A week after the worst performance of his football career, Mason Crosby put in one of his very best.
Crosby, in his 12th year in the NFL, had missed a pair of kicks over the first four games of the 2018 season — one extra point and one field goal, the latter from 52 yards. In week five, he missed each of his first five kicks. That consisted of four field goal attempts and a PAT that he doinked off the right upright before Mike McCarthy gave him one more shot to put one through the goalposts from 41 yards, presumably to get some confidence back.
And boy, is that confidence back.
Crosby was a bit overworked on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, attempting four field goals and three extra points. Two of those attempts came after the Packers got the football in 49ers territory after fumbles, as the team could not find the end zone when given a short field. But every time he touched the football with a chance to score, he converted, nailing kicks from 29, 39, 51, and finally 28 yards to end the game with a Packers win.
Aaron Rodgers had a bit of an in-game redemption of his own, as the Packers’ quarterback missed several throws in the middle portion of the game and generally looked out of sorts. However, Rodgers found his mojo late in the fourth quarter as he led the Packers on a game-tying drive, then navigated 81 yards down the field with just 1:07 remaining to set up Crosby’s winner. After the game, the kicker even acknowledged Rodgers’ assistance, saying he appreciated getting a shorter kick to end the game.
But make no mistake — despite Rodgers’ 425 yards passing and fourth-quarter heroics, Kevin King’s late-game interception to set up the winning drive, and Davante Adams’ masterful game with 10 catches, 132 yards, and two scores, this one belongs to Crosby. The Packers’ confidence in their kicker never wavered over the past week, and he has got to feel great going into a bye week after that performance.