New season to begin with such talents

[armand34]

In my opinion Crosby is a slightly below average kicker. The facts support that point of view.

so based on what you said, you believe that there are more than 16 kickers better than Crosby, right?

 

[PackerDNA]

As far as ideal candidates to elevate their game; could this be the year Haha Clinton Dix's quiet excellence turn into a Pro-Bowl selection?

There's a realistic chance of that.

 

[Half Empty]

so based on what you said, you believe that there are more than 16 kickers better than Crosby, right?

We're obviously dealing with stats here, and there are a bunch of them for kickers. Rather than show how Crosby ranks in any specific category and have the discussion shift to whether overall % is the key, or % of long ones, or important ones, or cold ones, the best I can find for Mason is tied for 12th, which technically would put him 'slightly above average'. Personally, I don't find myself in a fetal position when he needs to nail one, nor do I figure it's money.

 

[gopkrs]

One thing Crosby has always had going for him (and something I think McCarthy likes) is that he has a big foot and has the potential to kick a really long one if time is running out.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

One thing Crosby has always had going for him (and something I think McCarthy likes) is that he has a big foot and has the potential to kick a really long one if time is running out.

Yet he hasn´t hit a game tying or winning field goal within the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime from more than 48 yards during his career.

 

[gopkrs]

I said "potential." And I think that is what McCarthy likes. A lot of other kickers with possibly better accuracy cannot kick as far.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I said "potential." And I think that is what McCarthy likes. A lot of other kickers with possibly better accuracy cannot kick as far.

Crosby has missed all four of his clutch attempts from 50+ yards. Him having a stronger leg than other kickers (something I´m not convinced is true) doesn´t do any good if he´s not accurate on those attempts.

 

[gopkrs]

I don't have a problem with Crosby. Maybe a new holder will improve his accuracy. It certainly will improve our punting game.

 

[SoonerPack]

Mostly agree with your take although I´m concerned about the inside linebacker position. Crosby being a fantastic kicker is plain and simple wrong though.

I understand your concern at ILB but believe Martinez is going to help solidify that position. It may not necessarily be the strength of the D but I don't think it will be as big of a liability as some believe.

We'll simply agree to disagree on Mason. For his career he is 49/49 on PAT's and 23/25 on FG's in the postseason. You may not like him or possibly think he's overpaid but to say he's a below average kicker is crazy in my mind. If the stats above land him in the below average group I think it might be time to reevaluate your scoring system.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

We'll simply agree to disagree on Mason. For his career he is 49/49 on PAT's and 23/25 on FG's in the postseason. You may not like him or possibly think he's overpaid but to say he's a below average kicker is crazy in my mind. If the stats above land him in the below average group I think it might be time to reevaluate your scoring system.

There's no denying Crosby's playoff numbers look impressive at first sight. Taking a closer look at it though he has only made five field goals from more than 40 yards with a career high of 48 while eight of his successful ones were chip shots from less than 30 yards.

In my opinion nothing to get excited about.

 

[toolkien]

2014 Packer Player AV

http://pfref.com/tiny/4aKQM

2015 Packer Player AV

http://pfref.com/tiny/As8mT

Nelson out for the year, Lacy out of shape, and bad technique by some other young receivers (leading to injuries) derailed the 2015 season. here's to hoping the Packers return to 2014 form where they were tied with the Seahawks for the highest total team AV. Hopefully the Packers won't collapse in the championship game this time around.

Anyone else notice where, other than Nelson's odd injury, the responsibility lies for the other failures in 2014 and 2015?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Anyone else notice where, other than Nelson's odd injury, the responsibility lies for the other failures in 2014 and 2015?

There were several reasons for the Packers struggles last season. In no particular order those were Rodgers being surprisingly inaccurate, the running game struggling because Lacy was out of shape, not having a designated receivers coach, not using enough combination routes to help the WRs getting open, lack of depth on the offensive line as well as not having any speed at the tight end position.

In my opinion the defense played well enough for a team led by Aaron Rodgers to be more successful.

 

[SoonerPack]

There's no denying Crosby's playoff numbers look impressive at first sight. Taking a closer look at it though he has only made five field goals from more than 40 yards with a career high of 48 while eight of his successful ones were chip shots from less than 30 yards.

In my opinion nothing to get excited about.

Not being excited and calling a guy below average is a huge difference. He's no Gostkowski but he's certainly better than below average. Maybe I misspoke in calling him great but I have confidence when he lines up and am expecting a good season from him.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Not being excited and calling a guy below average is a huge difference. He's no Gostkowski but he's certainly better than below average.

Once again, most facts support my claim of Crosby being a below average kicker.

There's a lot of information in this thread:

https://www.packerforum.com/threads/packers-and-mason-crosby-agree-to-4-year-deal.65697/

 

[PackerDNA]

2014 Packer Player AV

http://pfref.com/tiny/4aKQM

2015 Packer Player AV

http://pfref.com/tiny/As8mT

Nelson out for the year, Lacy out of shape, and bad technique by some other young receivers (leading to injuries) derailed the 2015 season. here's to hoping the Packers return to 2014 form where they were tied with the Seahawks for the highest total team AV. Hopefully the Packers won't collapse in the championship game this time around.

Anyone else notice where, other than Nelson's odd injury, the responsibility lies for the other failures in 2014 and 2015?

Some thoughts, some of which may cause a s**t storm, but what the hell, it's slow, right?

- seeing injuries come up as an excuse for last season's disappointment. No sale here. Some have pointed out that our injury situation really wasn't all that bad compared to some other teams. This team's on field performance flat out sucked for the majority of the season. The players couldn't get out of their own way, and the coaches had no answers.
This off season is beginning to sound like last off season- we should be on our way to the Super Bowl. I drank the kool aid then, I'm a little more cautious this time. Word of caution; the vast majority of players and coaches who'll be counted on to get to Houston.....are the same ones as last year.

-the loss of Nelson. It was huge, but beyond not having Jordy and his talents on the field, it exposed the teams WR's. There was a lot of talk here and elsewhere about the Packers WR group being among the best, if not the best, in the NFL. But without Jordy, they were exposed as a mediocre group with no balance. Where was the speed? Where were the outside and deep threats? Cobb is a very good #2 WR, but expect him to take on the role of a do it all #1, and he falls short. The rest of the group? Inexperienced and unproven. The most effective guy last year was an over the hill James Jones, and he wasn't even resigned. What if Jordy isn't Jordy or gets hurt again? It's pretty much the same group coming back, so I wouldn't expect much better without Nelson again.

-the NFC title game of '14 is getting some mention again. "We should have won! We gave it away with that collapse of biblical proportions in the last 5 minutes!" Maybe a look at the other side of the coin is in order.
The Seahawks offensively were historically bad for most of the game; what, 2 yards total offence in the first one and a half quarters?
But here's the thing- FIVE FREAKIN' TURNOVERS!!!
You have an opponent who sleep walks for most of the game and turns the ball over 5 times, and you still lose?!?!
I would submit that maybe we weren't really 'all that', and that the right team went to the Super Bowl. Because any team that's really so great would have went into that last 5 minutes up 3 plus TD's, and with that last 5 minutes still going the way it went, would have won by at least one TD.

-Is this team good enough to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season? Yes, yes it is. But keep in mind that it's basically the same people with the same questions going in.

 

[PackerDNA]

Not being excited and calling a guy below average is a huge difference. He's no Gostkowski but he's certainly better than below average. Maybe I misspoke in calling him great but I have confidence when he lines up and am expecting a good season from him.

My jaw bounced off the floor when Gostkowski missed that XP in Denver. Until then, I was convinced he wasn't human.

 

[SoonerPack]

My jaw bounced off the floor when Gostkowski missed that XP in Denver. Until then, I was convinced he wasn't human.

Kids a flat out stud.

 

[SoonerPack]

WIMM I concede. I've spent way too much time talking about a kicker. White flag being raised...

G. P. G.

 

[Mondio]

S
-the NFC title game of '14 is getting some mention again. "We should have won! We gave it away with that collapse of biblical proportions in the last 5 minutes!" Maybe a look at the other side of the coin is in order.
The Seahawks offensively were historically bad for most of the game; what, 2 yards total offence in the first one and a half quarters?
But here's the thing- FIVE FREAKIN' TURNOVERS!!!
You have an opponent who sleep walks for most of the game and turns the ball over 5 times, and you still lose?!?!
I would submit that maybe we weren't really 'all that', and that the right team went to the Super Bowl. Because any team that's really so great would have went into that last 5 minutes up 3 plus TD's, and with that last 5 minutes still going the way it went, would have won by at least one TD.

-Is this team good enough to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season? Yes, yes it is. But keep in mind that it's basically the same people with the same questions going in.

I don't think the Seahawks were sleep walking, we were kicking their ***. We had little things happen that showed up in a big way. Like Jordy tripping just a bit coming out of his break, throwing the timing off a split second and a TD went off his finger tips and we settled for 3. Our Defense was owning Wilson and that offense. I knew exactly what they were going to try they were getting so desperate. I think it was the 3rd or 4th INT, I was like, they're going to try and hit us big 1st play. They did, and we put the blitz on and he put it up, another INT.

Even in the come back, Wilson was running for his life and chucked up a damn prayer, a no look, absolute duck for a prayer and it was answered. Crosby would have won the game with his next FB. That's not to mention another dropped INT right thru the hands by Dix, needing plays that happen 1 every season or 2 for a team to happen in sequence. Burnett giving up on an INT. The non neutral zone infraction that should have been a free play, but instead ended up an INT.

Seattle was getting beaten up and down that field that day. Little things kept the score lower.

 

[PackerDNA]

There's another word for such a litany of excuses- failure.

 

[Mondio]

It was a failure, didn't argue otherwise. But it wasn't because seattle just "woke up"

 

[Ace]

I don't think the Seahawks were sleep walking, we were kicking their ***. We had little things happen that showed up in a big way. Like Jordy tripping just a bit coming out of his break, throwing the timing off a split second and a TD went off his finger tips and we settled for 3. Our Defense was owning Wilson and that offense. I knew exactly what they were going to try they were getting so desperate. I think it was the 3rd or 4th INT, I was like, they're going to try and hit us big 1st play. They did, and we put the blitz on and he put it up, another INT.

Even in the come back, Wilson was running for his life and chucked up a damn prayer, a no look, absolute duck for a prayer and it was answered. Crosby would have won the game with his next FB. That's not to mention another dropped INT right thru the hands by Dix, needing plays that happen 1 every season or 2 for a team to happen in sequence. Burnett giving up on an INT. The non neutral zone infraction that should have been a free play, but instead ended up an INT.

Seattle was getting beaten up and down that field that day. Little things kept the score lower.

I recently re-watched this game and you're 100% correct in everything you said here. I myself had forgotten how badly we were beating the $#!t out of them. Russell Wilson didn't complete a pass to a player on his own team until just over 3 mins left in the 1st half. I mean it was complete domination.

Another play I'll add is Aaron missing Cobb WIDE open over the middle that if nothing else puts the ball inside the 10 yd line and leads to 3 more pts. I believe Aaron threw an INT on this drive, possibly the mix up with Jordy I can't remember.

 

[PackerDNA]

I'd be willing to bet Seattle could point to a number of plays and what if's to make a case that they should have won by 20. So?
Domination, 5 turnovers, still lost. It's why I chalked it up and moved on, guys. Trying to make it sound better doesn't make me feel better; we try saying stuff like this on other forums and we just sound foolish.

 

[Mondio]

I moved on a long time ago, I can still talk about it. I love when they win, but I love the game much more than the wins and losses these days. I'm not trying to make it sound better, because we lost. The game is over. Our season was done. It was 2 years ago now? my feelings for the game are gone. Seattle could point out what if's, and most of them would be "what if we didn't get our ***** handed to us on this play".

 

[PackerDNA]

I moved on a long time ago, I can still talk about it. I love when they win, but I love the game much more than the wins and losses these days. I'm not trying to make it sound better, because we lost. The game is over. Our season was done. It was 2 years ago now? my feelings for the game are gone. Seattle could point out what if's, and most of them would be "what if we didn't get our ***** handed to us on this play".

You know, even though we lost, I was gratified to see our guys line up and physically beat them. They were supposed to be so physical, so big, bad and intimidating, while we were considered finesse. Yet every time a player was helped to the sideline with the trainer holding fingers up in his face, it was a Seahawk.
Good times.