Evan McPherson's injury should drastically change how the Bengals operate to close out this season
UPDATE: Evan McPherson has since been placed on the Reserve/Injured list and will be out a minimum four games. McPherson will be eligible to return for the Bengals' Week 18 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Evan McPherson's troubled season only got worse this week as a reported groin injury will keep him sidelined for a […]
UPDATE: Evan McPherson has since been placed on the Reserve/Injured list and will be out a minimum four games. McPherson will be eligible to return for the Bengals' Week 18 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Evan McPherson's troubled season only got worse this week as a reported groin injury will keep him sidelined for a few weeks, per NFL Media's Mike Garafolo.
Replacing McPherson for the time being will be Cade York, whom has been added to the team's practice squad.
York, a former Cleveland Browns draft pick from 2022, can be elevated off the practice squad up to three times before the club would have to sign him to the active roster. If McPherson misses just the next three weeks, then that move won't be necessary.
McPherson has made just 72.7% of his field goals this season (16 of 22) with all of his misses occurring from 40 yards or beyond. York's career field goal percentage is even lower than that at 70.6% and he hasn't kicked in a game since Week 1. He missed his only two attempts for the Washington Commanders before being cut and replaced by another former Browns draft bust, Austin Siebert, whom was also an emergency Bengals replacement back in 2020.
McPherson had a chance to finish this season strong, and now he may only get the last two games to bring upon redemption. In the mean time, York will attempt to use this opportunity to revitalize his own career.
Realistically, he'll get his chances to prove himself, but the Bengals shouldn't be too concerned with that at this point. A 4-8 record has put them in a go-for-broke spot, and that should reflect their decision-making process in these final five games.
In short, York shouldn't be kicking field goals unless it's absolutely necessary.
Bengals should become way more aggressive on fourth downs now
Playing things safe is not in the cards for the Bengals now. Their defense is among the worst in franchise history. Winning is so far from a guarantee even with 30+ points on the scoreboard. Any drive resulting in just three points should be considered a failure now.
McPherson's struggles from deep should've only exacerbated this concern, but the Bengals have been middle of the road in terms of their aggressiveness on fourth down. According to RBSDM.com, Cincinnati's rate of going for it in opportune situations ranks 15th in the NFL.
With an unreliable defense, accepting three points instead of six is risky enough. That their original kicker could not consistently convert his field goals from long range only added fuel to the fire.
Now you're dealing with an even worse kicker. The aggressiveness dial should only be turned up.
13 weeks and 12 games worth of football tells us that the Bengals can only trust their offense, specifically quarterback Joe Burrow. He's statistically playing like the best QB in the game. When the ball is in his hands, the Bengals always have a shot at causing damage.
So when it's fourth and manageable near or inside midfield, there should be no debate about what to do.
The Bengals do need a healthy kicker to make extra points and field goals when the clock is about to hit triple zeros. York will have his chances when those situations arise.
Any other time is when Burrow needs the ball. The Bengals should emerge as the most aggressive offense in the NFL over the next few weeks. Anything less is questionable at best.
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