Bengals' offseason decision has backfired tremendously and there's no simple way to fix it
In an offseason that can now be viewed as disastrous, extending the contract of kicker Evan McPherson is looking like one of the Cincinnati Bengals' biggest blunders in recent memory. That was not a sentence I expected to be writing three months ago. McPherson was an obvious player to put more time and money into this […]
In an offseason that can now be viewed as disastrous, extending the contract of kicker Evan McPherson is looking like one of the Cincinnati Bengals' biggest blunders in recent memory. That was not a sentence I expected to be writing three months ago.
McPherson was an obvious player to put more time and money into this past summer. His 2021 rookie season helped the Bengals make a Super Bowl and has made several big kicks during the first three years of his career. He's been the exact opposite this season as his accuracy in the clutch has evaporated.
In the same stadium that Super Bowl was played in almost three years ago, McPherson had two chances to turn his season around and salvage the Bengals' playoff hopes. He went wide left both times.
McPherson missed from 48 and then 51 yards in the fourth quarter of the Bengals' 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Each attempt would've given Cincinnati the lead in the final minutes, completing a second-half comeback that would've been described as generational. Making one of them would've changed the game. Missing both only makes this conversation more necessary.
This is not a one-week anomaly. McPherson has made just 60% of his field goals (15 for 21) since putting pen to paper on a three-year, $14 million extension in August. He began the season nearly perfect, making nine of his first 10 attempts. He's made just six of his last 11 since then.
Six misses in total is the same number of one-score losses the 4-7 Bengals have endured this year. McPherson's inaccuracy has impacted most of them.
60% is grounds for being cut, or having to fend off midseason competition at the minimum. Neither path is likely because of what the Bengals did back in August. Most of McPherson's new money hasn't even hit his bank account yet. Releasing him now would put the club in the red for over $5 million. Cutting him in the offseason would still cost more than they'd save in salary cap space.
All the Bengals can do is hope McPherson finds his way out of a slump that's persisted for six weeks. It's not a good plan by any means.
"I mean we expect to make them," head coach Zac Taylor said after the game. "You know, we got a lot of confidence in Evan, and it just wasn't his day today."
Taylor has a lot more to answer for besides his kicker regressing so drastically. His team is 1-6 in one-score outcomes and the playoffs are essentially no longer possible. If Lou Anarumo's defense didn't come out the gate so lifeless, McPherson's now shaky leg wouldn't have been needed. That's been a theme in all of the games where he's missed the mark. This is a topic that transcends the coaching staff.
The reality of this decision ending up costing the Bengals so drastically encapsulates where the franchise is at the moment. A seemingly no-brainer move that was disputed by nobody now looks completely foolish while Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson ball out despite not getting their financial demands met by the front office.
Even when the Bengals think they did the right thing, they fall on their face. It's but another layer in arguably the most frustrating season Cincinnati has ever seen from its football team.
Bengals K Evan McPherson’s biggest strength now looks like a weakness as his ongoing slump persists
McPherson’s struggles just won’t go away.
