Oct 23, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur looks on against the Washington Commanders during the second half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
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GREEN BAY, Wisconsin: The Green Bay Packers will have a kicking combination; better late than never, maybe. They signed former Georgia great Jack Podlesny to oppose Anders Carlson, according to a source.
After making 26 of 31 field goals and 73 of 74 point-after attempts during his final season with the Bulldogs, Podlesny was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year. Two of the missed field goals were during the playoff victory over Ohio State. Approximately 63% of his kickoffs ended in touchbacks. Podlesny was the first-team all-SEC kicker—not Carlson.
He hit 82.4 percent of his field goals in three seasons, although just 56.5 percent of them came from forty yards or more. He kicked a 53-yard field goal to defeat Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl to end his rookie campaign.
Regarding the winning kick, Podlesny said, “I was trying to treat it like any other kick while trotting out there.” I’ll be honest with you: I kind of blacked out during that encounter, so I don’t recall anything.
“Actually, I was thinking about it the other day. I’ve always discussed this with my sports psychologist: picture yourself in situations you’ve been in previously and keep in mind that experience because positive experiences can lead to positive ones. When I hit that, I knew it was a clean shot, so I was thinking, “It better go in,” and when I looked up and saw it split the posts, I was ecstatic.
Podlesny spent the offseason and the first part of training camp with the Minnesota Vikings after being passed over for the draft. Although he attempted a high-pressure kick to conclude the offseason training, he did not attempt any kicks during the preseason.
This year, Green Bay selected Carlson in the sixth round. He made his first 17 kicks, including field goals and extra points, before going into a rut that he was unable to shake. In addition to missing an extra point in the wild-card victory at Dallas and a field goal in the divisional-round defeat at San Francisco, he missed a league-high 11 kicks during the regular season.
Following the defeat, Carlson remarked, “I think there’s a lot to learn.” “Seeing these guys makes me uncomfortable because I know how much work they put in. All I want to do is position them as best I can. simply keeping them in mind and working for them.
Carlson’s rookie season had just one brief opponent. They signed Parker White, a former South Carolina kicker, prior to the draft last year. They cut White on May 24 in order to sign running back Emanuel Wilson.
Carlson flew solo for the remainder of the season, from the June minicamp through training camp and the preseason, and the entire regular season, despite everyone’s unwavering concern that Carlson’s kick-a-game habit could end up costing them dearly.
We have great faith in him,” head coach Matt LaFleur stated last week. “Yes, without a doubt, you would like him to make every kick, but I believe it’s a necessary part of his development. Unfortunately, a lot of young [players], particularly kickers, experience some hardships.
