INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Sunday was only the third NFL regular season game for kicker Lucas Havrisik, who had spent time on practice squads and at tryouts for various teams before his breakthrough signing with the Rams.
It was also a milestone game for him.
The Riverside native's 22-yard, go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles' 17-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium became the first game-winner of his pro career.
"All glory to God," Havrisik said postgame. "I mean, Jesus Christ is my lord and savior, I just want to say that. It's nice. A lot of my family was here today. God gives me a lot of peace when I kick, because it is a hectic position, I'm not gonna sit here and lie. But the peace of God be with me when I kick. But yeah, it's a weird position, to be honest."
Havrisik almost wasn't in position to take the kick, but not because of anything he did. Rams head coach Sean McVay said they were trying to get a touchdown on that possession with the playcalls that he was making near the goal line.
The change to Havrisik attempting a chip-shot field goal didn't catch him by surprise – "our job is to be prepared to kick a field goal, simple as that," he said. Havrisik also said he isn't really focused on what's happening on the field – he just understands his number can be called at any moment.
To that end, he was so zoned out – or soley focused on a successful kick – that he didn't realize he had kicked a field goal instead of an extra point attempt.
"I was so blanked out that I thought we actually scored and I hit a PAT (point-after try)," Havrisik said. "I looked at the score and I was like, 'Oh, dang, we're only up one, so they only need a field goal!' That's how blurred out I be."
Reflective of how he approaches each kick, Havrisik – who got a game ball for the feat – said he had the ball in his backpack, but that the ball he kicked on the game-winner is "just another ball."
"I try to treat every kick the same," Havrisik said postgame. "Obviously your nerves and everything is going to be amplified. It's a long game, but you just got to stay even-keeled the whole time. Like, you can't get too high or too low. Just take it as any other kick, but, yeah, the adrenaline was definitely up there today."
