Anders Carlson was hoping for another chance, but the Green Bay Packers kicker would have to consider missing a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter as he heads into the offseason after Jordan Love intercepted him during the game’s last drive in the team’s NFC divisional round loss to the host San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night.
With 6:18 remaining, the kick would have given the Packers a seven-point lead if it had gone through the uprights; however, Christian McCaffrey’s touchdown for San Francisco with 1:07 remaining would have only knotted the game at 24.
Rather, it was plenty for the 49ers to win 24-21 in a sodden Levi’s Stadium, bringing the Packers’ season to an end in Santa Clara, California.
The Packers’ coach, Matt LaFleur, said, “I felt like we had plenty of opportunities to kind of put the game out of reach and unfortunately just didn’t do enough.” “There were many chances, but it’s never just one play, because I’m sure the missed field goal will play a big part in it. You may return and score six points from three red zone chances in the first half. There are several plays that, should one play go differently, would most likely result in a different outcome at this time.
For Carlson, an Auburn rookie, the outcomes had often been the same. Including the playoffs, it was his 13th failed kick (field goal or extra point) this season. With three more misses than any other kicker, it was the most in the NFL.
Carlson seemed to have a late opportunity to equalize the score for a brief period of time. When Love completed his second interception of the game on a long ball across the field that linebacker Dre Greenlaw picked up, the Packers gained one first down and needed to go roughly twenty to twenty-five yards to get inside Carlson’s range.
Love, who had thrown 21 touchdowns and only one interception in his previous nine games, claimed he probably could have survived to fight another play instead of going deep for Christian Watson on that game-winning ball.
“After giving it some thought, I would say toss it away,” Love said. Love completed 21 of 34 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. “I’m not sure whether I had the chance to sprint and perhaps go out of bounds. But it cost us to shove it over the centre late—a deadly sin. I will therefore give it some thought, but that is precisely the kind of thing I can consider, learn from, and improve upon in the future.”
Carlson expressed his desire for another kick.
“Obviously, it didn’t pan out the way we wanted it to,” he said. “After each kick, I just stayed ready for the next one, and there wasn’t another one.”
The Packers maintained throughout the season that despite Carlson’s setbacks, they would not give up on him because of the skill that convinced general manager Brian Gutekunst to choose him with a sixth-round choice. In ten of the remaining twelve games for the Packers, including the playoffs, Carlson missed kicks.
When asked about Carlson’s fate, LaFleur said, “I’m not sure. We ought to have corrected it if we had the solution, don’t you think? I guess I simply need to focus on being more consistent. He’s shown it to us. We are aware of his potential, but in this league, consistency is essential for survival.”
The wind had no bearing on Carlson’s last attempt, which went wide left. Carlson is the younger brother of Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson.
“No, I mean, the flag showed right to left, and I played it right to left,” Carlson said. “I just need to have a better hit next time.”
The Packers selected Carlson in the draft to take Mason Crosby’s spot as the team’s top scorer. For what would have been Crosby’s 17th season in Green Bay, they decided not to re-sign him. Before the New York Giants signed him late in the season, Crosby spent the bulk of the season out of the league.
This summer, Gutekunst must choose whether to add competition for Carlson.
Although Carlson acknowledged that he has been “inconsistent,” he claimed there was no pattern among his misses this season. Carlson was 29 of 36 on field goals and 41 of 47 on extra points, including the playoffs.
Carlson said, “I think there’s a lot to learn.” “Seeing these people makes me uncomfortable because I know how much work they put in. All I want to do is place them as best I can. just working for them and keeping them in mind.”
