Behind the Steel Curtain
It’s no secret that Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell has had the special sauce this year, earning his second AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor this season following a stunning outing against the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 11, he accounted for each of the team’s 18 points with six total field goals made — including three from 50+ yards.
It was the second game this season where Boswell had made six field goals — the first time being back in Week 1’s 18-10 road win over the Atlanta Falcons, having also won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week then. Boswell’s Week 11 accomplishment made him the first player in NFL history with six field goals made in three separate career games.
Boswell has made a league-high 29 field goals this year, kicking at a 96.7% clip (100% on extra points, mind you). He’s got a three-game lead on the nearest kicker (Kai’imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans) and could be well on his way to making NFL history at this point.
Former journeyman kicker David Akers currently holds the NFL record for most field goals made in a single season with 44, a feat he accomplished in the 2011 season at the age of 37. Akers attempted 52 field goals that year, for just an 84.6% FGM percentage, and his long that year was a kick of 55 yards. That means Boswell needs just 16 more field goals over the next seven games to beat the NFL record — an average of 2.28 per game, which could be well within reach.
Boswell, a 1x NFL Pro Bowler, has scored 1,076 points over his 10-year career, which ranks only behind kicker Gary Anderson in all-time scoring for the franchise. Notably, he is outpacing him on a points-per-game basis, as Boswell sits with 7.5 PPG compared to Anderson’s 6.8.
Do you think Boswell breaks Akers’ record for most field goals in a season?
