Justin Tucker's Challenging Season: A New Chapter in an Illustrious Career
For a kicker who has spent a decade as the gold standard in NFL accuracy, Baltimore Ravens' Justin Tucker finds himself navigating an unexpectedly challenging 2024 season. The man who boasts the title of the most accurate kicker in NFL history—with an impressive career success rate of 89.7%—is facing a dip in performance that has fans and analysts alike taking note.
A Season of Struggles
As of Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season, Tucker's accuracy has dropped to an uncharacteristic 79%. This marks a departure from his usually reliable form, positioning him as the seventh-worst among kickers with a minimum of ten attempts this season. By mid-November, Tucker had already missed six field goals, putting him perilously close to his career-high of seven misses in a season, set in 2015.
The downturn reached a notable point during a divisional game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to this clash, Tucker had made 15 of 19 attempts but faltered by missing two field goals in the first quarter alone—a 42-yard and a 50-yard attempt. This was particularly noteworthy as it marked the first instance in his impressive career, as well as in Ravens history, where a kicker missed two field goals in the opening quarter of a game.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Despite his struggles from longer distances, Tucker remains perfect on shorter attempts this season, successfully converting all nine of his field goal attempts from 20 to 39 yards. From 40 to 49 yards, he has managed a 4-of-6 success rate, reflecting a slight slip but still respectable. Nevertheless, the most striking downturn is in his performance beyond 50 yards where he stands at only 2-for-6 in 2024, and just 3-for-11 over the past two seasons.
Tucker's consistency has also shown through in his extra point attempts, achieving 37 out of 38 this season—a testament to his ongoing reliability in specific situations, even as other areas present uncharacteristic challenges.
Looking Forward
With six games remaining for the Ravens after their matchup against the Steelers, and a timely bye week giving Tucker a brief respite, the remainder of the season will be crucial for the veteran kicker. For Tucker, often revered for his precision and competitive spirit, the upcoming weeks offer both a challenge and an opportunity to adjust and regain his storied form.
As the Ravens seek to leverage their bye week for rest and strategizing, all eyes will be on Tucker, both from the perspective of personal redemption and his critical role in the team's aspirations. For fans and analysts alike, the expectation remains that Justin Tucker will not only overcome this period of adversity but emerge with a renewed focus and determination befitting his legacy.