1) Introduction: Packers kicker Mason Crosby saw his lucrative contract tore up over the offseason and replaced with an incentive-laden deal. Message received. Crosby connected on 33 of 37 field goal attempts and even sent two 57-yarders soaring through the uprights. If Johnny Jolly wasn’t on the roster, the Packers comeback player of the year award would have probably gone to Crosby.
2) Profile:
Mason Walker Crosby
- Age: 29
- Born: 9/3/1984 in Lubbock, Texas
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 212
- College: Colorado
- Rookie Year: 2007
- NFL Experience: 7
3) Expectations coming into the season: Get beat out in training camp by the Italian guy with the cool name. Packers fans were done with Mason Crosby and were itching for somebody to replace him. Crosby outlasted Giorgio Tavecchio and went on to have a career season.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Crosby hit all five field-goal attempts with a long of 52 yards in week 5 against Detroit. He made his first 10 attempts and even hit 5 of 7 from beyond 50 yards after going 14 for 33 on attempts of 50 yards or more in his first six seasons. Crosby’s lowpoint came against the Eagles in week 10 where his missed kicks from 53 and 42 yards.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: The Packers comeback against the Cowboys might have fallen short if Crosby doesn’t nail a 57-yard field goal earlier in the game. Unlike in 2012, you can’t really point to a game where Crosby had an overly negative impact. Crosby took over again on kickoffs midway through the season. I guess the Packers prefer Crosby’s directional kicking over Tim Masthay’s powerful leg.
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Crosby made both of his field goal attempts against the 49ers and was fine kicking the ball off.
Season Report Card:
(A) Level of expectations met during the season
(A-) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(B) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: A-
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Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .
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I can’t believe Jersey Al himself didn’t prepare this evaluation.
Oh yeah, I totally agree with you on Crosby’s eval, Adam.
Tried to keep myself out of it. My score grade would have been at least the same, maybe even a full A. (that’s for lovely mom…)
Tried to keep myself out of it. My grade would have been at least the same, maybe even a full A. (that’s for his lovely mom…)
I know you would’ve given him a good grade, based his performance in 2013. I just started laughing when I saw it was Adam writing the eval. 🙂
High praise for a guy that was among the biggest Crosby critics around. Nit that it wasn’t warranted fir the most part.
What does it say when your kicker grades out over your all-world QB?
Red Zone issues?
Or that your QB was injured and couldn’t play for half the season.
I was one of those that crucified TT for keeping Crosby. I couldn’t imagine the Packers would entertain the thought of Crosby kicking for them after the 2012 season. Man was I wrong! Crosby had a great season last year, his best ever. Bring in other kickers this year so he doesn’t feel secure, has a lousey family night, and it comes down to the final week of the preseason. It worked last year why mess with success. Now, if TT can just do that with the OLB, ILB, and Safety position, maybe it would get the most out of Perry, Jones, and Burnett. Well that and Perry can play a season without breaking a damn bone.
“It worked last year why mess with success. Now, if TT can just do that with the OLB, ILB, and Safety position, maybe it would get the most out of Perry, Jones, and Burnett.”
I personally would be afraid that our OLB, ILB, and S would lose their jobs if competing with Giorgio Tavecchio.
…or Crosby. At least he’s not afraid of tackling.
THIS is what I like about Crosby. He played S in HS and, I think, was a backup S in college. Masthay will tackle, too. I wonder if they could play in the GB secondary…
Great point JimR!!
When the low point of a kicker’s season is a game where he missed two longer, non-chipshot FG’s, he’s had a pretty good year.
I couldn’t believe that they had the punter kicking off to the five yard line early in the season. What the hell was Slocum thinking? Nice year for Crosby. You need a great kicker to win a championship. He fit the bill last year. Keep it up.
Old air nuts proved everyone wrong, he had a great season. Goes to show you, a good kick in the nuts does help.
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