It took Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur all of two practices to change his tune on going into Friday’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil with a kicker he has never seen in person in a game.
Before rookie kicker Brayden Narveson arrived at team headquarters last week, LaFleur called the situation “uncharted territory” and acknowledged that having a new, untested kicker could “absolutely, 100 percent” impact some in-game decisions.
But after Narveson was nearly perfect in his first two kicking sessions in front of the team, LaFleur sounded more comfortable with his new kicker.
“Yeah, I’ve seen enough to be confident in him,” LaFleur said Sunday. “If that’s what you’re asking: Do I have confidence in him? Absolutely.”
Here’s what may have changed LaFleur’s mind:
• In his first practice with the Packers, Narveson said he made all five of his kicks during a closed scrimmage inside Lambeau Field. That included a 58-yarder in windy conditions.
• In Sunday’s practice, Narveson said he made 5-of-6 with the lone miss on a 51-yarder before he bounced back to make one from 53.
“It’s what you dream of, right?” Narveson said of making a strong first impression. “At the end of the day all you can ask for is the opportunity. And once you get the opportunity, you’ve got to be ready and step in. … You can only make a first impression one time. So I was very conscious of that.”
The Packers claimed Narveson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday. He became the sixth kicker on the Packers’ roster since the end of last season, and — for now — he’s the replacement for Anders Carlson, whose struggles late last year in his rookie season sent the Packers down the path of searching for better options.
They cut Carlson last week and initially kept veteran Greg Joseph on the first version of their 53-man roster until they knew whether they would get Narveson on waivers.
While the Packers studied Narveson during the draft process, a source said they did not offer him a contract after he went undrafted. Narveson said as far as he knew, the Titans were his only option. He made 6 of 7 field goal attempts this preseason for the Titans, including a 59-yarder and a game winner.
Nevertheless, Tennessee opted to go with veteran kicker Nick Folk.
“I was fully anticipating re-signing with the Titans on the practice squad,” Narveson said. “Even from the forefront, when they were recruiting me, if you will, during the draft, that was the guiding idea that that was probably what was going to happen. But at the same time, I prepared, I got opportunities in the games, I executed in the games.
“That gave me the chance to come here, and I’m ecstatic. I’m excited to be here and I’m going to continue to get better, because I don’t want to stop here and I don’t feel like I’ve arrived.”
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