Packers Matt LaFleur Sends Message to Rookie Kicker After ‘Critical’ Mistake

Getty Packers kicker Brayden Narveson

Seems strange, really, that over the past year, the Packers have been able to find replacements for future Hall of Fame players like Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, but the one thing that continues to confound them is replacing kicker Mason Crosby. Maybe Brayden Narveson, the rookie kicker the Packers signed 10 days ago after he was waived by the Titans.

You’ll pardon the skepticism, however. Narveson made his debut on Friday night in the sloppy loss to the Eagles, and he did put through three field goals and an extra point. But the Packers asked him to make a 43-yarder in the third quarter, which would have cut Philadelphia’s lead to 31-29, and Narveson doinked the kick off the upright for a miss.

In a game the Packers lost, 34-29, those points were important. The Packers had the final drive of the game, and would have had a much better shot at pulling off a win if they were trying to get into field goal range instead of needing a touchdown.

The three field goals Narveson made were all gimmes by NFL standards—31, 23 and 26 yards—and the 43-yard try was the only real challenge. It’s a major concern that the Packers came up empty.

Brayden Narveson Expected to Cover Anders Carlson Mistake

Coach Matt LaFleur addressed the miss after the game, acknowledging the importance of it but clearly wanting to protect Narveson’s confidence going into Week 2. The Packers do not want to find themselves on a kicker treadmill this season, constantly bringing in new players and ditching them when they fail. That can be a disaster, especially for a potential contender like the Packers.

“There was a lot of good,” LaFleur told Packers radio. “Certainly, the missed field goal was critical. That really hurt us. But I don’t want to put too much on him He is a rookie. I am sure there are going to be mistakes made. Nobody’s going to be perfect, especially at that position, but ultimately, we’ve just got to continue to work and get better.”

The Packers, of course, value the kicking position enough to have used a sixth-round pick on Anders Carlson in 2023, in hopes that the investment would mean they would not have to sweat out the kicking spot for years to come.

Instead, Carlson went 27-for-33 on field goals, going 7-for-13 on kicks over 40 yards. He also went 34-for-39 on extra points, a rate of 87.2% . That was the worst among 25 qualifying kickers last season, per Pro Football Reference.

Packers Have ‘a Lot to Clean Up’

Narveson was hardly the reason the Packers lost the game, of course. The performance was a mess, from the Packers’ inability to come up with touchdowns after two gift turnovers on the Eagles’ first two possessions, to a concerning performance from the offensive line, to a whopping 10 penalties, to a defense that seemed to play worse as the game went on.

Obviously, the leg injury suffered by Jordan Love on the next-to-last play of the game looms large for Green Bay. But there was sloppiness everywhere.

“There’s a lot to clean up. Definitely a sloppy game from us,” LaFleur said. “There was some uncharacteristic things that we did as a staff, quite frankly, and that trickled down to our players. Ultimately, we all got to look hard at ourselves in the mirror and find ways to get better because tonight wasn’t good enough.”