For over a decade, we’ve grown accustomed to Justin Tucker being absolutely automatic from any distance while kicking field goals for the Baltimore Ravens. For all intents and purposes, his resume is that of one of the best kickers of all time.
But something appears to be off about the five-time First-Team All-Pro this season. And we saw it firsthand in an important AFC North rivalry game with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In a matchup where it seemed like points were at a premium, Tucker missed not one but two early field goals on the road in Pittsburgh. While a 47-yarder and 50-yarder are by no means “easy kicks,” they usually have been for Tucker. That’s the concerning part.
This led to CBS announcer Ian Eagle acknowledging the elephant in the room after Tucker came up empty for the second time:
"He has been Mr. Automatic throughout his career. 50 yarder. Tucker. The struggles are real. This is not the same guy that we've seen the last 12 years."
-Ian Eagle with the call on Justin Tucker's second miss of the game pic.twitter.com/urrVMCX0K9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 17, 2024
Tucker’s overall resume means he has earned some grace when he’s not up to snuff. But the last time the 34-year-old kicker missed more than a handful of kicks was in 2015. He already has four misses so far in 2024. This is probably something to monitor moving forward if you’re the Ravens.