The Green Bay Packers’ special teams will look to build upon its ranking of 20th as kicker Mason Crosby and punter Tim Masthay return to their respective positions.
The Green Bay Packers will have Mason Crosby as their starting kicker for the eighth consecutive season, and he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2013.
Crosby made 33 of his 37 field goal attempts, and he made seven from 50 yards or longer. The longest field goal made was from 57 yards.
This was coming off 2012, which was by far the worst season of Crosby’s career. His field goal percentage was a minuscule 63, and head coach Mike McCarthy considered benching him in the following offseason when he brought in Giorgio Tavecchio to compete for the job. This lit a fire under Crosby as he responded with the ultimate bounceback season.
The punter position is secure as well with Tim Masthay returning for his fifth consecutive season as the starting punter. Masthay has not been flashy, but he has remained consistent since joining the Packers.
In the return game, the kick and punt returner jobs are wide open. Rookie wide receivers Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis are both competing for the job. One of them will likely win it since they are both fast, and Micah Hyde’s role in the secondary is set to expand.
After being ranked 20th in the NFL, the Packers’ special teams unit will look to improve. Former Florida head coach Ron Zook was hired as a special teams assistant. This is perhaps a signal to special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum that he will be replaced if the unit does not improve. Despite these struggles, the Packers are mostly stable on special teams.
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