Crossbar Crosby’s Still Got Some Leg

Mason Crosby’s unlikely 56-yard field goal was the longest by a Packers player in Lambeau Field history.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Because of declining leg strength, Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby wasn’t supposed to kick off on Sunday. That made the circumstances around his 56-yard field goal against the Vikings even more incredible.

On the final play of the first half, Crosby’s long-distance blast hit the crossbar and ricocheted between the uprights. The crowd erupted as the Packers ran into the halftime locker room with a 27-3 lead.

“You’ve got to have a little luck every once in a while,” Crosby said after a 41-17 victory. “I hit a good enough ball that whatever happened in that situation, I knew I hit it the way I needed to. Very happy it. It was a fun moment.”

Fun and unexpected.

On Saturday, the Packers elevated Ramiz Ahmed from the practice squad to handle kickoffs. Of 32 qualifying kickers, Crosby entered the game ranked last in average distance, hangtime and touchback percentage. That meant there would be no avoiding the Vikings’ premier kickoff returner, Kene Nwangwu.

However, Ahmed injured a groin during pregame warmups.

“You can’t make that up,” coach Matt LaFleur said with a smile.

All that is a backdrop to what happened at the end of the first half. After Minnesota’s Greg Joseph – he of the 61-yarder to beat the Giants last week – missed a 50-yarder, Green Bay took possession at its 40-yard line with 36 seconds remaining and no timeouts.

Aaron Rodgers completed passes to Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan to get the ball to Minnesota’s 38 with 4 seconds to go. Crosby hadn’t made a 50-yarder in a game all season and was good to 52 yards during pregame.

“I was talking to Aaron about a Hail Mary in that situation, and Mason’s already at midfield,” LaFleur said. “So, I’m like, all right, he’s got the confidence, let him go.”

Crosby’s field goal was the longest by a Packers kicker in Lambeau Field history.

In the chill of January.

By a 38-year-old.

By a kicker who’s lost some of his power.

“I had looked and every year in my career I’ve had a 50-plus-yarder and I hadn’t had one,” Crosby said. “I’ve missed two long ones this year. I didn’t expect that that was going to be the moment that I was going to hit a long one here in this game in January, but the work that’s been put in and the execution of the whole operation and the trust we have there, I was able to load up and go.

“It’s really special to be able to knock one like that through in a game like this and keep our momentum going there right at the end of the half, as we’re getting the ball back and we’re able to try to jump on them even more. That was special.”

Crosby’s field goal was part of an eventful day for Green Bay’s special teams. The first punt of the day was blocked but Keisean Nixon returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. Crosby’s seven kickoffs included two touchbacks as Minnesota’s average start after a kickoff was the 30-yard line – not good but not terrible.

“Our guys, they had a couple that I didn’t kick great [and] we let them sneak through on a couple coverages,” Crosby said, “but, otherwise, I feel like our guys are flying around and covering with their hair on fire, which is fun to see.”

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