Tucker has struggled mightily this season and could bite Baltimore in the playoffs
Joshua Karty has been as inconsistent as they come this season for the L.A. Rams. Sean McVay does not appear to trust his young kicker and an upgrade must be made either this offseason or sooner. If the Ravens were to kick Justin Tucker to the curb, the Rams should pounce on a chance to acquire the future Hall of Famer.
It’s no secret that Tucker has struggled mightily this season and has cost Baltimore a few games, or at least chances to win games due to his missed kicks.
The Ravens 5 losses are by a combined 22 points this season
Justin Tucker has 22 points worth of missed kicks in the Ravens 5 losses
— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) December 2, 2024
Through 13 games, Tucker’s 70.4% field goal percentage is the third-lowest in the NFL ahead of the Browns’ Dustin Hopkins and the Jets’ Greg Zuerlein. For reference, Karty is only a few slots ahead of him in the percentage department at 76.2%. On Sunday against the Eagles, Tucker missed two field goals and an extra point which might’ve made the difference in the Ravens’ five-point loss.
Justin Tucker’s NFL ranks this season pic.twitter.com/Q32qCYFIZf
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) December 2, 2024
Something is amiss with Tucker — pun totally intended there — and experts around the sport believe his issues are mechanical or even mental. Bill Belichick said on the Dec. 3 episode of the “Let’s Go!” podcast that the veteran’s mechanics are to blame:
“Obviously there’s something that’s a little bit off from a technique standpoint, but I don’t see that there’s a lack of talent. I think there’s something mechanically that he’s not doing consistently. If you have the key to unlock that problem, then probably everything could be great.”
Former kicker Lawrence Tynes, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants, also cited a mechanical flaw in Tucker’s game during a Dec. 4 interview with USA Today:
“From the couch, looking on, he has a mechanical flaw that was causing him to pull all his kicks,” Tynes said via USA Today columnist Mike Freeman. “Does not look like he was able to fix what was causing that and continues to miss left in-game. I say in-game because I am sure he was able to fix it in practice. Games are different.”
Then there’s the notion that age has caught up to the 35-year-old All-Pro. Tucker went just 1-of-5 on kicks from at least 50 yards away in 2023, and his five missed field goals this season have come from 50, 47, 50, 47 and 53 yards out. No matter the reasoning behind his struggles, the Ravens are betting on him to turn things around as they enter their bye. What is shaping up to happen is Tucker getting his act together only to miss an agonizing kick against those lucky ass Chiefs in the AFC Championship.
Of course, if Tucker’s woes persist and cause the Ravens to drop an important game or two down the stretch, he might be gone sooner rather than later. If that were to happen, the Rams should pounce on the star quickly even if the playoffs are a long shot.
