Mason Crosby - let's look at details.

[Patler]

Several writers have taken verbal shots at Crosby, call him "inconsistent", stating the miss from 43 yards was "inexcusable" and even suggesting it is time to look for a replacement. None have bothered to look at his performance in any depth. Let's see if we can prompt an article really analyzing it. Heck, it would be nice if one would even ask a reputable kicking coach to look at his misses and comment on them.

Let's have our own discussion. I know we did this a few weeks ago, but I have broadened the statistical basis a bit this time. Crosby's year so far, with misses in bold and ():

Bears – (49 WL), 52, 39
Bengals - (55 WL), 45
Rams – 48, 38, 25
Vikings – 31
Lions – 46, 28, 31, 26
Browns – (55 WL), 18
Vikings – 37, 26, (51 WR)
Bucs – no attempts
Cowboys – (52 WL), 48
49ers – 23, 27, 27
Lions - (43 WR) 20, 25

My comments:
- He is 20/26 overall, just a single miss under the magic 80% they shoot for.
- He is 18/20 from less than 50 yards out.
- Only one kicker has more 50+ yard attempts than Crosby, Scobee with 6 of which he has made just 2. Succop has 5, the same as Crosby, and has made just 2, one more than Crosby. Only two have four 50+ yard attempts, five have 3 attempts. Six have 2 attempts. Only 16 kickers have two or more attempts from beyond 50 yards.
- His only misses inside 50 yards are from 49 and 43; not certainties for any kicker. Only 6 kickers are perfect in 40-49 yard attempts; Stover at 1/1; Cundiff, Dawson, Graham and Vinatieri at 2/2; and Suisham at 5/5. Nine kickers with at least 5 attempts between 40 and 49 yards are no better or are worse than Crosby at 4/6. Three kickers with less than 5 attempts have missed at least 2 of them. The miss from 43 is hardly "inexcusable".
- 5 of his 6 misses were on his first attempts in the game. Is this significant? I don't know, but its worth thinking about.
- Crosby proves time and time again that he is an asset on the kickoff team with good tackles. Sure he misses some, but he does provide a credible last line of defense on kick coverage.

A team should always look to improve, at every position. However, it will take an outstanding kicker to be better than Crosby, and Crosby is young. His only struggles are from beyond 50 yards, at distances few kickers attempt regularly and distances young kickers particularly struggle with.

[Fritz]

I was disappointed in the 43 yard miss, but for some reason the standard Crosby's held to seems higher than the standard most kickers would be held to. To call that miss "inexcusable" is an interesting choice of terms. If Rodgers misses on a pass - as he did a couple times on Thursday - is that inexcusable? Greg Jennings didn't come down with a long throw that he touched but could not catch. Is that inexcusable?

Interesting. My theory is that Crosby came in with so many people banging the drum about his strong leg that expectations got out of whack.

[get louder at lambeau]

I think the expectations are because he was a 6th round pick, and he had a great rookie season. Criticism may also have to do with him not coming through with game winners last year.

[Fosco33]

Agreed. I've mentioned this a few times as well.

What irks me is that M3 is now losing some confidence - and those long misses have lead to short fields for opponents. I'll look up the misses...

People also don't mention that the long snapper (Goode - 2nd yr) and holder (Flynn - rook) are very young as well. Takes 3 to tango.

[Fosco33]

Bears – (49 WL), 52, 39
Bengals - (55 WL), 45
Browns – (55 WL), 18
Vikings – 37, 26, (51 WR)
Cowboys – (52 WL), 48
Lions - (43 WR) 20, 25

Bears punted after missed FG. Pack won by 6 - a FG would've pushed it to 2 scores.

Crosby's kick vs. Bengals was at the half. Pack lost by 7 (so a FG wouldn't have mattered much).

After his miss vs. Browns, Cribbs fumbled and Crosby went on to kick a FG. Pack wins easily.

After the Viking miss, Favre hit AP for a 44 yard gain and Berrian for a 16 yard TD. At the time of the miss (late 4th Q), it was 26-31. A FG would've brought the game within a FG but the defense would have had to stop #4 anyway...

In the Cowboy game, Dallas exchanged punts after the miss in the 1st Q and Pack won by 10. Winning by 13 would have ensured 2 TDs needed (or a TD and 2 FGs).

And yesterday, Collins picked off Stafford after the 1st Q miss and Lee scored the TD.

[Pugger]

All but one of his misses this year were beyond the 50. Maybe MM shouldn't be asking him to attempt these longer ones. After Crosby stops missing these long ones his confidence will swell and he'll be a better kicker for it. The kicking game is played more between the ears than the right foot...

[Cheesehead Craig]

When the Pack went for it on 4th down, they passed on a 49 yd FG at the time. I think it was a good call. FGs from that distance are always iffy regardless of the kicker.

[Brandon494]

Nice post, but even so I don't have faith in Crosby to kick a 45+ game winning FG.

[bobblehead]

I'll fess up that I was pretty down on the guy. Some of that is stemming from 2 game winners missed last season.

By the numbers he is damn good, and I am not going to pull a partial and say stats don't matter, they do. Stats are metrics and are pretty undeniable.

I guess the only knock I have at this point, and it probably led to my poor opinion of him before the research was done is that he only has ONE MAKE from 50 as well. At this point whenever he jogs out for a 50+ yarder I have virtually no confidence that he MIGHT make it. That said, his numbers are very good, and replacing him with better wouldn't be easy or a priority.

[The Shadow]

I think Shawn Slocum needs to board the Shottenheimer Express.

[woodbuck27]

Kicking has alot to do with confidence. Why? Make him kick FG's of over 50 yards? Because FG's over 50 yards are difficult to make even when not under pressure. Why? Expect Crosby to make them?

[Waldo]

Overall I think that Mason is a borderline top 10 kicker. I wouldn't put him any higher. He definitely is a little above average though.

[Patler]

I guess the only knock I have at this point, and it probably led to my poor opinion of him before the research was done is that he only has ONE MAKE from 50 as well. At this point whenever he jogs out for a 50+ yarder I have virtually no confidence that he MIGHT make it. That said, his numbers are very good, and replacing him with better wouldn't be easy or a priority.

Yes, he is just 1/5 from 50 and beyond this season, but he is 7/16 over his career. Going into this year he was 6/11 at 50+, and one of those misses was when he was barely short from 69 yards away. From reasonable lengths he was 6/10 the first two seasons. This year has been a struggle, but several have been close from 50+.

I don't think MM handles it real well. I had no complaint about the 69 yard attempt last season, it was at the end of the half and was worth a shot. But when he went into a shell and played for a game-winning 52 yard attempt against the Vikings, I was shocked. I never look at a 50+ attempt as better than a 50/50 chance. A few more yards would have made a huge difference. Crosby having 16 attempts at 50+ in less than 3 seasons is a lot, probably too many. He easily has the leg strength, but controlling the flight of the ball over that distance is a real trick, and I have to believe his confidence is a bit shaky from there.

[Patler]

Overall I think that Mason is a borderline top 10 kicker. I wouldn't put him any higher. He definitely is a little above average though.

I would agree that he is not an elite kicker. "Borderline top 10..."? I don't know that I can quantify it very accurately, but I don't think there are a lot that a clearly better. Some, sure; but not a lot of them. Are there 5? 8? 10? I really don't know, but to me. that shows that the chance of getting a better all-around kicker is slim, and finding a worse one is likely. Crosby is 71/83 over his career inside 50 yards, for 85.5%. If he was used more sparingly from 50 and beyond, fans (and writers) would have a much different impression of him.

[esoxx]

Has to do better. Miss from 43 that didn't even have a chance is bush league. This is the big leagues Mason.