Chicago - Only twice in the previous 32 years have the Green Bay Packers had a season in which their kicking game was as hellacious as it is in 2012.
In both those seasons, the Packers refused to live with the problem and searched high and low to fix it.
For now, it appears the 2012 Packers will employ the opposite strategy and remain married to slumping Mason Crosby.
Crosby missed both of his field-goal attempts in the Packers' 21-13 win at Chicago on Sunday. It got so bad against the Bears that Packers' coach Mike McCarthy began going for it on fourth down in what would normally be an automatic field-goal attempt.
Crosby is now last in field-goal accuracy (58.6%), having made just 17 of 29 kicks this season. To demonstrate how awful that is, the 31st ranked kicker - San Francisco's David Akers - has made 71.4% of his kicks.
Crosby has now missed at least one kick in nine straight games in which he's had an attempt. And since starting 5 of 5, Crosby is just 12 of 24 (50.0%).
On the opposite sideline Sunday was 39-year-old Olindo Mare, who was signed five days earlier after Bears kicker Robbie Gould suffered a calf injury. In his first game with Chicago, Mare was perfect (2 of 2).
There are many players available, such as Billy Cundiff and Neil Rackers, who are looking for late-season work. Still, McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson insist they won't be kicking Crosby to the curb.
"We are not changing our kicker, so you can write that down right now," McCarthy said after the Bears game. "He is our guy. He needs to make those kicks; he knows that. We are at that time of year."
Fortunately for Green Bay, Crosby's inconsistent right leg hasn't cost them a game - yet. But with the playoffs looming and tight games the norm, that could simply be a matter of time.
"Obviously, it's frustrating whenever you're not making kicks," said Crosby, now in his sixth season with Green Bay. "But the biggest thing is that I'm not making the kicks to put this team up by two touchdowns."
In 1980, Green Bay used three different kickers and the group went just 11 of 20 (55.0%).
The Packers began that season with nine-year veteran Chester Marcol, but he was released after five games due to cocaine use. Tom Birney went just 6 of 12 over the next seven games and was released.
The Packers then signed veteran Jan Stenerud, who remained their kicker through 1983. Stenerud finished his Green Bay career making 59 of 73 attempts for 80.8%, which is second in franchise history behind Ryan Longwell (82.2%).
"I've said many times, I had a long and wonderful career," said Stenerud, who played 19 years and is in the Packers' Hall of Fame. "But if I hadn't got a chance to play in Green Bay, I would have missed out."
Green Bay had similar problems in 1988, when it used four kickers that combined to go 13 of 25 (52.0%).
Max Zendajas won the job that summer, but he made just 9 of 16 kicks (56.3%). Green Bay then tried Dale Dawson (3 of 5), Dean Dorsey (1 of 3) and ended the season with Curtis Burrow (0 of 1).
The following season Green Bay selected Chris Jacke in the sixth round, and its kicking game has been mostly stable.
Jacke played eight seasons in Green Bay, made 77.2% of his kicks, and is the Packers' third all-time leading scorer. The Packers replaced Jacke with Longwell in 1997, and during his nine seasons, Longwell went on to become the franchise's all-time leading scorer (1,054) and ranks No. 1 in field-goal accuracy (81.6%).
Green Bay had a rough season with Dave Rayner in 2006 (74.3%) and then drafted Crosby in the sixth round in 2007. Crosby entered this season having made 79.4% of his career kicks and 85.7% in 2011.
So this slide has been a complete surprise.
"I have been doing this for a long time," Crosby said. "I draw on a lot of positive things I've done, I've done a lot of positive things this year.
"Some missed kicks don't define me and don't change who I am. Or what I do. For me I look at the positives. Look at the things I've done well and just try to do those."
There weren't many Sunday.
Crosby sent a 43-yarder so far wide right in the second quarter that many wondered if the kick was blocked. It wasn't.
That awful miss was the reason McCarthy elected to go for it on fourth and 6 from the Bears' 26 early in the third quarter. While the Packers converted and eventually scored a touchdown to make it, 21-7, McCarthy would love to trust his kicker enough to attempt a 44-yarder.
"You factor in some of the decisions you make . . . ," McCarthy said. "It is time for him to step up."
McCarthy gave Crosby one final chance to do that, and he drilled the left upright with a 42-yard try in the fourth quarter.
The Packers eventually won in spite of their scuffling kicker. But how long can they keep playing with fire before they get burned?
"I will do a little evaluating, always looking for ways to improve," Crosby said. "Ultimately, I will just slow it down and keep everything in front of me. Make sure that I put a free and smooth strike on the ball. And that's what I am going to do."
Source: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/more-missed-opportunities-7q82h8j-184050011.html
steve jobs meningitis bobby valentine bobby valentine nicki minaj miguel cabrera Karrueche Tran
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন