The Green Bay Packers finished last season 9-8 and barely made it into the NFL Playoffs. Fortunately, they were able to secure the final wild card spot in the NFC and even upset the highly-favorited Dallas Cowboys in the first round. However, the multiple things that they struggled with as a whole all season came back to bite them in the Divisional Round in their loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
While there is never just one reason a team loses a game, it is easy to point to one specific thing that can tip the scales in their favor: making kicks. Unfortunately, that was something rookie kicker Anders Carlson struggled with last season. Due to his inconsistency, particularly on extra point attempts, the Packers have an open competition at kicker this offseason.
The Green Bay Packers Just Handed Anders Carlson the Starting Kicker Job Last Season

Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
The trade of Aaron Rodgers during the 2023 NFL offseason was the catalyst for a massive youth movement in Green Bay. Not only did they trade their aging future Hall of Fame quarterback so that Jordan Love could finally have his opportunity, they also decided not to bring back the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, Mason Crosby.
For many, the decision to move on from Crosby was a more confusing decision than the one to trade Rodgers. In the case of the four-time NFL MVP, at least the Packers had a backup plan that had been waiting and developing for years. Of course, no team has two kickers in the same way they have two quarterbacks, but to move on from Crosby, who was relatively reliable, with no immediate plan for his replacement was concerning.
The Packers solved their vacancy at kicker by drafting Anders Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. His selection made the decision to move on from Crosby even more confusing as he made just 71.8% of his field goal attempts while at Auburn, not to mention his repaired ACL.
Still, the Packers believed that Carlson would improve under the teachings of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, who turned Daniel Carlson, Anders’ brother, into an All-Pro kicker with the Las Vegas Raiders after he struggled with the Minnesota Vikings.
And so, Carlson was handed the job.
Anders Carlson Struggled in His First Season with the Green Bay Packers

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There is still time for Carlson to be an excellent kicker for the Packers; but he did not get off to a great start. In his rookie season, he made 81.8% of his field goal attempts, but was just 4/8 on attempts between 40-49 yards, and 3/5 on 50+ yard kicks.
Most concerning, though, was the fact that he made just 87.8% of his extra point attempts.
It was pointed out by many last season that Crosby, too, struggled to hit field goals consistently for a while. He did not have a made field goal percentage over 80% until his fifth NFL season, and then had a terrible 63.6% field goal percentage in his sixth season.
Still, despite his struggles on field goal attempts, the young Crosby still made all of his extra point attempts. From his first year in 2017 through 2013, he only missed a total of two extra points. In fact, it wasn’t until 2014 that Crosby missed two extra points in a season.
Last year, Carlson missed five.
Green Bay Packers Special Teams Coordinator Rich Bisaccia Put Anders Carlson On Notice

During his media session on Thursday, Bisaccia was asked about Carlson and the newly signed competitors for the starting kicking job: Greg Joseph and Jack Podlesny. One reporter asked him if those would be the only three players competing for the job. According to Matt Schneidman, Bisaccia replied, “It might be those three. Might be three other ones. It might be six.”
In other words, the job is wide open. Nothing is being handed to Carlson this offseason.
The fact of the matter is that the Packers lost two games last year by less than three points in which Carlson also missed a field goal. Similarly, they lost in the Divisional Round to the San Francisco 49ers by the score of 24-21. Carlson missed a field goal in that game too.
As mentioned, there are many reasons why teams lose games. Missing field goals should not be one of them.
Carlson is going to have to blow away the competition in training camp if he is going to have another shot in Green Bay.
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