Comparing the two best kickers in Baltimore Ravens history

Beloved kicker Matt Stover is held in high regard by the Ravens fanbase. An original Raven, Stover played thirteen seasons in Baltimore. Stover was the most consistent scoring threat during a period of relative offensive futility.

Over his 207 games for the Ravens, Stover converted 84.7% of his field goal attempts. He is the team’s all-time leader in field goals (354) and scoring (1,464 points). Stover was part of five Raven playoff teams, connecting on 16 of 19 field-goal attempts, including 29 points scored during the 2000 championship march.

After the completion of his playing career, Stover was inducted into the Ravens Ring of Honor. He is best remembered for keeping the Ravens in contention during their five-game touchdown drought in 2000 and kicking 18 game-winning field goals. The two-time All-Pro retired as the NFL’s sixth all-time leading scorer and 18th most accurate kicker.

The Ravens turned to the likes of Steven Hauschka and Billy Cundiff until a worthy successor to Stover came to the team in the form of undrafted rookie Justin Tucker.

Tucker has been downright excellent for the Ravens. In his four seasons, he has bested Stover with an 87.8% field goal accuracy mark. Tucker set a high bar in 2013, earning the Ravens record for most field goals in a single season (38), most points scored in a season (140) and longest field goal converted (61 yards).  The team honored Tucker by naming him their 2013 season team MVP.

Tucker’s powerful leg has been a legitimate weapon for the Ravens.  He has produced 214 touchbacks in his career and hit numerous 50-plus yard field goals, both facets that Stover struggled with later in his career. Tucker has one All-Pro selection on his resume and is the second most accurate kicker in NFL history. Tucker’s strongest asset is his ability to convert on pressure-packed kicks. He is a perfect eight for eight in the playoffs, and near automatic in rivalry games, the 4th quarter and overtime.

In comparing the two kickers, Stover has the advantage of longevity. Stover played in more than three times as many Ravens games as Tucker and scored nearly three times as many points for the team. Tucker has the advantage in overall accuracy, average field goal distance and kickoff distance.

The Ravens have been fortunate to have one of these two exceptional kickers for 17 of their 20 seasons in Baltimore. As valuable as Stover was to the franchise, Tucker can surpass him as the best kicker in team history if he can maintain his supreme kicking proficiency.