Redemption for Packers kicker Mason Crosby
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published with a focus on stats that go beyond the numbers.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
For a player who was literally run out of town because of a terrible 2012 season, Green Bay placekicker Mason Crosby has certainly turned things around. After fighting off competition for his job during the pre-season, Crosby, now in his seventh season with the Packers, has made all nine of his field goal attempts this season, including four from 40 yards or more. In fact, if you go back and include the last two weeks of the 2012 season and add the two playoff games, Crosby is on a run of 15 straight made field goals.
This past week Crosby had five field goals against the Lions (most he’s ever made in a game) and added an extra point for 16 points in the Pack’s 22-9 win over Detroit. For his efforts, Crosby was selected as the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Let’s take a look at the 16 points Crosby scored in last week’s game. The 16 points tied Crosby’s career high (he scored 16 points in a December 11, 2011 game against the Raiders). It also made Crosby the 10th Packers player since 1966 (start of the Super Bowl era) to have two or more games with 16 points. Here’s a look at the players since 1966 who scored 16 or more points in a game for the Packers in two or more games.
Three games: Chris Jacke, Sterling Sharpe
Two games: John Brockington, Mason Crosby, Antonio Freeman, Ahman Green, Dorsey Levens, James Lofton, Ryan Longwell, Jordy Nelson
If we go back a little further in Packers history, that list grows with a pair of Packers legends. Paul Hornung, who performed double-duty as running back and kicker, had 10 games with the Pack where he scored 16-plus points in a contest. Fellow running mate Jim Taylor had seven such games in his career with Green Bay. Hornung holds the Packers record with 33 points scored in a game. He did it on October 8, 1961 in Green Bay’s 45-7 win over Baltimore.
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The rushing TD makes a big splash in Packers latest victory
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published with a focus on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Ahman Green (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Green Bay Packers 55-7 win over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday featured a couple of elements that have been pretty rare in Packers games over the last couple of seasons.
First, the team scored four rushing touchdowns. This was the first game with four or more rushing TDs since the team had five TDs via the run in a December 27, 2009 game against the Seattle Seahawks. It was also the ninth game with four-plus rushing touchdowns since 1966 (the start of the Super Bowl era). Games with four-plus rushing TDs:
December 23, 2012: four rushing TDs vs. Tennessee
December 27, 2009: five rushing TDs vs. Seattle
January 2, 2000: four rushing TDs vs. Arizona
October 31, 1994: four rushing TDs vs. Chicago
October 9, 1988: five rushing TDs vs. New England
September 9, 1979: four rushing TDs vs. New Orleans
October 15, 1978: four rushing TDs vs. Seattle
September 26, 1971: four rushing TDs vs. Denver
October 22, 1967: five rushing TDs vs. New York Giants
The Packers won each of the above nine games. In fact, in the 33 games where the Packers have scored three or more rushing TDs, the team has a 32-1 record (only loss was a 41-38 defeat at the hands of the Rams when the Pack scored three TDs via the run).
The four-rushing-TD game last Sunday was unique for two more reasons: The team gained only 117 yards rushing in this four-TD game; it was the fewest rushing yards in a game where they scored four-plus rushing touchdowns. The Packers averaged only 3.3 yards per rushing attempt in the game, the lowest yards per rushing attempt in a game where they scored four-plus TDs rushing.
The other rarity we saw last Sunday was a running back with two rushing touchdowns. Ryan Grant had a pair of TD runs, the first time a Packers runner has scored two or more rushing TDs since Grant did it in a December 11, 2011 game against the Raiders. The Packers have played 95 games since 1960 where a runner had two-plus rushing touchdowns in a game. The team has a 81-13-1 record in those games.
It was Grant’s fifth game in which he scored two or more rushing touchdowns as a Packer. Jim Taylor tops the list with 16 games with two-plus rushing TDs. Here are the Packers who have scored two or more rushing touchdowns in the most games since 1960:
Games with two-plus rushing TDs, Player
16: Jim Taylor
14: Ahman Green
7: Paul Hornung
5: John Brockington, Ryan Grant, Eddie Lee Ivery, Dorsey Levens, Elijah Pitts
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