First impressions matter. That’s what they always say in job interviews, on first dates, and in those nerve-racking “meet the parents” dinners. But rarely do first impressions come with 60,000 people watching in real time and millions more tuned in at home, hoping you don’t choke under pressure.

Enter Matt Prater. Until a few days ago, the man wasn’t even on the Buffalo Bills roster. He was floating in the NFL free-agent limbo, where résumés gather dust and even seasoned veterans wonder if the phone will ever ring again. By last Sunday at 11 p.m., not only had his phone rung, but his foot delivered. In his Buffalo debut, Prater nailed the game-winning field goal in a nail-biter against the Ravens sealing a 41–40 victory that no one saw coming. Some fans had already left the stadium. They must really be regretting that exit strategy.

Talk about a first day at a new job. Most of his teammates didn’t even know who he was yet, but now they sure do. This is a man who’s been in the league since 2007, has a record for 50-yard-plus field goals, and still, just last week, was team-less. In a twist of fate, he gets the call, suits up, and delivers a moment that may define the Bills’ season.

It’s a reminder that comebacks happen. Sometimes in the last quarter, sometimes in the last chapter, and sometimes in the last week of free agency. Prater’s story is more than a football highlight reel. It’s about persistence, about knowing your worth even when no one’s knocking, and about being ready to step in when the opportunity finally appears.

For the Bills, it was a comeback win. For Prater, it was a comeback career moment. For the rest of us? A reminder not to give up too soon, even if the crowd starts filing out. Life’s nail-biters are often where the sweetest victories live.

And sometimes, all it takes is one perfectly timed kick.