Justin Tucker, widely regarded as one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers, is facing a rare slump, but the Baltimore Ravens are sticking by him. Despite two missed field goals in Sunday’s 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach John Harbaugh expressed full confidence in Tucker on Monday.
“The best option is to get Justin back on point,” Harbaugh said, via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “We certainly haven’t lost any confidence in Justin. He’s definitely our best option.”
Tucker, who joined the Ravens in 2012 and has become a cornerstone of their lineup, uncharacteristically missed from 47 and 50 yards in the first half against Pittsburgh. Either of those kicks could have been the difference in the tight AFC North matchup. Meanwhile, Steelers kicker Chris Boswell went a perfect 6-for-6, accounting for all of Pittsburgh’s points in the victory.
This season has been challenging for Tucker. He has now missed six field goals, equaling his total for last season, and last week, he missed his first extra point of the year. One more missed field goal would tie the worst season of his career. Additionally, Tucker has fallen slightly behind Eddy Pineiro on the league’s all-time accuracy leaderboard.
Despite these struggles, Tucker remains resolute. “I’m still confident I’m going to go out there and nail every single kick,” Tucker said after Sunday’s game. “Part of the way we stay confident is by continuing to work and trust the process. I might sound like a broken record, but it’s a part of what brings us success — just trusting the process and then taking it one kick at a time.”
The Ravens’ loss dropped them to 7-4, two games behind the Steelers in the AFC North standings. As the team prepares to face the Los Angeles Chargers next Monday night, Harbaugh emphasized the importance of Tucker finding his form.
“Tuck needs to make kicks. He knows that, that’s important,” Harbaugh said, reported by CBS News. “He makes them in practice, and he made the long one later, which was good to see — which means he’s still very capable. Kick them straight, we’ll be good.”
For now, Baltimore’s faith in their veteran kicker remains unshaken as they aim to rebound and stay competitive in a tight playoff race.