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No player for the Baltimore Ravens needs a vote of confidence more than Justin Tucker, and the struggling kicker got one from a surprising source, former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
Speaking on an edition of “The Pat McAfee Show,” six-time Super Bowl winner Belichick addressed what might be causing All-Pro Tucker’s suddenly inability to make simple kicks. Belichick also gave his opinion on how the Ravens are handling the situation.
When asked how he’d handle things, Belichick admitted, “probably about the way coach Harbaugh’s handling it. When I look at Tucker, I don’t see a lack of talent. He still has great height on the ball, the ball travels with plenty of distance. “Clearly there’s some fundamental technique thing that he’s not doing consistently and that’s causing him to miss both to the left and the right.”
Belichick wrapped things up by explaining what steps he would take to get Tucker back on track: “What I would do is keep working on the fundamentals and just the technique of the kick. I don’t think there’s a lack of talent, I think it’s fundamentally there’s just something that’s not quite right here.”
The idea of Tucker simply going back to basics has been echoed by his position coach and a former NFL kicker. Belichick’s overall point about how “there’s nobody else out there that has more experience or has mentally been in more situations than Tucker has, I think I would go with Tucker,” echoes the view of Harbaugh, who along with two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, has already backed the faltering Pro Bowler to rebound.
Many Agree With Bill Belichick About How to Fix Ravens Kicker
Belichick isn’t the only one endorsing the way Harbaugh and the Ravens are reacting to Tucker’s malaise. Ex-Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants (among others) kicker Jay Feely also believes what Tucker needs is consoling words, not a tirade and threats to his job.
Feely was quoted by 106.7 The Fan’s Glenn Clark as saying, “Bringing in competition will do nothing to fix him. Harbaugh going up and hugging him, telling him how much he believes in him, that will help him… Having a bye week, getting fresh, healthy. Some guys like to get away, I think he’ll practice more.”
The notion of Tucker upping his practice schedule was also mentioned by Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton. He told reporters, including ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, “Me knowing Justin, he’s going to be somewhere kicking and trying to figure this thing out.”
Former and current coaches and players are all in agreement. Tucker must get back to what he once did best.
Kicking his way through the problem is one way to go, but a veteran who has been overthinking things in recent weeks, may want to resist forcing the issue.
Justin Tucker Needs to Simplify Things
Tucker has fallen on hard times primarily because he’s changing strategies, according to Feely. The latter broke down how “The thing that is different is the ball flight. It’s not straight end-over-end, but more of the oblong, butterfly ball… And bc it’s hooking left, he’ll aim right and then hits it end-over-end… He’s hoping, not knowing.”
Flip-flopping between techniques is naturally translating to an erratic conversion rate. The problem proved fatal agains the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13, when three misses by Tucker cost the Ravens seven points.
Each wayward kick was highlighted by Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink.
The film shows Tucker’s challenges with accuracy and trajectory. All facets of the game that helped make him a five-time first-team All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion have deserted the 35-year-old at the same time.
There’s no quick fix, but addressing the growing mental block seems like a logical starting point before leaning on technical details.
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