The last time the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers met in the postseason, a blocked punt tied the game and a field goal from a veteran kicker as time expired won the game for the visitors at Lambeau Field. In Saturday’s rematch in the NFC Divisional Round, the Packers and 49ers will both be rolling out inconsistent rookie kickers who could directly affect the outcome — whether it’s in a positive or negative way.
In a game with razor thin margins, special teams can make the difference. And a missed field goal here or a missed extra point there can have an enormous impact.
Will Packers rookie kicker Anders Carlson or 49ers rookie kicker Jake Moody step up and seize the moment?
Both have experienced shaky stretches and big misses.
Carlson, the 207th overall pick, missed an NFL-high five extra points and finished 24th in field goal percentage at 81.8 during the regular season. Overall, Carlson’s misses resulted in 23 lost points for the Packers.
Moody, the 99th overall pick, finished 20th in field goal percentage at 84.0. He also missed one extra point on 61 attempts. His misses resulted in 13 lost points for the 49ers.
In his last appearance, Carlson missed an extra point during the Packers’ wildcard win over the Dallas Cowboys. He has missed a field goal or extra point in four straight games, five of the last six and seven of the last nine. Overall, Carlson has just seven games this season where he finished perfect on field goals and extra points. He missed a 43-yard field goal in a two-point loss to the Denver Broncos, an extra point in a four-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and a 45-yard field goal in a two-point loss to the New York Giants.
In his last appearance, Moody missed a 38-yard field goal and an extra point in a one-point loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium in Week 18. Moody also missed a 40-yard field goal during the 49ers’ five-point loss to the Minnesota Vikings and was no good on what would have been the game-winning 41-yard field goal in a two-point loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Both the Packers and 49ers have stood behind their rookie kickers. Matt LaFleur said the Packers remain committed to Carlson, and Rich Bisaccia appeared annoyed this week when asked about Carlson’s continued misses.
“I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Anders,” Bisaccia said.
Bisaccia said Levi’s Stadium can create some wind-related issues, and the forecast could call for precipitation, which can affect the kicking game. Moody missed a game-winner in Cleveland in less-than-perfect conditions. Carlson missed four of his extra points and three field goals on the road.
For better or worse, the Packers and 49ers are entering Saturday with inconsistent rookie kickers who are battling through the typical ups and downs of being a young specialist in the NFL. A playoff game is just a tough place to endure growing pains at a position that directly affects the scoreboard.
In an elimination tournament, one miss from a kicker can make all the difference. Will one of the rookie kickers step up and seize the moment?