The Green Bay Packers escaped Arizona with an improbable comeback win on Sunday. Although the fourth quarter performance will steal the headlines, kicker Lucas Havrisik played a big part in keeping the Packers alive in the first half. When nothing was working for the Packers offensively, Havrisik converted two field goals, including a franchise record 61-yarder at the end of the half to cut the Cardinals lead to a manageable seven.
With Sunday's performance, Havrisik is continuing his perfect streak in Green Bay, having made all four of his field goals and all six of his extra point attempts. After the special teams struggled under coordinator Rich Bisaccia in the first few weeks of the season, this has been a big boost for the Packers.
At the same time, it creates a fascinating roster dilemma for Bisaccia and head coach Matt LaFleur.
Lucas Havrisik's Perfect Game Creates Headaches for Packers
Brandon McManus has been excellent since arriving in Green Bay last season. In his 15 appearances for the Packers, the veteran kicker is 27-of-30 in field goals (90.0%) and 41-of-42 in extra points (97.6%). At the same time, he is 34 years old and is dealing with a quad injury. Could the Packers think that Havrisik is the better long-term option?
Before Week 7, the Packers signed Havrisik to the active roster and he is no longer at risk of getting poached from the practice squad. But, it makes little sense for the Packers to carry two kickers in their 53-man roster. When McManus is ready to return from his injury, a decision has to be made.
There is a risk associated with either decision. Moving on from a younger kicker who is perfect so far and just made the longest field goal in franchise history may certainly come back to bite the Packers.
On the other hand, McManus is a significantly more established player, boasting a 82.1% accuracy in field goals, and 97.2% accuracy in extra points. He has a ton of experience, including an impressive postseason track record and a Super Bowl win. Havrisik has only had one prior starting stint in the NFL. His nine games with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 season didn't go well for him, as he missed five of his 20 FG attempts and three of his 22 XP attempts before getting released.
There is definitely a chance the Packers would end up regretting going with the less experienced kicker over someone like McManus.
Regardless of which direction the organization goes, let's hope it is the correct one, because it has been a great feeling not having any kicking blunders in the last few weeks.