Ex-HC Bill Belichick shares how he’d help Justin Tucker bounce back from missed kicks

The Justin Tucker narrative has spiraled into an unexpected crisis. Once the most celebrated kicker in NFL history, Tucker now finds himself at a crossroads that few thought possible.

Bill Belichick, the NFL's strategic mastermind, has stepped into the spotlight with surgical precision.

On Sunday's episode of "The Pat McAfee Show," Belichick stepped up to provide his expert perspective on Tucker's recent struggles.

"When I look at Tucker, I don't see a lack of talent," Belichick said. "He still has great height on the ball. Clearly, there's some fundamental technique thing that he's not doing consistently, and that's caused them to miss both to the left and to the right.

"So I think, you know, what I would do is keep working on the fundamentals and the just the technique of the kick. I don't think there's a lack of talent. I think fundamentally, there's just something that's not quite right here."

Tucker's 2024 season has been a shocking departure from his legendary status. The veteran kicker, who entered the season with a record 89.0% field goal accuracy, now sits at a staggering 70.3% success rate — the second-worst accuracy in the league, per FOX Sports and Ravens Wire.

In Baltimore's critical 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Tucker's struggles reached a new low. He missed three kicks: two field goals and one extra point.

Justin Tucker's accountability in the spotlight

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers - Source: Imagn

Justin Tucker has missed an NFL-worst 10 kicks this season. His struggles have directly impacted Baltimore's playoff hopes, dropping them to the sixth seed with an 8-5 record.

After Sunday's game, Tucker said he will continue to work on his kicks.

"I just left the points out there," Tucker said to reporters. "I feel like I cost us this one. But it doesn't really do anybody any good to dwell on it. The only thing that we can do is continue to work, move forward, take one kick at a time."

Tucker has been a Pro Bowl kicker for five consecutive years. Two seasons ago, he led the NFL in field goals. This year, he has already matched his career-high of eight missed field goals — and we're only in Week 13.

The Ravens face a delicate situation. Cutting Tucker would result in $7 million of dead money against their 2025 salary cap.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh is not considering replacing Tucker.

"If you look at Justin Tucker's history, you'd have to say he's capable of doing that," Harbaugh said after Sunday's game.

Belichick's intervention offers a potential lifeline. By focusing on mechanical adjustments rather than questioning Tucker's talent, he presents a path to redemption.