What to do with Mason Crosby?

Shawnsta3

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 19, 2011
Messages
1,273
Reaction score
137
Location
Manawa & Shawano, WI
Crosby far and away owns the worst FG percentage in the NFL this year. I'm in favor of sticking it out with him and hoping he comes around, but I hardly think talk of replacing a kicker who is over 10 percentage points behind the next worst kicker in the league is a stupid argument. At least bringing in someone to challenge such a kicker certainly isn't unprecedented.
Well technically Nate Kaeding would have the worst this year at 58%. Crosby has 60%. 2 are tied at 70%.

I'm not sure he's had a bad season as you say, or just a bad 5-6 weeks. All kickers go through slumps. We'll see how those stats look at the end of the year. He looked better today.

Yes, you would be firing the Packer with the worst (active) field goal % as you point out. But you'd also be firing all that goes along with him. The NFL record for most points in the first 5 years (649) Packers record 58 yard made kick, breaking his own record of 56 twice. Packers franchise record of 23 consecutive field goals made coming into this year. 34th ranked NFL career field goal % at 80.0%.

What I'm trying to say is given all these above stats and looking over the course of his career and his age I'm led to believe he is just in a slump and will bounce back relatively soon, if he hasn't already today. You are not going to find a kicker better than him on the open market today temporarily (next week) much less long term. SO i still think it'd be foolish, stupid and extremely immature to fire or release a kicker of Crosby's caliber at this point in time.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categoryst...rience=null&tabSeq=1&qualified=true&Submit=Go
http://www.packerforum.com/threads/studs-vs-duds-2nd-half-collapse-edition.39763/page-2#post-467962
 

adambr2

Cheesehead
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
4,013
Reaction score
609
Well technically Nate Kaeding would have the worst this year at 58%. Crosby has 60%. 2 are tied at 70%.

I'm not sure he's had a bad season as you say, or just a bad 5-6 weeks. All kickers go through slumps. We'll see how those stats look at the end of the year. He looked better today.

Yes, you would be firing the Packer with the worst (active) field goal % as you point out. But you'd also be firing all that goes along with him. The NFL record for most points in the first 5 years (649) Packers record 58 yard made kick, breaking his own record of 56 twice. Packers franchise record of 23 consecutive field goals made coming into this year. 34th ranked NFL career field goal % at 80.0%.

What I'm trying to say is given all these above stats and looking over the course of his career and his age I'm led to believe he is just in a slump and will bounce back relatively soon, if he hasn't already today. You are not going to find a kicker better than him on the open market today temporarily (next week) much less long term. SO i still think it'd be foolish, stupid and extremely immature to fire or release a kicker of Crosby's caliber at this point in time.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categoryst...rience=null&tabSeq=1&qualified=true&Submit=Go
http://www.packerforum.com/threads/studs-vs-duds-2nd-half-collapse-edition.39763/page-2#post-467962


Fair enough. Overall he's had a decent career, and you're right that there's no guarantee of better success bringing in someone else. I just don't think talk of replacing him is invalid. He could very well end up costing us a game. I want to see him break out of it, believe me, but I don't think he's out of the woods yet. He shanked a 30 yarder today, and if it bounces a few feet the other way off the upright, everyone is still talking about his struggles. He absolutely needs to step it up. It's hard to have any confidence in him at all right now.
 

GreenBlood

Banned
Banned
Joined
Aug 9, 2008
Messages
1,705
Reaction score
251
For now. There will be another kicker in camp. MM double clutched on that 47 yarder..."no" then "yes"...a little crises of confidence from the head coach, wouldn't you say?

No. He was most likely going to line it up to try and draw the Vikings offside.
 

GreenBlood

Banned
Banned
Joined
Aug 9, 2008
Messages
1,705
Reaction score
251
Fair enough. He shanked a 30 yarder today, and if it bounces a few feet the other way off the upright, everyone is still talking about his struggles. He absolutely needs to step it up. It's hard to have any confidence in him at all right now.

If you have the game recorded, I want you to fast forward to that play. Pause it just before the snap and take note of Masthay's mark on the ground. Now go forward until Masthay places the ball. You will see that he spots the ball about 2-3 inches left of his mark, which is terrible placement. Masthay gets half the blame for that near miss. Crosby is fighting to get out of his slump (and he will) but his holder isn't doing him any favors right now.
 

JBlood

Cheesehead
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
3,159
Reaction score
467
Crosby seems to have cured his yips. Now, if the offense starts clicking like they're capable, we'll be hard to beat.
 

HyponGrey

Caseus Locutus Est
Joined
Mar 18, 2012
Messages
3,758
Reaction score
221
Location
South Jersey
If you have the game recorded, I want you to fast forward to that play. Pause it just before the snap and take note of Masthay's mark on the ground. Now go forward until Masthay places the ball. You will see that he spots the ball about 2-3 inches left of his mark, which is terrible placement. Masthay gets half the blame for that near miss. Crosby is fighting to get out of his slump (and he will) but his holder isn't doing him any favors right now.
Could that have to do with Cobb getting looks at Place Holder back in the off season?
 

GreenBlood

Banned
Banned
Joined
Aug 9, 2008
Messages
1,705
Reaction score
251
Could that have to do with Cobb getting looks at Place Holder back in the off season?

I wouldn't think so. Masthay should have plenty of reps in practices and prior experience by now. Don't get me wrong. Crosby isn't hitting the ball consistently right now and I'm not putting all the blame on Tim. But I've looked at every miss in slow mo the past 5 games or so and I'd say about half of his holds have been fine. About a quarter of them have been awful with him putting the ball 2 or more inches off his mark and the rest I wasn't able to see well enough to tell, but as a guy who held 141 kicks between extra points and FGs in college (yes, I added it up once), I can assure you that holders go through slumps as well. And when holders and kickers are both working through slumps, it can be ugly. I'm convinced that's what's going on here.
 
H

HardRightEdge

Guest
34th ranked NFL career field goal % at 80.0%.

We're probably past the beating-a-dead-horse threshold, but what the heck.

According to Pro Football Reference, through yesterday's game, Crosby is 52nd. all time at 77.25%.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/fg_perc_career.htm

However, he's 25th. in career % among kickers active in 2012.

Crosby had a career year in 2011, a career slump in 2012, and if you average it all out you don't see a great kicker, or even somebody you'd call "good"...just kinda in the average range...with few important kicks made in his career. Nick Folk is a very close comparison.
 

adambr2

Cheesehead
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
4,013
Reaction score
609
I agree, Crosby is probably overrated by some and underrated by others. He's not as horrible as some people think right now, but he's not an elite kicker overall like others think .

He is fairly average. His leg strength is above average, but it's not among the top 3 in the league like some believe.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Latest posts

Top