OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The most accurate kicker in NFL history pretty much has never been in this position before, standing in front of his locker and fielding questions about a slump.
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker hooked a 46-yard field-goal attempt wide left at Dallas this past week, his third miss in eight field-goal kicks this season.
Tucker remains the most accurate field-goal kicker in NFL history, with a success rate of 89.7 percent (400-for-446), but for the first time in his career, his presence between the hash marks hasn’t essentially equated to three automatic points.
Now in his 13th season, Tucker for years has been viewed as a long-distance weapon other teams couldn’t match; his 66-yard game-winner at Detroit in 2021 remains the longest field goal in NFL history. But Tucker and the Ravens, at least for the past two years, have lost that edge.
Thus far this season, NFL kickers are 42-for-55 from beyond 50 yards, making them at a 76 percent clip. The Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey is 5-for-5 from 50-plus, including a 65-yarder this past week against the Ravens.
Tucker, though, is 0-for-2 this season from 50-plus, and 1-for-7 from 50 yards or more since the beginning of last season.
In his first 11 seasons, Tucker had gone 57-for-80 on 50-plus kicks, a success rate of 71.2 percent, including 10-for-10 in 2016.
This year, Tucker missed from 53 in Week 1 at Kansas City and from 56 in Week 2 against Las Vegas, then missed from 46 at Dallas. All three of his misses this year have leaked wide left.
What’s going on?
Speaking to a throng of media after practice Sept. 25, Tucker concurred with head coach John Harbaugh’s assessment that the issue boils down to technique, and he stressed that the rest of the “operation,” as he calls it, involving long snapper Nick Moore and holder Jordan Stout, has been on point.
“It’s definitely fair to say that more recently, I’ve been working through a technique thing,” Tucker said. “For the most part, we — and I emphasize we — have been striking the ball really, really well, not just in practice, not just in pre-game warmups, but for the most part, throughout the course of the game. Then, I have let three kicks get away from me early this season.”
“Anytime our defense gets a stop [and] our offense moves the ball down the field, it’s my job to reward the rest of the team and their hard work with points on the board,” he continued. “That’s something I take a lot of pride in and something I will continue to be working at.”
Asked if the misses have taken an emotional toll on him, Tucker said, “You can never let the highs feel too high or the lows feel too low. … I have to control what I can control, address whatever fixes … make whatever changes I need to in my technique … while also not letting myself get to a place where I’m moping around. That’s not going to do anybody any good.”
Tucker said he had a good practice in damp conditions on Wednesday as the Ravens (1-2) get set to face the Buffalo Bills (3-0) in a big AFC showdown on “Sunday Night Football” at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 29.
Tucker, who turns 35 in November, also said that, despite the recent struggles from distance, he doesn’t think his range has diminished. It’s worth noting that both the 50-yarders that hooked left this year had plenty of distance.
“I feel like I’m striking the ball still as well as I ever have,” Tucker said. “Going back 12 years, when I first came into the league, until right now, I feel just as good as I’ve ever felt. It’s just a matter of a little thing here or a little thing there that I know I can clean up.”
NOTEBOOK
THREE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN MISS PRACTICE: Three starting offensive linemen were among five players who missed practice Sept. 25. According to the official injury report, center Tyler Linderbaum was out with a knee injury, left guard Andrew Vorhees had an ankle injury and right tackle Patrick Mekari was dealing with a neck injury. All three of those players played every snap at Dallas.
Asked about the absences, head coach John Harbaugh said, “It’s a very physical sport. You have guys that are going to be working through things pretty much every week. … We have to deal with those things just like everybody else.”
In addition to the linemen, cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) and defensive lineman Michael Pierce (shoulder) did not practice. Linebacker Roquan Smith (ankle) was limited.
NGAKOUE RETURNS: Veteran edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue (Maryland), who was signed to the practice squad earlier this week, was on the field in his No. 91 jersey. The Ravens traded for Ngakoue midway through the 2020 season, but he had modest results with the team — 11 tackles and three sacks in nine games — and left as a free agent after that season.
He has since spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022) and Chicago Bears (2023).
Asked about Ngakoue’s return, Harbaugh said, “That’s kind of exciting. It’s a situation where opportunity kind of met there. … He’s ready to be back, he’s healthy, and he wants to start playing. He was available, and he was here close, and he was here one time recently and liked it here and wanted to be back.”
“It’s good to have another legitimate pass rusher on campus,” Harbaugh added. “That’s a valuable thing.”
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox