Watch Mason Crosby chase down Cordarrelle Patterson, strip the ball

During Sunday night’s NFC North battle between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, Packers kicker Mason Crosby made one of the most remarkable special-teams plays you’ll ever see.

After Green Bay pulled to within a touchdown of the lead, 20-13, with a field goal, Crosby kicked off to Vikings speedster Cordarrelle Patterson, who may be one of the fastest men in the league with pads on. Patterson then appeared poised to take the ball all the way back for a touchdown, but Crosby had other ideas.

The kicker tracked down Patterson from behind and stripped the ball, allowing Micah Hyde to recover the fumble and give the Packer the ball back with over five minutes left on the clock.

Just watch this effort by the kicker.

Cordarrelle Patterson was THIS close to busting this loose for a TD until... He gets stripped by Mason Crosby?! https://t.co/OwQl7UChaA
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2016

Simply remarkable.

Kickers are people, and apparently they actually are football players, too. This not only saved a touchdown, which would have given the Vikings a two-touchdown lead with five minutes left to play, but it also gave the Packers much-needed momentum in a game they really need to win.

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