OTL: Will Justin Tucker Get It Turned Around?

Willie Mays.

My father loved to bring up baseball legend Willie Mays whenever an older athlete would sign on for another year of play or make a mistake on the field.

“I just remember watching Willie Mays stumble around the outfield when he was with the Mets,” my dad would say. “I wish he would have hung’em up earlier. Better to go too soon than too late.”

It’s easy to say that, right? To sit back and fire away missiles at people we don’t know, who are going through situations to which we aren’t privy.

There’s a lot of talk around Flockville, USA lately concerning Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, and if maybe he has left his best days in the rearview. Some suggest it’s a mechanical issue. Others? It’s the holder, and things haven’t been quite right since Sam Koch hung up his holding fingers for good. Some others believe Tucker has developed a case of the dreaded “yips,” and has a mental issue blocking his process.

And, to be honest, it could be any of those things, right?

The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec wrote an insightful piece on the issue, and where Tucker and the team are in terms of straightening things out, hopefully sooner than later.

“Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, has missed field goals in three consecutive games for the first time in his career,” wrote Zrebiec. “He’s now 5-for-8 on the season and has missed six of his last seven from 50-plus yards dating back to last year. Tucker’s struggles have been exacerbated by the success kickers have had against the Ravens and around the league. Opposing kickers are 8-for-8 against Baltimore, with four of those from beyond 50 yards. Those makes and Tucker’s misses have loomed large in two one-score losses.”

Zrebiec weighed in that a mechanical issue, which Tucker claims to be the problem, would be a lot easier to fix than a mental one.

“A technique issue is one thing,” Zrebiec wrote. “Tucker is a maniacal worker, and senior special teams coach Randy Brown has long been one of the league’s top kicking gurus. They should be able to make those tweaks. A confidence issue would be a bigger problem entirely. Tucker has proven to be one of the toughest-minded players the Ravens have, but he’s never been through a stretch like this. As great as he’s been, there’s been plenty of cases around the league of top kickers fading from the elite fast.”

For his part, Tucker says the blame for the kicking operation falls on him, per Zrebiec’s piece.

“Everybody else is doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing,” Tucker said. “It’s on me.”

Another issue that is frustrating Ravens’ fans, players and coaches is the defense’s inability to stop the passing game, particularly when the team has a lead and everybody in the building knows the opponent is passing.

“The easiest place to complete passes is in the middle of the field,” Harbaugh said, per Zrebiec. “You have to get between the quarterback and the football, and we’re not doing a good job of that. We have to put a stop to it.”

Zrebiec pointed out that, while many are putting the blame on new Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr and the team’s growing pains in adapting to his defense, several members of last year’s successful defensive coaching staff moved on to new opportunities this offseason. That has to make an impact, too.

Christian Marshall discussed the issue, as well, on The Athlon.

Marshall believes the Ravens corners are giving up too much space at the snap, allowing receivers to get in and out of their breaks far too easily.

“With the Ravens holding a late lead, it is concerning to have your corners close to the line and in danger of getting burned,” he wrote. “But the Ravens have talented corners in Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, and Nate Wiggins with athletic safeties behind them; they should be trusted to not give up big plays, rather than accepting giving up smaller plays without stopping them.”

For the record, I’m on this same page. You spent a lot of resources on this backfield. Trust it to make plays.

They don’t have Rashaan Melvin, Jeromy Miles and Darian Stewart back there. Let these guys cover.

Also of note:

Jackson Earns ‘Elite’ Ranking Despite Team’s Slow Start | SI

No one wants to stand next to @KingHenry_2 on picture day

Watch WIRED tonight at 8 p.m.: https://t.co/grG7Bwopwu pic.twitter.com/DmdMgduGLA

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 25, 2024

We had to hop on this trend @dunkindonuts pic.twitter.com/XUJXLy4URu

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 25, 2024

The post OTL: Will Justin Tucker Get It Turned Around? appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2024/09/26/out-to-lunch/justin-tucker-slump/