The Green Bay Packers finished 9-8 last season, barely making the NFL Playoffs. Fortunately, they were able to clinch the NFC’s final wild card spot and upset the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys in the first round. However, the numerous issues they faced throughout the season returned to haunt them in the Divisional Round, as they were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers.
While there is never a single reason a team loses a game, it is simple to identify one factor that can tip the scales in their favor: making kicks. Unfortunately, Anders Carlson, the rookie kicker, struggled with this past season. Due to his unreliability, notably on extra point attempts, the Packers have an open race for kicker this offseason.
The Green Bay Packers just handed Anders Carlson the starting kicker job last season.
The trade of Aaron Rodgers during the 2023 NFL offseason sparked a significant youth movement in Green Bay. Not only did they trade their aging potential Hall of Fame quarterback so that Jordan Love could finally get his shot, but they also elected not to bring back Mason Crosby, the franchise’s all-time scoring leader.
For many, the choice to move on from Crosby was more perplexing than the decision to trade Rodgers. In the case of the four-time NFL MVP, the Packers had a long-awaited backup plan. Of course, no club has two kickers in the same manner that they have two quarterbacks, but leaving Crosby, who was pretty reliable, with no fast replacement plan was alarming.
The Packers filled their kicker vacancy by selecting Anders Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. His pick made the choice to move on from Crosby even more perplexing, since he converted only 71.8% of his field goal tries at Auburn, not to mention his repaired ACL.
Nonetheless, the Packers hoped Carlson would develop under the tutelage of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, who helped Anders’ brother Daniel Carlson become an All-Pro kicker with the Las Vegas Raiders after struggling with the Minnesota Vikings.
Carlson was given the job.
Anders Carlson struggled during his first season with the Green Bay Packers.
Carlson has plenty of time to become an outstanding kicker for the Packers, but he didn’t start out well. In his debut season, he converted 81.8% of his field goal tries, but was just 4/8 on kicks between 40 and 49 yards and 3/5 on shots above 50 yards.
Most troubling, however, was that he only converted 87.8% of his extra point attempts.
Many people pointed out last season that Crosby, too, struggled to make field goals on a consistent basis. He didn’t have a made field goal percentage of more than 80% until his fifth NFL season, and then he had a poor 63.6% in his sixth season.
Despite his problems with field goal attempts, the young Crosby converted all of his extra point attempts. From his first year in 2017 to 2013, he missed only two extra points. Crosby had never missed two extra points in a single season until 2014.
Last year, Carlson missed five.
Rich Bisaccia, the Green Bay Packers’ Special Teams Coordinator Put Anders Carlson on notice.
Bisaccia was asked about Carlson and the freshly signed challengers for the starting kicker position, Greg Joseph and Jack Podlesny, during his media availability on Thursday. One reporter questioned him if those were the only three candidates vying for the post. According to Matt Schneidman, Bisaccia responded, “It could be those three.” There might be three more. “It might be six.”
In other words, the position is wide open. Carlson will not be handed anything this offseason.
The Packers lost two games last year by less than three points, and Carlson also missed a field goal. Similarly, they lost the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers 24-21. Carlson also missed a field goal during that game.
Team losses can occur for a variety of causes, as previously discussed. Missing field goals should not be among them.
Carlson will have to outperform the competition in training camp if he is to have another chance in Green Bay.
