Mason Crosby was nearing the end and rapidly losing leg strength, so the Green Bay Packers drafted Anders Carlson. Carlson wasn’t consistent enough and missed too many big kicks down the stretch, so the Packers signed veteran Greg Joseph. Joseph didn’t do enough to win the job during training camp, so the Packers claimed Brayden Narveson off waivers after final cuts.
All these kickers but the problem remains the same. The Packers don’t have a reliable option.
And they got stung by the reality again Sunday.
Narveson missed a 37-yarder off the upright and a 49-yarder in the first half of the Packers’ 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Not only did Narveson’s two misses cost the Packers six points, but his misses helped create the game situation — a 28-0 hole — that convinced Matt LaFleur to go for it on 4th-and-10 from the 34-yard line later on in the first half. One could argue the Packers’ kicking situation cost them nine points in a game they ended up losing by only two.
Narveson has a miss in three of four games and an NFL-high four misses overall. He is 9-for-13 on field goals, including an NFL-high three misses between 40 and 49 yards.
In Week 1, his 43-yard miss cost the Packers three points in a game they lost by five.
In Week 2, his 45-yard miss prevented the Packers from extending the lead from 13 to 16 points and put a little anxiety into the end-of-game scenario after the Colts scored late.
In Week 3, his 47-yard miss was negated by a penalty.
On Sunday, his 37-yard miss took away points on the opening drive and his 49-yard miss came with the Packers trailing 21-0.
Through four weeks, NFL kickers are making roughly 81 percent of kicks between 40-49 yards. Narveson is 3-of-6, or 50 percent. Over half of NFL kickers are currently 100 percent from that distance.
Even more damning: Narveson is the only kicker to miss a field goal under 40 yards this season. Kickers are 115-for-116 on kicks under 40 through four weeks. Narveson’s 37-yard miss on Sunday is the only failure. Carlson made all 20 of his attempts under 40 yards last season.
Narveson’s field goal percentage is currently 69.1 percent. Last season, Carlson made 81.8 percent. Narveson’s four misses are already creeping up on Carlson’s six misses from last regular season. In 2022, Crosby missed only four (25-for-29), and three of the misses came from 50 or longer.
The one saving grace is Narveson’s perfect record on extra points. Carlson missed an NFL-high five extra points in 2023.
It’s tough to know what the Packers should do moving forward. Matt LaFleur expressed continued confidence in Narveson following Sunday’s loss, and Brian Gutekunst has said he wants to be more patient with young specialists. LaFleur and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia like Narveson’s leg talent and overall demeanor, and the rookie kicker is impressing in practice environments. But the Packers can’t keep throwing away points in actual games, especially in big spots.
The Packers have two losses by seven total points. Narveson missed three field goals — amounting to nine total points — in the two losses.
Carlson crumbled down the stretch of 2023, missing kicks in close losses and eventually missing a 43-yarder in the Packers’ four-point playoff loss in San Francisco.
Can the Packers afford to be patient with an inconsistent kicker again?
Kicking in the NFL has never been better. Kickers are making 75 percent of field goals over 50 yards through four games — a higher percentage than Narveson’s overall percentage. While most teams are enjoying greater range and reliability from their placekickers, the Packers are still losing important points from their latest attempt to fix the problem.