Justin Tucker Not Making Excuses for Missed Kicks
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens kicker Justin Tucker stared in disbelief as his attempted 41-yard field goal pinged off the left upright in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs against the Buffalo Bills.
It was clearly not the Ravens' night when Tucker's second kick caromed off the right upright on a 46-yard attempt.
It was the first time that Tucker missed two field-goal attempts from 50 yards or shorter over his nine-year entire career.
Tucker eventually converted a 34-yard field goal late in the first half, which wound up being the Ravens' only points in the 17-3 loss.
Tucker usually knows when the kick will be accurate and soon as the ball leaves his foot and he felt good about the kicks in Buffalo up until they missed by a few inches.
"I really wouldn't change anything technically, but that doesn't make me feel any better," Tucker said on a Zoom call the following day.
Bills kicker Tyler Bass also missed two field-goal attempts in the swirling wind.
Tucker was not offering any excuses for the miscues.
"My individual performance last night was also disappointing to me as well," Tucker said. "At the end of the day, I am really proud of this team, this organization, how we battled through a lot of adversity this season."
Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history. He converted 26 of 29 field-goal attempts during the regular season.
However, this postseason was particularly unkind as Tucker also missed a 52-yard field goal attempt in the Ravens 20-13 victory over the Titans in the wild-card round.
Despite the recent hiccups, the Ravens are grateful to have Tucker in their locker room. The players recognized the challenges of kicking in Buffalo on a cold, windy night.
“I think the weather played a big factor in that – just the wind," Ravens tight end <ark Andrews said. "Especially away from the tunnel, the wind was crazy, and I think that wind pretty much helped him miss a few kicks. ‘Tuck’ [Justin Tucker] is the greatest kicker to ever play this game.
"I’ve got a lot of respect for him. His job isn’t easy, let alone, easy to be consistent. And he’s done everything he’s needed to do over the past nine years – however long he’s been playing – and he’s just the best in the league at it.”
