GREEN BAY—Packers kicker Mason Crosby is picking up right where he left off last season, which to date was the best of his career.
Crosby concluded a festive Family Night practice in front of 67,336 fans at Lambeau Field with a perfect 6-for-6 showing on field goal attempts, continuing his strong start to training camp.
Crosby's kicks on Saturday night ranged from 28 to 50 yards and, combined with a pair of 7-for-8 kicking sessions earlier this week, he's now 20-for-22 this summer, having clearly put last season's training camp and "Family Night" struggles behind him.
"I'm taking each kick as they come and I'm really in that moment," Crosby said. "Make or miss, I'm moving on to the next one and make sure I lock in and try to consistently hit the ball the same every time."
Perhaps most important, Crosby's two misses this week both came in the middle of his sessions, and he quickly recovered to make multiple kicks as he finished. On Saturday night, his kicks couldn't have been truer, particularly his last two from 48 and 50 yards that both were good by plenty.
"Tonight, I think it really came together even more than it had during the week, where every ball came off my foot exactly how I wanted it to and was on a good line," he said. "I felt really confident with that, and it's nice being able to do it in front of 67,000 people in a practice."
The workout featured plenty of 11-on-11 work, but not a lot of huge highlights.
Second-year receiver Kevin Dorsey made perhaps the biggest offensive play when he hauled in a touchdown from Matt Flynn after the backup quarterback rolled to his left and fired to the end-zone sideline. Dorsey reached out to make the catch and got his feet in bounds as he tumbled over.
Otherwise, Myles White made his share of catches while rookie second-round pick Davante Adams had two sideline grabs that moved the chains, looking similar to Jordy Nelson in the way he worked on the boundary.
"It's been going well," said Adams, who is solidly in the receiving corps' top four and looking to put pressure on No. 3 Jarrett Boykin as camp continues. "Day by day getting better and better, trying to eliminate the mental mistakes. I have to lock in and make sure I start building trust with the other receivers, coach and quarterback, so they know they can count on me to do the right thing."
It wasn't a good night, however, for receiver Chris Harper, who dropped a slightly underthrown deep ball from Scott Tolzien, despite being wide open, nor for running back Michael Hill, who fumbled one handoff exchange with Flynn early in practice and later took a helmet hit from undrafted rookie linebacker Jake Doughty and lost the ball again, ending Tolzien's two-minute drive.
The quarterbacks entertained the crowd by trying to loft throws from different distances into the netted hoop that was placed in the back corner of the end zone.
At one point, undrafted rookie Chase Rettig and Aaron Rodgers put in back-to-back tosses from the 15-yard line. Later, after Rodgers drew a big cheer with a "make" from around the 30-yard line, the fourth-string QB one-upped him with a perfect throw from the 35.
The defensive highlight – aside from what might have been a crunching blindside hit on a quarterback in a real game by Mike Daniels, who safely pulled up – was turned in by the defensive star of the first week, third-year safety Sean Richardson.
Near the start of Flynn's two-minute series, receiver Alex Gillett was trying to get underneath Flynn's deep sideline throw, but Richardson came across in time to knock it away. For a safety whose forte is supposedly run support, Richardson keeps making plays in the passing game.
Last but not least, the quietest triumph was turned in by right tackle Bryan Bulaga, who was lost for the season to a knee injury last year on this very night. Bulaga made it through the practice without incident to finish a first week that has showcased him in midseason form.
"To have it not in the back of your mind, I'd be lying to you," Bulaga said of the mental hurdle. "Definitely back there. But new year, new challenge every year, and just to get past it and move on is good." Additional coverage - Family Night
