After watching the most extended head-to-head kicking period of training camp during Saturday night’s scrimmage, it would have been reasonable to walk out of Lambeau Field thinking the Green Bay Packers might have to look elsewhere for their kicker.
Veteran kicker Mason Crosby showed that his troubles from 2012 are far from behind him. He made just 3-of-8 field goals on Saturday and drew a smattering of boos from the 63,047 fans. While his competitor, Giorgio Tavecchio, made 6-of-7 field goals during the scrimmage, his lack of leg strength was apparent when he narrowly made kicks from 51 and 53, the latter of which hit the crossbar before going through.
At this point, however, there aren’t a lot of other options.
Of the kickers listed on the NFL’s inactive player list, only three have any significant NFL experience: Nate Kaeding, David Buehler and Justin Medlock. Kaeding said this spring that he was retiring because of recurring injuries, Buehler was always considered more of a kickoff specialist and Medlock’s agent, Frank Murtha, said Sunday afternoon that he had not heard anything from the Packers.