Who is more likely to kick the game winning field goal in the Super Bowl?

When the game is close, a field goal might be the decisive points. Which kicker is money in the bank?

Jake Moody is a rookie kicker for the San Francisco 49ers who has connected on 84 percent of his field goals this season. Could his right leg decide the next Super Bowl champion.
Jake Moody is a rookie kicker for the San Francisco 49ers who has connected on 84 percent of his field goals this season. Could his right leg decide the next Super Bowl champion. | Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

We all know that Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy are great quarterbacks who direct powerful offenses that are capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. There will probably be many touchdowns scored in next week’s Super Bowl.

But, what happens if the game is on the line with three seconds to go and one team is down by two points, Which kicker has ice in their veins and is capable of hitting the game winner?

Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jake Moody of the San Francisco 49ers have both had quality seasons.

Both have made long field goals. Butker kicked a 62-yard field goal in 2022 and Moody nailed a 57-yards this season.

Harrison Butker
Harrison Butker does not miss many field goals in clutch situations. He is as good as they come in the NFL. | Kevin C. Cox/GettyImages

Butker has the second highest career field goal percentage in NFL history as he has connected on 89.1 percent of his kicks. This past season he was good on 33 of 35 field goals for a whopping 93 percent connection percentage.

In his rookie campaign Moody connected on 84 percent of his kicks. He is reliable and the coaches are confident in his ability to be on a big stage as a rookie. Moody missed two kicks this postseason, Once was blocked and one went wide left.

Despite the two misses, 49ers general manager John Lynch said he is money in the bank. He spoke to the press on Saturday and echoed his sentiments on Moody.

"“I think he is ready for the moment. We have a lot of confidence in Jake. A lot of people want to talk about some of the challenges that he has had, but I like to look at how he responds to those. And he is very steady. He really is.”"
John Lynch, 49ers general manager

Moody went two-for-three on field goal attempts and made all four extra-point tries in the 49ers 34-31 victory over Detroit in last week’s NFC Championship Game. The margin of victory was one of his field goals. Moody, a native of Northville, Michigan, roughly 30 miles outside of Detroit, sent the Lions fans home unhappy.

The 49ers had so much confidence in Moody coming out of college, that they drafted him in the third round with a compensatory kick. While most kickers go undrafted, or taken as an afterthought in the later rounds, Moody was a priority.

"“We felt very convicted then to go take a third-round pick on a kicker. We did have three picks and it was something we needed. We have a lot of confidence in Jake and we still have a lot of confidence in Jake because we see him day-in and day-out.”"
John Lynch

Butker’s teammates have gone on the record with the confidence that they have in him. He is a pretty confident kicker as well.

"“I’m just trying to be as much of a robot as I can my competition is the wind and the playing surface. The difference between having a season where you are at 94 percent or maybe 84 percent is just a couple of misses, It could be some freak things that cause the ball to go in or not go in, I’m just very thankful to have made all of those kicks.”"
Harrison Butker, Chiefs placekicker

Chiefs coach Andy Reid echoed the confidence that the team has in Butker and is glad that he has him on his team. He showed that confidence a week ago in the AFC Championship Game where Butker nailed a 52-yard effort just before halftime to put Kansas City ahead by two scores.

"“I know the guys have the ultimate trust in him. He’s doing a phenomenal job.’"
Andy Reid, Chiefs head coach

It is possible that the game could come down to a last-second field goal as the teams are that close. Which kicker do you think will make the game winner?