Packers have a kicking problem

[Vincenzo]

Normally I don't watch coaches' press conferences, because I have heard enough coachspeak in my lifetime, but I was curious as to what The Flower would say about the new kicker, so I watched the fifteen minutes. A couple of things really popped out for me:

First, my impression of LeFleur has been, in the bits I've seen, that he can be kinda dickish. He makes snarky remarks to reporters, and he did it again a couple times in the presser I watched yesterday. Someone's alarm went off, interrupting things, and yes that's annoying, but MLF said something snarky. I mean, these guys are paid to be very good coaches, and surely he is. I get that he's not paid to be liked. But he just rubs me the wrong way - he's that arrogant high school jock guy who puts people in their place whether they need it or not.

And I know, his players love him. He gives them love back, as he did in the presser. That's more important than if I "like" the guy, I know. But I just wanted to make that observation. I like the way the Loins' coach handles his pressers. He seems to take the questions seriously, and answer as honestly as an NFL coach can, as opposed to MLF's sniping and snarkiness and then his canned stuff.

But onto my second observation: for a head coach, MLF is amazingly, amazingly ignorant of the special teams, or at least how kickers prepare and how the operation works. He was asked about getting Narveson up to speed, and MLF just shrugged and said it wasn't a questioln for him. Period. It was a question for the ST coach, not for him. He said something like "I don't know, just kick the ball."

I also noted in this exchange that he had a chance to praise Bisaccia - he did that with the defensive coaches on a different question - but he didn't bring him up at all regarding getting the kicker ready. Didn't mention him by name, just said that the question about the kicker getting ready was a question for the ST coach. Normally, a coach will throw in "I have a lot of confidence that Coach X will have Player Y ready for the game," but no. Nothing. Yet, as I said, on a question about the defensive looks for game one, MLF went out of his way to praise the whole coaching staff and their connection to their defensive players.

Just some observations on my part.

Interesting insight into Lafleur. Didn’t quite have him pegged as a partial dickhead but you’ve got me thinking that there’s something there.

A shaky kicker changes the complexities of a drive as soon as your offense gets past midfield.
If we have a kicker that’s a sure shot Lafleur knows he has 3 points in the bag coming for nearly a cast iron certainty, however, if he thinks his kicker can’t be relied on then he’ll press the offense for 6 points.
I’m shaking my head thinking that this kicker issue right now is pretty darn important for this year’s team. In my opinion, it can’t be understated.

[Joemailman]

Not MLF's best moment. But I think he's frustrated with a situation where 9 days before the season starts he's being forced to go with a kicker who he's never had in practice and has never kicked in the NFL. Whether he's more frustrated with Bisaccia or Gutekunst, I'm not sure.

[CaptainKickass]

“Just know that his wife is from Wisconsin. His kicking coach is a Packer fan. It was meant to be.

It's a nice read. I'm starting to like the acquisition in theory

Longtime Coach: Narveson Wants Pressure Kicks

[Fritz]

Not MLF's best moment. But I think he's frustrated with a situation where 9 days before the season starts he's being forced to go with a kicker who he's never had in practice and has never kicked in the NFL. Whether he's more frustrated with Bisaccia or Gutekunst, I'm not sure.

Good point. Fair. I did wonder, when I saw the usual team comments (was it Guter? Can’t remember) about the team really liking him coming out of college, why they didn’t then sign him as a UDFA. Hell, they brought in two or three guys to challenge Cold Carlson. So if they like this guy THAT much, well . . . ?

And MLF did say that having a kicker he’s totally unfamiliar with would affect his playcalling. So you’re probably right. He’s got reason to be frustrated- with Bitch Risaccia for not getting any improvement out of Cold Carlson this summer, and for not being the ST genius he was brought in to be. And frustrated with Guter for giving him a new rookie kicker nine days before the season begins.

[Tony Oday]

Would that make him the 6th best kicker in team history?

Or top 1.5

[run pMc]

MLF jokes around with the local press a bit. I think sometimes he's wound up a little too tightly and I suspect if a player's phone or watch went off in a meeting he'd be upset, so it might just be habit.
Either way, it's not a big deal, but I could see it being annoying. These guys are detail oriented and disciplined and letting something like that go is anathema for them.

As for Narveson, 78% isn't great but it's better than Carlson, both overall and for several of his seasons. Carlson really only had one good year in college, and I believe that was pre-injury. I had to do a double take on Narveson's XP - he made something like 196 XP's - that's a LOT of XPs. The WKY offense was bonkers. He went 71 of 91 on FGs but I don't have any data on the distances. I think I read that he's pretty good inside 40 at least. I'd expect XPs to be less of a thrill ride with him, and he's obviously got a NFL strength leg with the 59 yarder in preseason. It remains to be seen if he has the consistency to do it well.

FWIW, I also hear his wife is from Wisconsin and his kicking coach or somebody like that is a Packer fan... so maybe there's some destiny here.

I'm rooting for the kid, and I hope this doesn't jinx things. GB needs to fix the situation at K.

And yes, Bisaccia should be on thin ice. He's had plenty of opportunities to improve the ST (money, players, time), and it hasn't beared much fruit yet.

[MadtownPacker]

Interesting insight into Lafleur. Didn’t quite have him pegged as a partial dickhead but you’ve got me thinking that there’s something there.

A shaky kicker changes the complexities of a drive as soon as your offense gets past midfield.
If we have a kicker that’s a sure shot Lafleur knows he has 3 points in the bag coming for nearly a cast iron certainty, however, if he thinks his kicker can’t be relied on then he’ll press the offense for 6 points.
I’m shaking my head thinking that this kicker issue right now is pretty darn important for this year’s team. In my opinion, it can’t be understated.

I don’t care what he tells them at all. He can be however he wants and probably shouldn’t tell them too much to begin with. It didn’t hurt Belichick. He seems to be doing ok now.



As for the K and ST coach situation it’s good to see him angry about it. Like you said this shit could derail what is an extremely promising season ahead. But I think this guy is going to come in and be the guy not because I know shit just cause as everyone said there’s a lot of aligning of the stars going on. He also won’t have the entire stadium giving shank vibes every time he steps up. To start with at least. Primetime game on a different planet versus a potential playoff team is about as good a test as any. We should know by the end of the first half is he is who we wish he is.

[Fritz]

I don’t care what he tells them at all. He can be however he wants and probably shouldn’t tell them too much to begin with. It didn’t hurt Belichick. He seems to be doing ok now.



As for the K and ST coach situation it’s good to see him angry about it. Like you said this shit could derail what is an extremely promising season ahead. But I think this guy is going to come in and be the guy not because I know shit just cause as everyone said there’s a lot of aligning of the stars going on. He also won’t have the entire stadium giving shank vibes every time he steps up. To start with at least. Primetime game on a different planet versus a potential playoff team is about as good a test as any. We should know by the end of the first half is he is who we wish he is.

I know what you, and all the Packerrats, are thinking out there. You're worried. A promising season that could come undone because the Packers bring in a brand new kicker and ol' Fritz has only nine days to come up with a new nickname. I know. It's tense.

But have no fear, Rats. First of all, Mad's right - this kid is going to be the guy. More importantly, I've already got his new nickname, and it's a winner.

So rest easy, Rats. I got this.

[Patler]

If MLF alters his play calling because he has Brayden Nervous-son as his kicker instead of Joseph, he is an idiot. Coaches constantly preach to their players to just do their own jobs in the way that they should and expect that the other players will be doing their own jobs, too. It's the same for coaches. He constantly preaches that expectations do not change because of players lost to injuries. Well, now it is time for him to prove he means it. When it comes to kicking, if your kicker is a specialist and not some random player filling in for an emergency, within his leg strength range, he should be expected to make the kick (not that he always will).

There is no reason to expect Nervous-son to be any worse than Carlson, Joseph or many others.

[Patler]

In 1997 the Packers drafted kicker Brett Conway. He was horrible throughout camp. At final cutdown, the 49ers released Ryan Longwell. Conway was dumped and Longwell signed. Worked out just fine.

A kicker doesn't have any complex play system to learn, convoluted terminology to become fluent in or anything of the like. All he has to do is work with his holder to get the ball how he wants it. There may be an occasional glitch early on, but not something to wring our hands about. Whelan showed last year he can handle off target snaps and get the job done. I expect he can get Nervous-son what he wants for ball placement too.

[Fritz]

If MLF alters his play calling because he has Brayden Nervous-son as his kicker instead of Joseph, he is an idiot. Coaches constantly preach to their players to just do their own jobs in the way that they should and expect that the other players will be doing their own jobs, too. It's the same for coaches. He constantly preaches that expectations do not change because of players lost to injuries. Well, now it is time for him to prove he means it. When it comes to kicking, if your kicker is a specialist and not some random player filling in for an emergency, within his leg strength range, he should be expected to make the kick (not that he always will).

There is no reason to expect Nervous-son to be any worse than Carlson, Joseph or many others.

Nervous-son? That's pretty good, Patler. But we're going for the positive here, at least until the guy proves otherwise.

As I mentioned, I've got the nickname. What is it, you ask?

Okay, let's go:

First, there's this headline from the pre-season:

"Titans 16, Seahawks 15: Rookie kicks three fourth-quarter field goals in Tennessee win
Brayden Narveson kicked his last field goal of the game as time expired, helping Tennessee rally twice to beat Seattle"

I know what you Rats are thinking. Hey, it's a preseason game. It doesn't mean anything compared to kicking in a playoff game. Yeah, try telling that to Anders "Cold" Carlson. If he'd have made that 32-yarder in the last preseason game he'd possibly still be the Packers' kicker.



Secondly, this kid is confident. Did you ever, ever get that vibe from Cold Carlson or from Greg Joseph?

“He knows he’s going to make the field goal,” Narveson’s longtime kicking coach, Adam Tanalski of Hammer Kicking, told Packers On SI on Thursday. “He wants the 59(-yarder). He wants the game-winner. He wants to be that person who’s out there when it matters. Between the ears, he’s pretty outstanding.”

To sum it up, this kid has balls. Big ones.

Therefore, his new nickname is Nards Narveson.

[MadtownPacker]

To sum it up, this kid has balls. Big ones.

Therefore, his new nickname is Nards Narveson.

Nice!!! You were about to get sent out the door with Carlson but this is equal to hitting a 60 yarder.

[Vincenzo]

He has such big balls Therefore, his new nickname is Nards Narveson.
LAMO - definitely works.

[Fritz]

He has such big balls Therefore, his new nickname is Nards Narveson.
LAMO - definitely works.

Now let’s see if the kid can live up to it.

[CaptainKickass]

Now let’s see if the kid can live up to it.

In the spirit of "KUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHNNNNN!"

Now lets see if you can get the entire home crowd to yell "NAAAARRRRRDDDDDZZZZZZ!!!!" loud enough to hear over the TV whenever he makes a Field Goal