Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Now it’s 2019, and the Packers claimed Sam Ficken off waivers from Seattle in April to see what he’s got. But how much Crosby’s job is truly in jeopardy isn’t entirely clear.
On the one hand, Crosby made a respectable 81 percent of his field goals last year (30-of-37) and tied that career high from 2013 with five from 50-plus. His season looks even better when one nightmarish outing in Detroit is removed. That game accounted for four of Crosby’s seven misses, and one of his two missed extra points. His recovery from that forgettable day showed his true professionalism.
But on the other hand, two of Crosby’s other three missed field goals were in clutch moments when the Packers really needed the points. He missed a 52-yarder on the final play of regulation against the Vikings in a Week 2 game that ended in an overtime tie, and he missed a 49-yarder on the final play of regulation that would have tied the Cardinals in Week 13.
So, is Ficken here potentially to replace Crosby, or just to limit the wear and tear on the veteran’s leg through the spring and summer? Either way, it’s worth noting Crosby is in the last year of his contract, so that could be a factor in taking a look at someone new.
In any event, Ficken has shown a strong leg of his own since arriving in Green Bay. In two brief stints with the Rams over the last two seasons, he made 3-of-6 field goals and 14-of-15 PATs, with 16-of-21 kickoffs going for touchbacks.