Green Bay Packers 2019 roster review: Mason Crosby

Reviewing Mason Crosby’s 2018 season.

The fact the Green Bay Packers haven’t had to sign a new kicker for a number of years tells you everything you need to know about Mason Crosby.

If you’re not talking about your kicker, he’s probably doing a good job.

Outside of one bad game (more on that in a moment) it was another excellent season for Crosby in Green Bay.

2018 season in review

The 2018 season was Mason Crosby’s 12th with the Green Bay Packers. A number of teams have a revolving door at the kicker position during the season as they look to find some consistency, so the Packers have been lucky to have a kicker they can trust for well over a decade.

And for most of the year it was business as usual for Crosby. His numbers weren’t as good as expected entering the season, but most of that can be put down to one bad game in Detroit.

Crosby’s 81.1 percentage on field goals was good for just 23rd in the NFL. His percentage was up from last season, but it could’ve been a lot better. Against the Lions in Week 5, Crosby missed four of his five field goal attempts and an extra point try.

It wasn’t a sign of things to come, however, as he bounced back the following week, making all seven of his kicks (four field goals, three extra points) against the 49ers, including a 27-yard game-winning kick.

Take away Crosby’s five field goal attempts at Detroit and his percentage for the rest of the season was 90.6 percent. He missed more field goals in that one game (four) than he did in every other game combined (three). The fact Crosby finds such consistency despite playing home games at a frozen Lambeau Field in December is impressive.

The other three field goals he missed were from distances of 52, 49 and 47 yards, all difficult attempts.

We can’t review Crosby’s season without including the game at Detroit. It almost certainly cost the Packers the game. But for a kicker who has been consistent throughout his career, one game won’t define an otherwise very good season.

Looking ahead to 2019 season

Crosby is entering the final year of his current contract, but there’s no reason to believe this will be his final year in Green Bay.

Crosby is just 34 years old, which is young for a kicker. With Adam Vinatieri (46 years old), Matt Bryant (43) and Sebastian Janikowski (40) all continuing to play well, Crosby could still have years left ahead of him.

And considering how difficult it can be to find a new kicker, the Packers should do all they can to keep Crosby next offseason assuming he continues to play at a high level.