Justin Tucker Struggles Continue to Doom Winning Chances for Ravens
This season has been quite a shaky campaign to watch for the Baltimore Ravens, and it does seem that the team is far from actually making the big strides that they were expected to make after topping the AFC last season. However, it cannot be denied that Justin Tucker’s struggles in his games have affected their chances so far.
Considering how the Ravens are falling behind the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, and the Los Angeles Chargers in the race to the top of the AFC, this is starting to be quite a pressing concern as the team seeks to get back on track before they enter the December grind of the season.
At this point, it is easy to say that Tucker’s struggles in coming up with the clutch kicks has proven to be pivotal in their chances of winning so far, and this just shows how they need him to get back into his form – put up impressive performances and help them get back to the top of the AFC at this point in time.
Ravens Still Hoping for the Best
While many fans were clamoring to have Tucker traded and come up with a promising kicker to replace him. However, it seems that the Ravens are not having any of it as they seek to give him a chance to get back on his groove in the coming games. The struggles haven’t been working in favor for the Ravens, and this says a lot about their chances of winning in the next few games.
According to head coach John Harbaugh, the team’s perspective is to keep on putting Tucker on the kicker spot and help him get back to his groove, and that seems to be the promising note that they are getting into for now with the hopes of getting back to their winning pace this season.
"The best option right now is to get Justin back on point because he is fully capable of doing it," Harbaugh said, of their plans on Tucker’s kicking slump. "We certainly haven't lost any confidence in Justin Tucker. He's going to get it figured out. We have coaches. We have technique. We look at the tape. He's practicing well. He's got to kick it straight."
Tucker has been one of the best performers for the Ravens over the years. He has seen a lot of impressive action with a decade of success under his belt, and it does seem that the Ravens are hoping for the best in his campaign.
Confidence Still on Top
The doubts on Tucker’s game isn’t based on Sunday’s performance, where he missed two big field goals in a stunning two-point loss to their rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. His lackluster performance robbed the Ravens of two possessions where they could have scored key points to win big in their game that time.
"I'm still confident I'm going to go out there and nail every single kick," Tucker said of his struggles. "Part of the way we stay confident is by continuing to work and trust the process, and I know that sounds like ... I might sound like a broken record, but it's a part of what brings us success - is just trusting the process and then taking it one kick at a time.”
So far, Tucker is in the worst season of his entire NFL career – just converting below 73% in 11 weeks. Initially, Tucker is seen as one of the best kickers in the history of the NFL thanks to his accuracy, but the recent struggles have made him an unreliable option, if not liability on the field. But that hasn’t deterred Tucker’ confidence, who seek to make the best of his chances so far.