GREEN BAY, Wis.— He's the all-time leading scorer in Packers history: Kicker Mason Crosby once again showed his value last Sunday in Detroit.
Even after a penalty pushed the Packers back, Crosby felt he could make a 57-yard field goal. He was right.
“I did kind of put myself on the line a little bit, because I told Coach I felt good about it. It was a little bit outside of the line we had set and I was just jacked up. We did a great job of snap, hold, protect and I was able to knock it through. It was an opportunity to go up two scores and I felt good about how I was kicking the ball at that time.”
On the ensuing kickoff, Crosby ended up making a tackle to prevent a touchdown.
“I have a competitive spirit. If the guy’s running and he’s kind of breaking free there, I’m the eleventh man there on the kickoff team. I kind of play like a free safety and flow with it and whenever I have that opportunity I’m going to try to get him as close to the sideline, not let him cut back and then just take the shot where I can.”
Crosby is in his fourteenth season with the Packers. He was drafted in 2007. Aaron Rodgers had already been in Green Bay for two seasons.
The duo has formed a special bond.
"It’s been amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better teammate, a better friend, a guy that sets such a great example of what it is to put in the work and be a pro every day. I get to have a front-row seat to his excellence on Sundays," Crosby said.
“It’s been a blast. I really have a lot of admiration and respect for him. He’s such a great guy. The kickers, punters, and snappers are the oddballs sometimes of the group. He’s just such a consistent guy. He’s a really fun guy to be around. We’ve played a lot of golf over the years. He’s been a great Packer in the community," Rodgers said.
The Panthers are expected to be without star running back Christian McCaffery Saturday night because of a thigh injury.