Ravens Defend Justin Tucker After Steelers Loss

The Baltimore Ravens' future Hall of Fame kicker finds himself in an unprecedented slump.

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks a field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

For the first time in ages, the Baltimore Ravens have significant questions at kicker.

Justin Tucker, once the most accurate kicker in NFL history and a future Hall of Famer, has played nowhere near his standard this season. In just 11 games, he's missed six field goals - already more than he did all of last season and tied for the second-highest in his 13-year career, and an extra point. He's also missed all of them the exact same way: wide left.

Tucker hit a new low in Sunday's 18-16 loss to the PIttsburgh Steelers, missing from 47 and 50 yards out in the first quarter. If just one of those kicks went through the uprights, it's a completely different game.

He did make a 54-yard field goal, his second-longest of the season, later on for a bit of redemption, but it was still a day to forget for the seven-time Pro Bowler.

Despite Tucker's struggles this season, the Ravens still have full confidence in him and expect him to return to form sooner rather than later.

"The best option right now is to get Justin [Tucker] back on point, because he's fully capable of doing it," head coach John Harbaugh said. "[We] certainly haven't lost any confidence in Justin Tucker. You saw that on the 54-yarder that we sent him out for, and he drilled it. So that's the Justin Tucker that he wants to see [and] that we all want to see on every kick.

"He's definitely our best option, and he's going to make a lot of kicks – I really believe that – going forward. But it's up to him. It's up to him and the guys he works with every day to make those balls go straight."

Harbaugh was asked about potentially bringing in some competition for Tucker, but quickly shut the idea down. At this point in the season, finding another capable kicker would be extremely difficult, so it's best to weather the storm like Harbaugh said.

"At this point? No. No, there's no thought to that. You have to find that competition first if you're going to be blunt about it. Where is that competition? That would be one thing. ... Competition right now, at this time, no that's not something we'd want for Justin. We just have to compete to get better and make those kicks."

The Ravens have had the luxury of the best kicker in football for over a decade now, but now that Tucker's not performing at that level, it's rough sledding for them. What they do over the offseason may be more interesting, but for now, Tucker is still the guy in Baltimore.

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