Packers Still Support Crosby

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers are still backing struggling kicker Mason Crosby.

Both coach Mike McCarthy and special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum were steadfast in their commitment to Crosby on Monday, despite the fact that he's made only six of his past 13 field-goal attempts.

"I have confidence in the plan as we move forward," McCarthy said on Monday, one day after Crosby missed 50 and 38-yard field goals in a 24-20 victory over the Detroit Lions.

"Mason ... just needs to trust the process through his preparation and stay focused on that and carry it through as far as his performance.

"Mason Crosby is my kicker. So, we can just stop it right here."

Among the free-agent kickers available are Nate Kaeding, Ryan Longwell, Neil Rackers, John Kasay, Billy Cundiff and Dave Rayner.

Kaeding is the NFL's career leader in field-goal accuracy (87 percent) in regular-season play, but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee last season, then suffered a groin injury in training camp this summer.

The Chargers released him off injured reserve on Oct. 30. A former third-round pick, Kaeding missed three field goals in a 17-14 home playoff loss to the New York Jets in January 2010, the Chargers' last postseason appearance, and is just 8 of 15 (53.3 percent) for his career in eight playoff games.

For the season, Crosby has made 11 of 18 attempts (61.1 percent), which ranks 31st in the NFL. Only Cundiff, who went 7 for 12 (58.3 percent) in five games for the Washington Redskins before being released, has a lower rate among kickers with at least 10 attempts.

After signing a five-year, $14.75 million contract ($3 million signing bonus, $1.65 million base salary for 2012) before last season, Crosby delivered his best year as a pro, making 24 of 28 on field-goal attempts. That included a Packers' franchise-record streak of 23 consecutive made field goals, a stretch that began midway through the Packers' Super Bowl season of 2010 and extended through Week 12 of last season.

Against the Lions on Sunday, Crosby's first miss came on a 50-yard attempt just before halftime -a kick he actually missed twice. First, Crosby missed wide right, but because Lions coach Jim Schwartz had called timeout, it didn't count. Crosby then lined up again and promptly missed wide left.

Despite those misses, the Packers also sent him out early in the fourth quarter to attempt a 58-yarder, but when tight end Tom Crabtree went in motion as if the Packers were running a fake, Crabtree was flagged for an illegal shift and the 5-yard penalty led to a punt instead.

Slocum said Monday that if Crabtree's motion had failed to get the Lions to jump offside, the Packers were prepared to have Crosby attempt the kick. Crosby kicked a career-best and franchise-record 58-yard field goal at Minnesota last season.

Crosby then missed again midway through the fourth quarter, sailing a 38-yarder wide left with 8:37 left to play and the Packers trailing 17-14.

Crosby did bounce back to make the go-ahead extra point after Randall Cobb's touchdown catch with 1:55 to play, then tacked on a 39-yard field goal with 24 seconds left.

"Obviously I've got to make the field goals. That's No. 1," Crosby said after the game. "Ultimately, I had the opportunity there at the end and had to seal it off and I'm happy about that. (I) definitely have to fix the line and make sure I'm hitting good balls. It's frustrating. I really have to dial it in. It's small things I've been doing for a long time, so it's little things that I really need to look into and make sure I fix."

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