Ravens Players Take Blame for Justin Tucker

The Baltimore Ravens' entire field goal unit, not just kicker Justin Tucker, knows it must be better.

Nov 3, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) greeted by placeholder Jordan Stout (11) following his fourth quarter field goal against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Few storylines surrounding the Baltimore Ravens this season have been more surprising, or concerning, than the performance of future Hall of Fame kicker Justin Tucker.

Tucker, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, has been uncharacteristically off this season. He's already missed seven total kicks, six field goals and an extra point, which is already tied for his single-season high. Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was particularly rough, as Tucker missed two first-quarter field goals in an 18-16 loss.

Through it all, though, Tucker has always taken full accountability for his misses. Whenver he's asked about long snapper Nick Moore or holder Jordan Stout, Tucker has nothing but praise for them.

"Nick and Jordan are doing a good job," Tucker said Wednesday. "They're doing a good job, and whenever I miss a kick, it's because I let one get away. I've said this before; whenever we make kicks, it's because all of us are doing exactly what we need to do to make kicks."

From Moore and Stout's perspective, though, the shortcomings fall on the entire field goal unit, not just Tucker. If they are going to get back on track, then it's going to take a group effort.

"I think we're doing all we can each time to go out there and do our job. And that's all three of us – me, Nick, and Justin," Stout said. "Justin said it before, we work as a unit. There's never going to be one person that's singled out, and that's just how we are.

"I feel like when he misses, I miss too. That's how I feel about it. We are one."

Even still, Tucker's accountability is a great trait for a leader to have, and that's not lost on Moore and Stout.

"[Tucker] does a really good job of not passing blame on anybody and taking accountability for when things go awry, but like I said, the three of us are a unit, so yeah, we can all do something better," Moore said.

"Obviously, we know we can make those kicks, and we're supposed to make those kicks [to] help our team win a game. And I think from top to bottom everything starts with me, so I can always do a better job getting more consistent snap."

It's been a tough season for a unit that has essentially known nothing but success for many years, but Tucker, Moore, and Stout are all confident they'll work through this rough patch and come out better because of it.

"It shows that everyone's human," Stout said. "Nobody's perfect. Nobody. I told him yesterday, he's going to come out of this and he's going to be a hundred times the person and the kicker then he was before and he's going to be that much greater."

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