During two different opportunities following the Green Bay Packers’ 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, coach Matt LaFleur expressed continued confidence in rookie kicker Brayden Narveson, who missed a pair of field goals in the first half.
Speaking with Larry McCarren of the Packers Radio Network, LaFleur said he still has “a lot of trust and faith” in Narveson. Later, at his post-game press conference, LaFleur said he has “a lot of confidence” in Narveson and wouldn’t hesitate to use him in a big spot moving forward.
The Packers coach pointed to Narveson’s performance in practices and overall demeanor as a kicker for why he remains confident in the rookie’s ability to accomplish the job moving forward.
It remains to be seen if Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst agrees with LaFleur’s assessment of the kicking situation.
On Sunday, Narveson hit the right upright from 37 yards out to end the Packers’ first drive. Two drives later, Narveson missed wide right from 49 yards out.
The Packers fell behind 28-0 in the first half, but the missed six points ended up being crucial late. LaFleur’s team got to 28-22 and eventually 31-29 in the fourth quarter but ran out of time to make up the final two points.
Narveson, a rookie from North Carolina State, now has four misses, including three from 40 or more yards. He had another miss negated by a penalty last week in Tennessee.
Entering Week 4, Narveson ranked 23rd in the NFL in field goal kicking percentage at 81.8. He will be flirting with last place in the league after missing two more and dropping his percentage to 69.2 percent.
Through four weeks, Narveson has missed from 43 yards, 45 yards, 37 yards and 49 yards.
The Packers acquired Narveson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans following final cuts. Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph were in Green Bay during training camp but failed to win the job.
Before the regular season, Gutekunst admitted his lack of patience with specialists but vowed to give his new specialist a longer leash. Last season, Carlson struggled late and missed a vital kick in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ playoff loss in San Francisco. He was released at final cuts.
Barring a change, Narveson’s next chance to kick will come next Sunday in Los Angeles.