Justin Tucker is still struggling.
It’s gotten so bad that Tony Romo found it necessary to defend the All-Pro kicker.
On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens led the Philadelphia Eagles 3-0 in the first quarter when Lamar Jackson hit tight end Mark Andrews for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Tucker came out to kick the extra point and slammed it straight into the left upright, causing an impressively loud "doink" to reverberate throughout M&T Bank Stadium. Romo immediately jumped to the kicker's defense.
"He's been automatic his entire career,” Romo said. “You know [John] Harbaugh still trusts him but it's getting later and later in the year. I think he'll figure it out but it's getting close."
"He's been automatic his entire career. You know Harbaugh still trusts him but it's getting later and later in the year. I think he'll figure it out but it's getting close."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 1, 2024
- Tony Romo after a noisy doink from Justin Tucker. pic.twitter.com/F1jhNUM4BE
Tucker made a 34-yard field goal earlier in the game.
The 35-year-old is a seven-time Pro Bowler and an eight-time All-Pro who made the first team five times. He is one of the best kickers in NFL history, but this season has been a disaster.
Heading into the game, Tucker had made just 8-of-14 on kicks of 40 yards or more this year. He has currently made 75% of his field goals this season—the lowest mark in his career for a full season was 82.5% back in 2015.
Despite the early miss, Tucker was quick to find his footing, drilling a 50-yard field goal just before halftime to cut the Eagles’ lead to 14-12.
Justin Tucker hits a 50-yarder just before halftime.
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 1, 2024
Folks, we've got a tight one on CBS & Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/BE9NQ02wyf
Maybe Romo’s words of encouragement helped.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tony Romo Defends Justin Tucker After Another Brutal Missed Kick.