The Green Bay Packers drafted kicker Anders Carlson 206th (sixth round) of the 2023 National Football League Draft. However, the decision would be one that the Packers would regret almost immediately. Carlson was chosen to replace the aging and somewhat declining Packers’ legend Mason Crosby. However, the Packers couldn’t have predicted what would happen when they drafted Carlson. This season, Carlson led all kickers in most missed kicks (field goals and extra points). Naturally, this didn’t help the team win when the Packers reached the playoffs and they faced better teams.
Anders Carlson ended the season 4/9 on FGs from 40-49 yards, including just 1 of his last 4.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) January 21, 2024
The Fact That The Green Bay Packers’ Anders Carlson Missed Majority Of His Last 9 Kicks Forces Many To Ask Why He Was Still on the Roster.
While Carlson didn’t have a miserable night in Santa Clara, he did miss the game-tying field goal that would have drastically changed the play-calling on the Packers final drive. The Packers next and final drive would end, the pass being intercepted by Dre Greenlaw, a San Francisco 49ers linebacker. It iced the game and the 49ers were able to kneel the out the game.
Carlson blames himself for the loss against the 49ers as he was aiming for the right and the ball went hooked just left of the uprights. Unfortunately, in the world of the NFL, kickers are expendable and some mistakes as major as that tends to be magnified.
The Green Bay Packers May Be Regretting The Decision To Move On From Mason Crosby When Their Team Finally Looked Like They Could Outmaneuver A Hurt San Francisco Team.
The Packers moved on from Crosby for a variety of reasons, but the veteran was nowhere near as bad as Carlson and he has had the experience and been in the pressure moments such as NFC divisional round and championship rounds and won. He has even helped the Packers defeat the 49ers in 2018 in the regular season (pictured above), which isn’t nothing for the Packers due to the struggles against the 49ers.
If Crosby had been the kicker from the start, who knows how good the Packers could’ve been? They might’ve been as good as a 5-seed or maybe given the Lions a run for the division title. The only downside to Crosby is his contract. However, he does deserve that.
The Green Bay Packers’ San Francisco/Special Teams Curse Continues With The Loss To The 49ers In That Fashion.
The Packers will have to decide in the offseason if Carlson is someone they want to keep on the squad. As it stands, he will most definitely be going through a position battle with whoever they bring onto the squad in training camp and preseason next season. The hope for every Packer fan is that he can turn it around and be ready the deep run that the Packers will make next season with the offense next season.
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