Crosby Triumphs at Last Year’s House of Horrors

Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby delivered the game-winning field goal at Ford Field

DETROIT – The indelible image from the Green Bay Packers’ loss at Ford Field last season was of kicker Mason Crosby bent over in disbelief, with both hands on his helmet, after one of his five missed kicks.

The indelible image from Sunday was of Crosby bent back, his hands reaching for the heavens.

The emotions could hardly have been more different after Crosby made a 33-yard field goal on the final play of the game to send the Packers to a 23-20 victory over the Lions.

“Obviously, that’s what you hope. You hope you can have a little redemption,” Crosby said. “I felt like I got a little bit of that the first time we played them. But coming into Ford Field, gosh, for some reason it’s a tricky place. It’s a tricky place to play. I’m just happy I was able to capitalize there at the end to help this team get that bye.”

The victory earned the Packers a first-round playoff bye, giving them a week off to get ready for the divisonal round.

In Week 6, Crosby hit a chip-shot field goal on the final play to beat Detroit, a kick he celebrated with a Lambeau Leap. On Sunday, he missed a 51-yarder in the third quarter but made kicks from 40 and 33 yards in the fourth quarter. On the winner, Hunter Bradley’s snap was high but punter JK Scott pulled it down and Crosby knocked it through.

For Crosby, the kick was about more than redemption from a nightmare game played 448 days ago. Rather, it was another uplifting moment following the death of his sister-in-law, Brittany, two days before the Dec. 1 game against the Giants. Crosby made a 47-yard field goal through the snow that day and took the game ball back to his hometown of Georgetown, Texas, to be with his grieving family.

“Just so thankful,” Crosby said. “I have so much to be thankful for. My heart’s been heavy this year. Every time I step on the field, I’m carrying a lot with me, so just give praise to where it belongs. My faith has gotten me through so much this past year and so, yeah, it just means so much. And then just telling my guys, I go to Lucas Patrick, who played an awesome game and he was just dead. And all those offensive linemen were just dead, and they went out there for one more play and put it on the line. Just a special locker room, a special team and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”

In both games against Detroit, the Packers didn’t lead until the Crosby’s walk-off kicks.

“I’d like to say we talked about that during the week just to add a little drama, but we definitely have a different plan when we come into these games,” he said. “I just can’t say it enough, about how this team does not quit. We don’t let up and we find a way to finish games. That showed right there what the bye week is for us, and the fact that we’ll get a home divisional game in Lambeau, you could kind of feel it on that sideline that we knew we needed to take care of business.”

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