Bills players confused Matt Prater for a coach, and then he turned into their hero

Exciting Showdown: Bills vs. Ravens

Since the schedule dropped, the Sunday night face-off between the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens was tagged as a potential “game of the year.” And, well, it certainly lived up to the hype.

Initially, Baltimore seized control, shaking off any pre-game myths early on. However, as the clock approached midnight on the East Coast, the excitement was palpable. The Ravens had built a 15-point lead and were still riding high with under 12 minutes left. Yet, the Bills weren’t ready to call it quits. Josh Allen’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman with just 3:56 remaining narrowed the score to 40-32. Then, after Ed Oliver forced a fumble from Derrick Henry, Buffalo pounced on the opportunity, and Allen eked out a one-yard touchdown, bringing them within striking distance. Although a two-point conversion didn’t pan out, the Bills were still very much in it.

But they needed one last defensive stand. As Buffalo’s defense stepped up once more, a decision by John Harbaugh—the Ravens’ coach—to punt on fourth down and three from Baltimore’s 38-yard line might spark debate in the coming days. He seemed to trust his defense there.

Unfortunately for Harbaugh, that trust didn’t pay off.

Allen quickly maneuvered the Bills toward field goal range with a couple of big plays, setting up a chance for Buffalo. A 32-yard completion to Josh Palmer got them walking on Ravens turf, followed by a 25-yard connection with Coleman, putting them at the 9-yard line.

After what felt like an eternity on his knees—yes, perhaps three times—the stage was set for Plater, who just days prior had coached high school soccer. The 41-year-old kicker had signed with Buffalo as insurance when Tyler Bass was sidelined with hip and groin injuries. With Bass now on injured reserve, Plater stepped up to the plate, quite literally.

It turns out, he might’ve delivered the game-winner in what many are already calling this season’s standout game.

Some of the teammates initially thought Plater was a new coach—imagine that! Offensive lineman Dion Dawkins even jokingly dubbed him “the oldest man in the world.”