Green Bay Packers: Mason Crosby’s confidence is a must

The Green Bay Packers moved to 4-1 with a big win against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. Mason Crosby had issues though, and they’ll need a confident kicker.

Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby went 1-for-1 when it came to field goals in Week 5. That makes him 5-for-5 on the year. However, he went just 2-for-4 on extra points, missing his first two of the game. While the Packers still won the game, this could be troublesome.

Kicking is wildly considered as one of the biggest mind games in football. If you need any proof of this, look no further than Crosby himself. In his career, the kicker has made 80.7 percent of his field goals. His second worst season ever saw him make 75 percent. In 2011, he made 85.7 percent and in 2013 he made 89.2 percent. In 2012 though, he connected on just 63.6 percent of his field goals.

Having a consistent kicker is an extremely important and underrated part of a successful team. With that in mind, seeing your kicker miss two extra points in one game can’t be a settling notion for a team.

Of course, this could be nothing more than a bad day. Crosby was 12-for-12 on extra points before Week 5 this year, and has an impressive track record. Due to that, the Packers shouldn’t be completely stressing out about two missed extra points. Crosby has been a great kicker for them for years, and this is just a little hiccup.

Then you flash back to that 2012 season though. While he is perfect this year on field goals, it’s not like he’s been tested much. Crosby is just 5-for-5 overall with a long of 40 yards. Four of his field goals have even been within 29 yards. So, it’s not like he’s been kicking all over the field this season.

If Crosby starts to lose his touch for a few weeks, that could lead to some problems for the Packers. Missing field goals does more than drop three potential points from the scoreboard, it also gives the opposing team solid field position. This makes accuracy even more crucial. Due to that, it’s something Green Bay might need to look out for.

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While with the Packers, Crosby has been one of the better kickers in the NFL for years. Missing two extra points can falter anyone’s confidence, though. The Packers need to hope this isn’t the case with Crosby, and that it will be business as usual come Week 6. If not, things could get interesting.