Matt Prater

Matt Prater will be the next Detroit Lions kicker.

(AP File Photo)

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions issued their weekly depth chart Tuesday with an interesting starter listed at kicker: _____.

It was yet another reminder of the Lions' embarrassing kicker situation, which has become a national punchline. And now they can finally fill in the blank.

Matt Prater beat out Jay Feely and Connor Barth during a three-way kick-off Tuesday at the team's Allen Park headquarters, according to an ESPN report.

In eight seasons, the last seven with the Denver Broncos, Prater made 81.6 percent of his field goals. He went 25-26 last season, including an NFL record 64-yarder. For his career, he's 21 for 27 from 50 yards and beyond.

He was released by the Broncos last week, days before his four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy was set to end.

Prater replaces Nate Freese and Alex Henery, who combined to go a league-worst 4-of-12 during the first five weeks of the season. Only one other team has more than two misses.

Six of the Lions' misses came from 40 to 49 yards. The rest of the league has combined for 12 misses from that range.

Detroit is an anemic 1-of-9 on attempts of longer than 30 yards overall.

The bottom dropped out Sunday, when Henery missed all three of his attempts, including a would-be game-winner from 50 yards with 21 seconds left.

Seventeen seconds later, the Bills won the game with a 58-yarder. Jim Schwartz was carried off the field, and the Lions retreated to Allen Park in search of yet another kicker, maybe even a competent one.

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