Sunday was a day to forget for Mason Crosby, even if the performance stays embedded within the collective mind of Green Bay Packers fans for quite awhile.
The Packers kicker missed four field goals and an extra-point attempt in the team's 31-23 loss to the Detroit Lions. The typically very reliable Crosby missed attempts from 41, 42, 38 and 56 yards in the kicker-friendly conditions of the domed Ford Field. He kicked a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to finish 1 for 5 on the day.
The veteran kicker was as surprised as anyone by the performance.
"I've done this a long time and I've never had a game like that," Crosby told reporters after the game. "This is uncharted territory. ... That type of game has never happened to me. I'm going to evaluate it and chalk it up to an anomaly in life."
Crosby went through a slump in 2012, but since then has made 134 of 158 attempts. Speaking to reporters after the game, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a longtime friend of Crosby, didn't blame the missed kicks solely on Crosby.
"Obviously he's disappointed," Rodgers said. "I don't think he expected this. We have a ton of faith in him, he's done it for a long time, made some big kicks for us over the years. They got to clean the operation up -- the snap, hold and he's got to make them."
Crosby couldn't explain what went wrong, but said he will try to learn from the experience.
"It's a frustrating one because like I said pregame was good, I felt solid," he said. "Actually, honestly every attempt I felt like I was in a rhythm going through it. It's one of those days it just wasn't there. I've done this a long time and I've never had a day where it wasn't there like that. We'll look at it, we'll get every facet of it and [move on]."
