Tucker's renowned foot is failing him now
The Ravens' unparalleled kicker is still a bit lost, and the Eagles took advantage Sunday.
Justin Tucker, 35, does have a fallback position, in case you were wondering. He can sing arias in seven languages. At Texas he majored in recording technology, and voice lessons were a requirement, and one thing led to another, as it always seems to with Tucker. He began studying with Nikita Storojev, an opera singer of note, and sang Ave Maria at the Concert Artists of Baltimore in 2015.
Maybe Tucker will explore that world more closely whenever he leaves his real job, maybe he won’t. Until this year he assumed he’d always get to make that decision. He is not the only one who is stunned that his field goals keep tracking left, like a golfer with a quick backswing. “You can’t talk to a hook,” Lee Trevino once said, and Tucker, and most of the Baltimore Ravens, have been rendered speechless by this slump.
On Sunday the Ravens lost at home to the Eagles, 24-19, and Tucker missed an extra point and two field goals, a 47-yarder that went left and a 53-yarder that veered right. He did make one from 50.
When Baltimore lost at Pittsburgh, 18-16, Tucker hooked a 50-yarder and a 47-yarder, although he made one from 54. The Steelers’ Chris Boswell was 6-for-6 that day, and T.J. Watt pointedly called him “the best kicker in the league.” That, of course, was on Tucker’s business card. He came into the season with a 90.7 percent make rate on field goals, the best in NFL history, and he had been consistently brilliant for 14 years. There was no surer thing in the league than Tucker trotting onto the field after a drive stalled out. Because of him, opposing coaches got reluctant to go for fourth downs or try long field goals of their own, knowing that if they failed, Tucker would practically be within range.
Tucker has missed eight field goals this year, five of them from 50-plus. That wouldn’t be so bad, except that all the aspiring Tuckers of the world have become almost perfect themselves, and from distance. One day, one of them might surpass Tucker’s 66-yard kick in Detroit, a league record and a game-winner, in 2021, which bounced off the crossbar and got through. But all that did was make you wonder how wondrous Tucker would be if he’d spent his career under glass. He’s become a surefire Hall of Famer in the changing atmospherics of Baltimore.
After Sunday’s game, coach John Harbaugh denied that he’s considering new kickers, and Lamar Jackson called Tucker “the GOAT” and was confident Tucker “would figure it out.” And it’s not like Tucker has forgotten how. Perhaps a last-minute emergency situation would be the best thing for him. Back in 2011, when Texas and Texas A&M appeared to be playing their final game in a rivalry that was renewed just two days ago, Tucker blew out the candles with a 40-yard game-winner at the buzzer.
Tucker’s hiccups were particularly galling on Sunday because the Ravens were having a pre-playoff litmus test. Unfortunately for them, they turned green. After they led 9-0 with 3:49 left in the first quarter, they were ground down by Saquon Barkley (23 carries, 107 yards) and a Philadelphia defense that seems to get angrier each week. The Eagles held Derrick Henry to 82 yards in 19 carries — yes, that’s a “held” — and sacked Jackson three times.
Barkley got loose for a 25-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that created a 21-12 lead. Baltimore found itself in third-and-11, and when Jackson swung a pass to Henry, Eagles’ rookie Cooper DeJean careened into The King with enough force that the Eagles on the sideline began dancing and speaking in tongues. On fourth down, Tristin McCollum broke up a pass for Zay Flowers, and Philadelphia had wrapped up its eighth consecutive win.
In that streak, he Eagles have given up 10 offensive touchdowns and have a plus-9 turnover ratio. Jalen Carter is quickly becoming the most unmanageable interior defensive linemen in the league, and Zack Baun seems cosmically attached to the ball. DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, the rookie cornerbacks, have been kind to the entire operation and to the salary cap as well.
The Eagles also have a placekicker, Jake Elliott, who has had occasional trouble keeping the ball between the posts. He seems to have put those problems aside. As for Tucker, he took full responsibility for Sunday’s loss. There’s no room in this job for a diva, or any sort of vibrato either.
Otherwise:
Minnesota 23, Arizona 22
— The Vikings (10-2) remain the NFC’s version of the Chiefs, masters of illusion, and experts in winning when they’re outplayed. They never led until Sam Darnold threw a 5-yard touchdown to Aaron Jones with 1:18 left, capping a 70-yard drive in which Darnold hit Justin Jefferson with a 12-yarder on fourth-and-five. The Cardinals’ last response ended when Kyler Murray, under pressure, threw an interception to Shaq Griffin.
— Arizona (6-6) outgained Minnesota, on the road, by 133 yards and had the ball for nearly 36 minutes. A 1-for-6 performance in the red zone made the difference. Tight end Trey McBride had a 12-catch game for the second consecutive week, on 12 targets, and former Seattle first-round draft pick L.J. Collier had two of the Cardinals’ five sacks. Linebacker Mack Wilson also had two.
— The Cardinals led 19-6 after a TD pass from Murray to Marvin Harrison, but Darnold struck quickly with a 70-yard drive and a scoring pass to Johnny Mundt. A grounding penalty on Murray forced Arizona to kick a field goal, giving Minnesota the opening to take the lead. The game accentuated Minnesota’s survival instincts but also Arizona’s improvement in the second year of coach Jonathan Gannon’s tenure.
Pittsburgh 44, Cincinnati 38
— The Wilsons had another big Sunday for the Steelers. Rookie Peyton Wilson recovered Joe Burrow’s fumble and scored for a 41-24 lead. Quarterback Russell Wilson piled up 414 passing yards and three touchdowns. Both Wilsons played at North Carolina State, although Russell spent his final collegiate year at Wisconsin.
— Cincinnati’s defense has slipped noticeably, and the Steelers romped for 520 yards and had ten plays of 20 or more yards. R. Wilson completed 29 of 36 passes, using 10 different receivers, and Pittsburgh (9-3) didn’t punt until the fourth quarter.
— Joe Burrow continued to fight through non-support and pain in Cincinnati. He was sacked four times but hit 28 of 38 for 309 yards and three touchdowns, and Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins caught 11 for 155 yards. But the Steelers kept Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati’s top sacker, away from R. Wilson, and got five quarterback hits of their own from T.J. Watt.
Buffalo 38, San Francisco 10
— Talk about dashing through the snow. The Bills (10-2) ran 38 times for 220 yards, and James Cook snowboarded 65 yards for a touchdown. Josh Allen only had to toss 17 passes and even had time to catch a seven-yard lateral from Amari Cooper for a score.
— Conditions weren’t ideal for pass rushers but the 49ers didn’t sack Allen and hit him only once. Of course, Nick Bosa was still on their elongated injury list, along with offensive linemen Trent Williams and Aaron Banks and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Now Christian McCaffrey is back on the shelf after taking a spill and injuring his PCL. Coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey is likely out for the year.
— The 49ers’ tour of the north country included losses to Green Bay and Buffalo by a combined score of 73-20. They are 5-7 and fading. The Bills have now won seven games in a row and have scored at least 30 points in their past six. When they score more than 20, they’re perfect.
L.A. Chargers 17, Atlanta 13
— This was an impressive win for the Chargers (8-4), who played Baltimore on Monday night and traveled three time zones to meet a team that was coming off a bye. The Chargers only managed 187 yards but were strong on third down defense (11 denials in 14 situations) and got a 61-yard interception return from rookie Tarheeb Still, a fifth-round rookie from Maryland. That put L.A. ahead 17-10, and Derwin James came up with the Chargers’ fourth interception to clinch it.
— Atlanta (6-6) found an unforeseen pass rush and sacked Justin Herbert five times, with Arnold Ebiketie getting two. The Falcons were dead last in sacks coming in. Jim Harbaugh opened the door early in the fourth quarter by trying a fake punt in his own territory, and Kevin King stopped it for the Falcons. But Marcus Maye intercepted Cousins in the end zone to provide a reprieve. The Chargers only had two first downs in the second half.
— Cousins’ four picks, two by Still, drove his passer rating down to a dismal 40.0. He tried 16 passes to Drake London and completed only nine. Aside from a 60-yard pass play to Ray Ray McCloud, the Falcons had no play longer than 22 yards. Herbert went to rookie Ladd McConkey for nine of his 17 completions and for 117 of his 150 yards, as his receivers’ inability to separate themselves led to Atlanta’s sacks.
Seattle 26, N.Y. Jets 21
— Their city has been waiting for the Seahawks to take over the NFC West, and this arduous win boosted them into first place at 7-5. Zac Charbonnet’s eight-yard touchdown was the go-ahead score with 5:37 left on a drive that featured four New York penalties, including a horse-collar call on Solomon Thomas on a fourth-and-one. The Jets spent most of the rest of the game driving, but Leonard Williams’ sack sabotaged their effort.
— Williams, who was drafted fourth overall by the Jets, had quite an afternoon. The Jets were up 21-7 and on Seattle’s 8-yard-line when Williams picked off Aaron Rodgers and huffed and puffed 92 yards for a score. “I was looking for someone to pitch it to,” he said. Williams also had two sacks.
— Rodgers threw two touchdowns in the first quarter and wound up 21 for 39 for 195 yards, and Kene Nwangnu streaked 99 yards on a kickoff return. Will McDonald had four hits on Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, but the ex-Jet went 20 for 31 with no interceptions.
L.A. Rams 21, New Orleans 14
— Kyren Williams has all 10 of the Rams’ rushing touchdowns, including one on Sunday. He creased the Saints for 106 yards in 15 carries, as Darren Rizzi lost his first game in his third try as New Orleans’ interim coach.
— The Saints (4-8) tied it 14-14 early in the fourth quarter, but they got overanxious on the Rams’ next drive. A neutral zone infraction by Chase Young kept the drive going, and then Alontae Taylor committed pass interference on Puca Nacua down the sideline. Matthew Stafford sidearmed a swing pass to Nacua and he scored a 7-yard touchdown. The Rams are 6-6 and are 4-3 when Nacua and Cooper Kupp are both healthy, and that includes an overtime loss at Detroit in the opener.
— It was decided by red zone efficiency, as games often are. The Rams were 3 for 3 an the Saints 0 for 2. One of the Saints’ drives was truncated by a chop block penalty on Trevor Penning. The other died after a fourth down sack from Rams’ rookie Jared Verse at game’s end.
Washington 42, Tennessee 18
–= The Commanders (7–5) pulled hard on the ripcord in hopes of breaking a 3-game losing streak. They led 28-0 four minutes into the second quarter, before the Titans got their second first down. Brian Robinson had a 40-yard touchdown run, and Jayden Daniels had his best game in a while, going 25-for-30 for three scores, two to Terry McLaurin. The Commanders also hogged the ball for 40 minutes, 13 seconds.
— Even though they weren’t on the field much, the Washington defenders had nine quarterback hits and three tackles for loss. The Titans only ran the ball 11 times and got only one first down on the ground, and Will Levis only completed 18 of 37 passes, although he did find emerging star Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for two touchdowns. Twelve penalties didn’t help the Titans, who sank to 3-9.
— Daniels was 14 for 15 in the first half, but the best indication that he’s overcoming the effects of broken ribs was his ability to run nine times for 34 yards and a score. It was the first time Washington had scored 21 points in the first quarter since 2015.
Houston 23, Jacksonville 20
— Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair led all the game highlights with the forearm he launched to the head of Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who had begun a slide after a six-yard gain. Al-Shaair was immediately jumped by cornerback Jarrian Jones, who came off the Jacksonville bench, and the two teams had a serious tussle. Al-Shaair was confronted by tackle Brandon Scherff and receiver Evan Engram as well. Lawrence wasn’t taken to a hospital but was immediately ruled out with a concussion.
— That happened in the second quarter, and Mac Jones had his best game as a Jaguar in relief of Lawrence. He threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cut a 17-point deficit to three, and hit 20 of 32 passes for 235 yards. The Texans got the ball back with 2:31 to go and ran Joe Mixon five consecutive times to bleed the clock.
— Second-year man Parker Washington caught six balls for 103 yards for the Jaguars. For the Texans, Mixon ran 20 times for 101 yards and Nico Collins had his best game since a mid-season injury, catching eight for 119. C.J. Stroud’s passer rating of 95.5 was his best in six weeks.
Tampa Bay 26, Carolina 23 (OT)
— This was almost the best win of Bryce Young’s pro career. In nine plays he took the Panthers 60 yards and threw a 25-yard touchdown to Adam Thielen to put Carolina ahead, 23-20 with 0:36 left. But Baker Mayfield, another first-overall draft pick, had all three time outs left, and he immediately hit Mike Evans for 17 yards. A scramble and two other completions allowed Chase McLaughlin to convert the tying 51-yard field goal. Then Chuba Hubbard fumbled in overtime to Tampa Bay’s YaYa Diaby, Mayfield found Evans again for 21 yards, and McLaughlin won it with a 30-yard kick.
— Tampa Bay (6-6) tied Atlanta for the NFC West lead, although the Falcons have two wins head-to-head. The Bucs are being rewarded for drafting Mar’Kiese “Bucky” Irving in the fourth round. Irving played collegiately at Minnesota and Oregon and was considered a top prospect, but had a below-average combine and slipped. He has run for touchdowns in four consecutive games and, on Sunday, ran for 152 yards, 116 of them in the second half.
— Carolina (3-9) had four sacks and stopped Tampa Bay on 10 of 12 third-down conversions, and Young went 26 for 46 for 298 yards and no interceptions. He also has reconnected with Thielen, the 34-year-old who caught eight passes for 99 yards.
Indianapolis 25, New England 24
— Anthony Richardson had just lofted a 3-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce to get the Colts to within 24-23, and coach Shane Steichen had no interest in overtime. He let Richardson fake a fly sweep handoff and then charge to the 2-point conversion that boosted the Colts to 6-7 and kept them within sight of the playoffs. Richardson threw a couple of interceptions and was only 12 for 24, but he’s been finding ways to prosper lately, as the Colts won a game in which they were outgained 422-253.
— Drake Maye, the Pats’ rookie quarterback, created a 24-17 lead on a 54-yard drive that ended with Antonio Gibson’s 11-yard TD run. On the play before, Maye had thrown a scoring pass to Kendrick Bourne that was nullified by Demario Douglas’ illegal shift. New England got the ball back but Nick Cross sacked Maye on third down, and Richardson got the ball back with 5:34 left and didn’t relinquish it until the winning score with 0:12 left.
— Maye was 24 for 30 for 238 yards and also had a 41-yard run, and Rhamondre Stevenson ran 18 times for 73 yards. New England (3-10) was undone by a 2-for-6 performance in the red zone.