GREEN BAY, Wis. — In late August, the day he claimed Brayden Narveson off waivers, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst acknowledged his approach to kickers and punters.
“I’m probably not as patient with experts as I should be,” Gutekunst said on Aug. 28.
Narveson knows he is testing Gutekunst’s patience. In fact, the rookie kicker wondered if his manager had run out of patience with him after he missed two field goals in last Sunday’s 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
“Honestly, in most places, you don’t know if you’re going to be able to come back after a game like that or even get a chance to play all week,” Narveson said Wednesday. “I’m very grateful for that and I’m going to take that as a sign of gratitude and congratulations and prepare well this week.
“A lot of people are probably looking down on me right now. I accept that and instead of proving people wrong, I want to show that the people who believed in me were right. I intend to prove it.”
No kicker has missed more field goals this season than Narveson’s four. In the season opener against the Eagles, he missed from 43 yards to wide right, and in Week 2 against the Colts, he missed from 45 yards to wide right. Against the Vikings, he hit the right upright from 37 yards and wide right from 49 yards. Officially, he’s 9-of-13, but that doesn’t include another mistake in Week 3 at Tennessee that was erased by a Titans penalty.
“I felt like I was at rock bottom during the game,” Narveson said of Sunday’s two failures. “I felt it. I’m almost in a bad place mentally right now. I’m a bastard. That’s the kind of guy I am. I’m going to go out there and put some kicks in. That’s the way it is.” About that this week I’m thinking. ”
On Tuesday, Gutekunst brought in Chad Rylan and Lukas Havrisik for workouts, but did not sign either. Rylan was signed to the Cardinals’ practice squad on Wednesday. Gutekunst is also joined on the practice squad by Alex Hale, a member of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. But at this point, it doesn’t look like the Packers are ready to go with him.
The Packers are in this position because they moved on from last year’s kicker, rookie Anders Karlsson. After a hot start, Karlsson has missed kicks in 10 of his last 12 games, including a 41-yard shot in the fourth quarter of a playoff loss to the 49ers. Gutekunst waived Karlsson at the end of training camp this summer, initially keeping veteran Greg Joseph. However, when Narveson became available on waivers, they released Joseph, who had made 5 of 6 field goals since joining the Giants in Week 3.
The good news for Narveson is that all of his misses went to the right. He says this happens when your feet are too wide and your aim is too far to the right.
“We could all see the same thing. It was very clear,” Narveson said. “That’s something you don’t do in practice. If you just be a little more careful and really hone and modify your process, your steps and your preparation, you’ll be ready.”
Coach Matt LaFleur remains a strong supporter of Narveson, at least publicly, having seen it from the kicker in practice.
“But you get it. He’s got to perform. We expect him to kick as well,” LaFleur said this week. “We have to make sure we get that piece, we have to make sure his routine is correct and he has to be able to self-correct as well. If we miss something, we have to make sure we get it done. Don’t make the same mistake twice. ”
