Explanation Burden 3/10 — Elevated. Mechanism Complexity 2. Closure Deficit 1.
How to read this Case: The factual account and sources establish what happened. The Archive assessment states the Desk's synthesis. The neutral explanation gives the best ordinary account and is the baseline for Closure Deficit; it does not withdraw the assessment.
Factual account
On December 16, 2013, the Detroit Lions hosted the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football at Ford Field. Detroit held a 16–15 lead late in the fourth quarter after a Joseph Fauria touchdown catch. Baltimore drove into Detroit territory, and facing fourth down with under a minute remaining, sent out kicker Justin Tucker. Tucker successfully converted a 61-yard field goal to put Baltimore ahead 18–16. The official NFL gamebook records the score with 38 seconds remaining on the game clock, while some secondary media summaries listed 43 seconds. The 61-yard kick was Tucker’s sixth field goal of the night, accounting for every Baltimore point in an 18–16 Ravens victory. Tucker became the first kicker in NFL history to make successful field goals from the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s in the same game.
Archive assessment
A 61-yard field goal won this game. There was no disputed administrative decision to explain. The kick matters here as the earlier entry in a recurrence: the same opponent, kicker and stadium would return in 2021, from five yards farther away.
Neutral explanation
The retained sources document no officiating or obscure-rule dispute on the sequence. Tucker converted field goals from 29, 24, 32, 49, 53, and 61 yards, providing all 18 points for Baltimore. The outcome is fully explained by elite execution at the kicking position. The Archive records the event as a baseline supporting entry for subsequent recurrence analysis.
Verification note
The official NFL gamebook records all six field goals, all 18 points, and the 61-yard field goal at 0:38. ESPN’s scorecard lists 0:43 remaining. The Archive preserves the discrepancy while giving primacy to the gamebook. The accepted evidence grade is A.