Once a House of Horrors, Ford Field Feels Like Home for Crosby
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Oct. 7, 2018, is a day that will live in infamy for Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby. In a 31-23 loss at the Detroit Lions, Crosby missed four field goals and one extra point.
He’s missed just four field goals in the 40 regular-season games since that infamous day. His 56-of-60 accuracy includes a perfect 15-for-15 this season. A house of horrors for one miserable day, Ford Field is now a place of triumph. About 50 weeks ago, he exorcised those demons by beating the Lions on a last-play field goal. On Sunday, he booted a 57-yard field goal to help clinch a 31-24 victory.
The verdict not only wrapped up the NFC North but put the Packers in control of the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
With its lead cut to 28-21, a 29-yard catch-and-run by Davante Adams put Green Bay in position for the knockout. However, the drive stalled at Detroit’s 34-yard line. Out came Crosby for a 52-yard field goal but a false start on Elgton Jenkins moved the ball back to the 39. Crosby’s pregame warmup set the field-goal line at the 37, so special-teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga was getting ready to send on the punt team.
Coach Matt LaFleur intervened.
“I looked at Mason and I said, ‘Can you hit this?’ And he said, ‘Yes,’” LaFleur said. “I figured we could fudge that line just a little bit.”
Crosby blasted through his longest field goal since booting a 57-yarder against the Giants in 2013. Crosby and Seattle’s Jason Myers are the only kickers in the NFL to not miss a field goal this season.
“I thought he was going to make it and that was going to be basically for the win,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “I don’t believe he’s missed a field goal this year. That’s incredible. He’s so reliable; he has been for so many years for us. I just love him. I’ve been locker-mates with him on road games for so many years now, and I just consider him a close friend but someone who’s just so reliable and love having him on our team. He’s made some really big kicks over the years. He’s always had a little gray in his hair but he’s got a lot of gray in his hair now and still has such a big leg and can make it from way back.”
Then, Crosby helped save a touchdown by tackling Jamal Agnew after a 71-yard return of the ensuing kickoff. It wound up being a four-point play because the Lions had to settle for a field goal.
“He obviously hasn’t kicked the way he wants to in this building,” Adams said. “I’m sure that jumped to the forefront of his mind running out there. It says a lot about him, just the mind-set to say let’s move past whatever happened before, focus on this and get it done because my team needs me. We obviously needed that. That was big. To see him come through and make this one right now, it just shows you what he’s all about.”
