsburgh’s most accurate kicker in history, but as the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history, hitting 88 percent of his field goal attempts across seven seasons. In his Pittsburgh career, he had gone 154-175 prior to Sunday’s game, without a career miss inside 30 yards and a sterling 11-14 success rate from 50 or further.
He has done nothing to discourage praise thus far in 2021, either. His two extra points against Seattle make him a perfect 12/12 so far this season, and his three field goals make him 11/12. That is tied for the ninth-most field goals this season, and the third-best accuracy.
Boswell has done that with a new unit on special teams, with Harvin replacing Jordan Berry not just as the team’s punter but as Boswell’s holder, and Kuntz stepping in as the team’s new long snapper, replacing Kameron Canaday. Their quick cohesiveness together and in setting up Boswell is a big part of what has helped the kicker continue his success. And on Sunday, it was a big part of what allowed Pittsburgh to turn Watt’s big play and the moments that proceeded it into a victory over Seattle.
