NFL kickers struggle through a tough day
The Associated Press
Other than Carolina’s Graham Gano who made a career-best 63-yard field goal with 1 second remaining to lift the Panthers past the New York Giants, 33-31, NFL kickers had a rough day Sunday — no one worse than Green Bay’s Mason Crosby.
He missed four field goals in a game for the first time in his 12-year career, plus he also failed on an extra point. The usually reliable kicker hadn’t missed two attempts in a game in nearly five years and has missed just three of 29 field goal attempts in the postseason for his career. Mason came in having made 10 of 11 field goals this season.
“I don’t usually get this much attention unless I’ve done something really good or really bad,” he told a crowd of reporters after the game. “This one is unfortunately really bad.”
Crosby had plenty of company, though.
• Cleveland kicker Greg Joseph clanked an extra point off the right upright, the third extra point missed by the Browns this season. The rookie then pulled a 55yard field goal for the win left with 5 seconds left in regulation.
• Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker had a 48-yard field-goal attempt blocked by Cleveland rookie Denzel Ward on the final play of the first half.
• Cincinnati Bengals kicker Randy Bullock had a 37-yard field-goal try blocked by Vincent Taylor of Miami in the second quarter.
• The Buffalo Bills botched a field goal late in the first half — either it was a blown fake or an issue getting the ball down for the kick. Corey Bojorquez stood up after taking the snap and tried a short pass back to kicker Stephen Hauschka.
• Detroit Lions kicker Matt Prater missed a 55yard field goal, badly, sending the football way right. Prater did make a 39-yard kick in the second quarter that helped the Lions lead 24-0 at halftime.
• Cairo Santos got to redeem himself after missing the fourth extra point of the day and keep the Los Angeles Rams undefeated. Santos missed with a chance to tie it, 31-31, early in the fourth quarter in Seattle. But he got a chance to kick again with 6:05 left and connected on a 39-yard field goal.