There were a lot of players that stood out in a positive way in the Green Bay Packers; 36-19 win in their preseason matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jordan Love completed seven of ten passes for 46 yards and a touchdown while playing in two offensive series. Emanuel Wilson rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries.
On defense, Carrington Valentine continued his strong preseason with an interception and several passes defended. Karl Brooks, a sixth round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, was able to apply pressure to the Bengals quarterback regularly.
However, there were other players who did not stand out in a positive way, perhaps none more than rookie kicker Anders Carlson. Facing the tall task of replacing franchise all-time leading scorer Mason Crosby, Carlson has struggled to remain consistent ever since training camp began. In the game against Cincinnati, Carlson made a 45-yard field goal, but also missed two extra point attempts.
Despite the struggles, neither Carlson nor the Packers have given up. In his first day back at practice following his forgettable professional debut, the rookie kicker bounced back with some impressive kicks.
Green Bay Packers Anders Carlson Makes Several Long Field Goals on Monday
Monday wasn’t all perfect for Carlson. He did miss another extra point attempt and two more field goals. However, he was five of seven overall on his field goal attempts during practice, including a 51-yard bomb that he made in an end-of-game situation.
All of Carlson’s misses this preseason have been wide right. In a way, this is good news for both the rookie kicker and the Packers. It means that his issue is technical and not mental. Technical issues are easy to fix.
According to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated, Carlson had this to say about his struggles:
“You don’t want to go right-left-right because then you’re kind of lost. I like my mindset. I’ve just got to fix some technical things.
“I think being a kicker is all about being consistent – mentally and physically. Obviously, you want the results to be consistent, but before the results come, you’ve got to be personally level.
“So, I think for me it’s all about a consistent mindset no matter what the results are, whether it’s good or bad. I can’t control the past so it’s all about staying level-headed and approaching the next one with the right mindset.
“You’re either winning or you’re learning. That’s how I take it. So, I have days that I like, days that I don’t like, so it’s just not freaking out and taking it one day at a time.”
So how can Carlson fix going wide right so often? According to Huber, Carlson believes that he needs to slow down his tempo. A task easier said than done in the fast-pace game play that is the NFL. However, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia has done this before, with Carlson’s brother Dylan.
Dylan Carlson was picked up by Bisaccia’s old team, the Las Vegas Raiders, after the Minnesota Vikings cast him aside following some similar struggles to the ones Anders is having. Bisaccia was able to help him fix those issues and turned him into an All-Pro kicker.
It is not an immediate fix, but it is a fix that will happen. The key will be patience.
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