Brayden Narveson had missed a kick in each of the Green Bay Packers first three games of the season. But he also had had some good kicks. Against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the mistakes were completely over the top, and it cost them the team.

The rookie kicker, acquired via waivers right after final roster cuts, missed two field goals in the first half. The first one was particularly bad, a 37-yard miss. The second one, a 49-yarder. It was a 31-29 loss after all, so the misses were a huge part of the game outcome.

Matt LaFleur still wants to keep him, though.

"I got a lot of confidence in Brayden, I do," LaFleur said after the game. "I know it's tough, we all want the results."

But the reality is that the Packers simply can't trust Narveson.

Last year, the Packers had patience with drafted rookie Anders Carlson and that cost them in the playoffs. At least, they had an expectation that Carlson, a high-ceiling prospect, could turn things around to eventually become a good kicker. It didn't happen, but it had logic. With Narveson, it's harder to justify it.

At this point, the Packers have to consider their options. And the best one is Riley Patterson, a veteran kicker who was released by the Washington Commanders during training camp.

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The option

Patterson is not exactly a household name, but he has been better than Narveson, Carlson, and Greg Joseph in the NFL. And that's what the Packers can realistically expect at this point.

Patterson went undrafted in 2021 and has been a journeyman since. He's been with the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, and Commanders. He's been a part-time player for the most part, but he played seven games for the Lions in 2021 and 17 for the Jaguars in 2022. Last season, he played 13 games for the Lions with an 88.2% field goal conversion rate and two for the Browns, converting the only field goal he kicked.

Throughout his NFL career, Patterson has played 38 games, converting 88.1% of his field goals and 95.9% of the extra points.

Riley Patterson is a solid kicker from under 50 yards. He's missed only two field goals of 42 from under 40 yards, and three of 19 under 50. The problem for Patterson is that he doesn't have a strong leg, converting only three of six kicks from 50+ yards. But Narveson can't kick from more than 50 yards either, so you take the bad with the good.

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Roster flexibility

Riley Patterson is an unrestricted free agent, so the Packers could even get some flexibility on the roster by making this move. If the Packers decide to waive Brayden Narveson, they would have the option to sign Patterson to the practice squad, creating a roster spot for three weeks.

Over this period, they could elevate him for gameday. When all three elevations are used, the Packers would be able to promote him to the active 53-man roster.

Right now, the Packers also have rookie kicker Alex Hale on the practice squad, but he doesn't count towards the 16-man PS limit because he is designated as a member of the International Pathway Program.

The Packers can’t make so many mistakes if they want to be a real Super Bowl contender

Packers lost to the Vikings at Lambeau Field