wpr
  • wpr
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11 years ago

Even in his darkest professional hour, Mason Crosby never feared what one more missed field goal might mean for his employment with the Green Bay Packers.

While the perception in today’s NFL has every kicker who’s missed a field goal filling out job applications the following week, that wasn’t the approach the Packers chose to take with their sixth-year kicker.

Both sides agreed, however, things needed to change.

Then, when it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse after Crosby missed two more field goals from 42 and 43 yards during an eight-point win over Chicago on Dec. 16, something strange happened.

The freefall finally stopped.

On that chilly Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, Crosby’s field goal conversion rate bottomed out at 58.6 percent, while Bears journeyman kicker Olindo Mare made both of his attempts despite being unemployed the week before.

While the critics howled, Crosby kept his cool. Inside the visiting locker room, he answered all the questions. No, he wasn’t worried if he’d fallen out of favor. Yes, the conditions were fine to kick in.

The following week, as 70,508 at Lambeau Field watched with bated breath, Crosby made both of his attempts from 26 and 48 yards in a 55-7 thrashing of the Tennessee Titans. The roar continued seven days later against Minnesota when Crosby nailed two more crucial kicks in a narrow 37-34 loss.

Just like that, Crosby was rolling again.

“It’s not like some magic ball,” said Crosby of the three-game turnaround. “I’ve been putting in the work every week and just had a couple that get away from you. It’s disappointing. I hate missing more than anything, so for me it’s fine-tuning every little detail I can put into it and ultimately go out and having some fun.”

Aside from a recent bout with the flu, Crosby is enjoying himself again. He’s made his last five field goals to bookend the five he made to start the season before the midseason slump saw him miss a field goal in nine consecutive games in which he attempted one.

That the slump came a season after notching a career-best 85.7 field goal percentage made this season more difficult, but Crosby maintained a positive approach.

A year after establishing a franchise record with 23 consecutive makes, Crosby set his sights on making the next one even when a 12-for-24 midseason stretch gave him a coin flip’s chance of doing so.

“Every season kind of brings some different challenges even when it’s all going right,” Crosby said. “It was definitely something different. Something I’ve never seen before, but fortunate to be in a place where I’ve had the opportunities to continue to work through it and then come out of it, being able to hit some good kicks here down at the end of the season and kind of build some momentum going into the playoffs, personally and for this team.”

Now, the stakes have been raised. On Saturday, the Packers will face the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park with a berth in the NFC championship on the line. Each point serves a purpose, and coincidently, the game features the three worst statistical placekickers in the league this season.

Unlike Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who stood by Crosby since the start of his woes, the 49ers opted this past week to sign 32-year-old Billy Cundiff to compete with their struggling kicker, 38-year-old David Akers, whose 69 percent accuracy was second to only Crosby’s as the league’s lowest.

Two years ago, Cundiff and Akers were kicking against each other in the Pro Bowl. This week, they’ve been dueling for the same job in practice.

A Pro Bowler in 2010 with Baltimore, Cundiff’s career has been defined by Jekyll and Hyde moments. He made only 7-of-12 field goals (58.3 percent) with Washington before being cut after Week 5 and was on the street the rest of the season until San Francisco signed him.

Nobody relies on their kicker more than the 49ers. Since Jim Harbaugh arrived in 2011, no NFL team has attempted more field goals than San Francisco (94), and this season no one missed more (13).

“We’re confident in our kickers,” 49ers rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick said. “Nobody’s going to be perfect, so we’re very confident with anybody that’s kicking the ball for us.”



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Zero2Cool (11h) : Chase Young to sign $13M contract with Saints
Zero2Cool (11h) : Yosh to Panthers what noooo. Wait he didn't do crap
wpr (18-Mar) : I say that he is technically HER BIL as he married her sister. I checked it out, he's considered my BIL as well. Sad.
Mucky Tundra (18-Mar) : wpr, I assume its your BIL via marriage to your wife? If so, I can figure out where the smarts in the family went ;)
wpr (18-Mar) : Mucky my B-I-L is Bare Stupid. I could write a book.
Mucky Tundra (18-Mar) : As a teenager in Rockford IL I would get heckled by adults in public for wearing GB gear
Mucky Tundra (18-Mar) : if you think the online ones are bad, try *living amongst* them
Mucky Tundra (18-Mar) : Never doubt wprs loyalty. Poor guy is surrounded by Bears fans in Northern IL
wpr (17-Mar) : pass Martha. Thanks for the invite though.
Martha Careful (17-Mar) : blog * as the same ugly Illinois colors were adopted by the Baer
Martha Careful (17-Mar) : WPR, perhaps you should be joining the Bears fans blog has the same ugly Illinois colors were adopted by the Bears
Mucky Tundra (17-Mar) : Ah a fellow U of Illinois hater. I can respect that though I imagine it's for different reasons
Zero2Cool (17-Mar) : BTW. I didn't catch the game. I just hate Illinois.
Mucky Tundra (17-Mar) : They're your Big Ten Chumps and you will like it!
Zero2Cool (17-Mar) : No, not for the record. Referee's handled that BS. Orange team was trash ass
Mucky Tundra (17-Mar) : *Your* Big Ten Chumps for the record
Zero2Cool (17-Mar) : No, not Big Ten Champs. IL is big ten CHUMPS
wpr (17-Mar) : Big Ten Champs
wpr (17-Mar) : !!!
wpr (17-Mar) : INI
wpr (17-Mar) : ILL
Martha Careful (17-Mar) : Wisconsin with an outstanding on in the men’s Big Ten basketball tournament. Let’s hope it continues in the NCAAs
Zero2Cool (17-Mar) : Almost like taking QB in 2020 even if you don't need one is good move.
Mucky Tundra (16-Mar) : 2021 QB Draft class looking like a real clunker
Mucky Tundra (16-Mar) : A conditional 6th rounder? I remember Bears fans arguing they'd get a day 2 pick at worst lol
dfosterf (16-Mar) : So I got the no extension part right and the have to wait on the CW physical wrong
Zero2Cool (16-Mar) : Bears are trading Justin Fields for a 2025 6th-round pick that goes to a 4th-round pick based on playtime, per sources.
Zero2Cool (16-Mar) : Former Packer Jarrett Bush opens Wisconsin’s first blow dry bar in Green Bay
dfosterf (16-Mar) : If the Bears are not doing a deal with Washington, they also cannot trade Fields until Williams physical with them. All hail Caleb Williams!
dfosterf (16-Mar) : The talent is undeniable, but the (advertised) haul is obscene.
dfosterf (16-Mar) : If the Bears are cutting a deal with the Commanders, in either scenario, cannot happen until williams passes a Commanders physical
dfosterf (16-Mar) : My guess is no to the Fields extension, but yes to the trade back with the Commanders.
dhazer (15-Mar) : I think the Bears do a Love extension and they will trade out of the 1st pick and take the haul
Martha Careful (15-Mar) : that might make sense
Zero2Cool (15-Mar) : Justin Fields to Steelers?
Zero2Cool (15-Mar) : Kenny Pickett. Eagles. Done.
Zero2Cool (15-Mar) : They can claim best two WR tandem.
Mucky Tundra (15-Mar) : Aaron Donald retiring
dhazer (15-Mar) : Campbell signing with 49ers
dhazer (15-Mar) : I love how the Bear Fans are now claiming they have the best skill players in the NFC North lol
Zero2Cool (15-Mar) : Vikings made a move to get a 2nd first round pick
Mucky Tundra (15-Mar) : That's a not a bad deal for the Bears
Zero2Cool (15-Mar) : Bears have traded for WR Keenan Allen sending Chargers a fourth rounder.
Martha Careful (15-Mar) : *signs
Martha Careful (14-Mar) : MLB Devon White science with the Eagles
Mucky Tundra (14-Mar) : But that was before FA started
Mucky Tundra (14-Mar) : Dhaze, I thought Kurls would be their #1 target when I read that he was an Amos comp (jack of all trades guy)
dhazer (14-Mar) : I would like to see the Packers target 2 more FA still available Kamren Curl Safety and Chase Young edge
Martha Careful (14-Mar) : wow...didn't see that coming
Zero2Cool (14-Mar) : AJ Dillon re-signing with Packers.
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