Justin Tucker is off to the worst start of his career this far this season.
The Baltimore Ravens kicker has missed three of eight field goal attempts through three games, including both attempts over 50 yards. In Sunday's 28-25 win, he shanked a 46-yarder that helped allow the Dallas Cowboys to make things interesting late. All three misses have gone wide left.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on Monday dismissed concerns about his 34-year-old kicker (who will turn 35 in November).
"For Justin, it's just a technique issue right now that he's working through," the coach said. "He's got a technique thing going on. He'll work through it. He knows exactly what it is. He just needs to smooth it back out, and I'm very confident that he will."
Heading into Monday night's two games, Tucker's 62.5% field goal rate is dead-last among 29 qualifying kickers in the NFL.
Sunday afternoon's win in Dallas marked the 1-2 Ravens' first victory of the season. It was also the moment the metaphorical "Best Kicker in the Game" torch was officially passed from Tucker to Brandon Aubrey. We'd known for a year that Aubrey was the best kicker in the league, but having both players on the field confirmed it. Aubrey calmly nailed a 65-yard boot with room to spare. Meanwhile, Tucker, the NFL record-holder (66 yards), continued to struggle.
Tucker's issues began last year despite voters still putting him in the Pro Bowl. He went just 1-of-5 from 50-plus yards in 2023.
Harbaugh on Monday was asked about his chats with the man who's been his kicker for 13 seasons.
"We've been together for a long time, have had a lot of conversations," Harbaugh said. "We know each other. That was just two guys talking about where we're at. I just love the guy, respect him. He's everything you want in a player and a friend. That was really the basis of that."
If Tucker's technique issues persist, the question is how long Harbaugh will trust his friend, particularly with kicks from 50-plus.
