Ravens kicker Justin Tucker already won AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November.
Consider his Thanksgiving performance just whipped cream on the pumpkin pie.
Tucker continued his torrid kicking streak Thursday night in a 22-20 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He booted five field goals and one extra point, meaning 16 of the 22 points came off his right foot.
Tucker has now hit 27 straight field goals, the longest active streak in the NFL and the second-longest in franchise history. Matt Stover hit 36 straight from 2005 to 2006.
The second-year kicker has now hit 29-of-31 field goals this season. His last miss was on Sept. 15 when he missed two against Cleveland.
"I don't think I'd say anything about being at an all-time high, or I really don't even acknowledge when people tell me that I'm on some sort of streak or anything," Tucker said.
"I just feel like I'm doing my job."
Tucker has done more than his fair share the past two weeks.
With the offense struggling to punch the ball into the end zone, Tucker has been called on time and time again. He nailed four field goals Sunday against the New York Jets. His five on Thursday night tie the Ravens' single-game record.
Asked if he feels like he's in a groove now, Tucker said he does feel like he's hitting the kicks the way he wants. But that's not really a change.
"I feel like I've been hitting my ball all season long, aside from one game," Tucker said. "As long as we have this continuity between snap/hold/kick that we have had over the last several weeks, we know we're going to be coming with points, no matter what."
Tucker attributes his success to the work he, long snapper Morgan Cox and punter/holder Sam Koch put in during the week at practice.
"We're not just standing around there spectating. We're getting to work," Tucker said. "As long as we are working, we feel like we are getting closer and closer to perfection."
He's already pretty close. Tucker connected from 43, 34, 38, 45 and 48 yards on Thursday. Four of his field goals were in the second half as the Ravens tried to hold off a Steelers comeback. Baltimore needed each one.
"I go into every single game knowing it's going to be on me and expecting the game to come down to one or two or three points or one possession," Tucker said. "If I didn't prepare like that, then what am I doing out there on the practice field?
"That's a big part of our mental preparation is going into every single game, regardless of who we're playing, what time of the year it is, what the conditions are like, knowing that at the end of the game there's a very real possibility that it could come down to a single snap, a single hold, a single kick. That's just the NFL."
The only thing missing from Tucker's Thanksgiving was one of his popular post-kick dances. He did the Terio Dance after an overtime game-winner against Cincinnati, then motioned to fans to bring on the cheers after hitting a 53-yarder against New York.
Beating the Steelers is especially sweet for Tucker. He was blasted and suffered a badly cut ear in Pittsburgh when he tried to recover his onside kick in Week 7.
"There's just something about this game that makes you a little ornery," Tucker said. "It doesn't matter if you're Terrell Suggs or me, the placekicker, there's just something about playing in this game. It gets you a little [ticked] off."
