Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby: 'I don’t feel like I’m in a slump' | greenbaypressgazette.com | Green Bay Press-Gazette After missing 10 of his first 39 field-goal attempts in live periods in training camp, Packers kicker Mason Crosby scrutinized the videotape and determined he was lining up too wide in his soccer-style approach and thus pushing the ball to the right. He hit the ball better the rest of camp. Now in the regular season, he’s missed seven of his first 29 attempts. But this time, he’s found no technical flaws. n fact, of his seven misses, five have been from 49 yards to 55 yards, which are makeable but long kicks. But a red flag went up the last two weeks when he had his two shortest misses of the season, a 43-yarder against Detroit and a 38-yarder last week against Baltimore. “I watch the film and my steps look good,” he said Thursday after practice. “I continue to try to kick the ball the same way every time, that’s where it’s frustrating at times when it doesn’t go through. But we’re having a good week of practice, I feel as good as I have all year with how the (snap and hold) operation is feeling. I’m looking forward to getting down to Chicago and having a good one down there.” Crosby’s 75.9 percent success rate on field-goal attempts ranks No. 21 in the NFL for kickers with at least 15 attempts, and 19 of the kickers ahead of him have made at least 80 percent of their kicks, which has become the minimum target teams shoot for in a season. Crosby’s leg strength never has been a problem, and the Packers have considered him one of their most talented young players. But after Crosby’s miss at Detroit McCarthy later in the game eschewed trying a 49-yarder and instead tried to convert a fourth-and-three. Despite McCarthy’s public statements to the contrary after the game, it suggested he wasn’t as confident in his kicker as earlier in the season. Crosby and special teams coach Shawn Slocum said Thursday that Crosby missed the 38-yarder in part because of a snafu on the hold. Matt Flynn juggled the snap and set the ball in front of the intended spot, which forced Crosby to reach for the ball and push it wide right. “You’d like for him to make the kick,” Slocum said. “What happens on a mishandle, the kicker’s going into the ball, and he’s trusting that ball’s going to be right there on that spot. When there’s a double-clutch, he’s got to really stay on it and trust the holder’s going to get it there. In fact, what happened, the spot was several inches in front of what the intended spot was supposed to be, and Mason’s plant foot went according to where we intended to spot it, and so that produced the miss.” Said Crosby: “I don’t feel like I’m in a slump. I keep getting all these questions, (but) I’m not missing tons of kicks I shouldn’t miss. These last two games are obviously ones you wish you could have back, but I feel like I’m hitting the ball well and we’re going to make the kicks whenever that time comes. I do look at these last four games as a re-set, OK, these last four games we’re heading into playoff time and some big games we need to win, and it’s important that I’m on.”
This kinda scares me. He's saying he is doing everything right, but he is stilll missing a bunch of kicks? It looks like Slocum is blaming Flynn for the missed FG vs Baltimore.
I think, as long as we're retaining him, it's a good thing that he mantains his confidence. If he loses it, it's over. He won't make many more kicks. No, it won't stay the same, it'll get even worse.
well if the kicker is doing everything right then who who's left to blame? let's face it, crosby isn't a "bum" kicker. He should definitely be able to make the kicks that he's supposed to. I personally think that it is the holder. After flynn was drafted, he was given the holding duties and ever since then crosby has been going through a slump. coincidence?
So why don't we just get a new holder? If Flynn was the reason Crosby has been sucking then why has he been the holder the whole year, you think he would have been replaced. Sounds to me like Flynn is just the scapegoat here.
He isnt in a slump, He missed a few FG but he is still the same kicker, he just needs to work on and refocus his kicking.
Just a broad observation here ... I think it's time that the Pack pull in a retired, successful NFL kicker to evaluate the kid's motion - a personal coach if you will. A guy that knows what goes through a kicker's mind ... a guy that's been there. This kid has a leg that won't quit and the Pack need to do something here in a hurry.
I would love to see Morten Andersen or Olindo Mare, Although Mare is still playing he is great at kicking long FG's.
This is almost exactly what Dallas is going through. They switched the holder back to Romo now. I'm sure that is going to end well for them.
Al Del Greco - the greatest NFL football player of all time. (Not sure if you guys remember that commercial from about 10 years ago, but it was freaking awesome!)
I couldn't say because once those guys retire or move to a different tearm, I forget all about them. I'm nothing if not consistent.
50+ is a long kick. I think Crosby's reputation for having a huge leg is causing us to forget that 50 yards is a very long kick and certainly not one you string a guy up for missing.
What about Mare for the Dolphins? He was meant to be able to kick that far and he messed up a few and he was released
Yeah I know, I was just saying that he missed a few FG for the Dolphins from 50 yards and he got cut, thats all
GRR, Crosby can kick FG's you guys give him **** for missing, he has been playing well this season, LEAVE THE GUY ALONE!
He has missed 8 this year. That puts him in the bottom of the league. He is not even ranked on NFL.com because he sucks to hard and they only rank the top 18 field goal kickers. If he could consistantly kick touch backs I could see more value in him. The guy is a liability we dont need.
