Mason Crosby has missed 12 of 29 field-goal attempts this season for the Green Bay Packers, including 12 of his last 24.
In today's NFL, that's a stunning level of failure, and yet coach Mike McCarthy maintained his support in his kicker.
McCarthy isn't blind to the fact that his unwavering faith in Crosby could make it appear the Packers possess a sliding scale when it comes to accountability.
"That's a great question for the locker room," McCarthy said Monday, via the Packers' official website. "I'm not going to sit here and act like everybody is not watching how the situation is being handled.
"No one is happy with the number of kicks Mason has missed."
McCarthy and Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum watched Crosby all week during practice and Sunday in pregame warmups. Crosby missed two low-difficulty attempts in a 21-13 win over the Chicago Bears, convincing the coaches the problem is all upstairs.
"He kicked fluidly, he made the field goals in pregame, made all of his field goals last week in practice, and looked good doing it," Slocum said. "I think (the struggling) indicates that he's fighting to do it right."
Green Bay's faith here is more about philosophy than player. They drafted and developed Crosby, signed him to a five-year, $14.75 million contract last year, and they believe that investment requires patience. The Packers are taking a risk by sticking to Crosby, but there's at least a method to their madness.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
