Even though he had a rough Week 1, Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson is still one of the best kickers in the NFL.

He proved this during Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys by making all three field goal attempts -kicks of 43-, 50-, and 46-yards, respectively- and the lone PAT attempt. McPherson made the most out of every opportunity he received.

But, it was the opportunity he didn't receive that stands out the most.

The Bengals were down, 14-3, in the second quarter and managed to drive down to the Cowboys 42, which would've resulted in a 59- or 60-yard field goal attempt for McPherson.

Head coach Zac Taylor explained why he opted to punt the ball -which gave the Cowboys the ball at their own 11- instead of going for the three that would've made it a one-score game.

"If we miss, they have great field position," Taylor told reporters after the game. "We have a great kicker. Trust me, I know that. But at some point, you have to make smart decisions.

"We know our defense is going to settle down. So, you win the field position [battle]. There was about six minutes left in the second quarter if I remember [correctly]. So, you're hoping that's going to lead to points [if] you're able to pin them down there in the 10, which I think we got it right on the 10.

"It's just having faith in your defense [and] punt coverage team."

Everything Taylor said is plausible, however, it blew up in his face. Not only did the defense settle down like he hoped – it allowed the Cowboys to drive down the field and subsequently hold the Bengals offense back. That then led to three more points for Dallas thanks to good field position of their own after a 20-yard punt return by KaVontae Turpin.

And everything is trumped by the logic of using one of the league's best weapons in a plausible situation. McPherson has shown several times that he has big, accurate leg and he's not afraid of the moment. The Week 1 shank against the Pittsburgh Steelers was not his fault and the block obviously, wasn't either.

And literally, McPherson made a 59-yarder against the Steelers last week. He made a 58-yarder against the Denver Broncos in December 2021, as well.

The Bengals had a chance to cut the Cowboys lead to a single possession, which is always the correct route to take, as well. Again, especially if it's a plausible situation.

Hindsight is 20/20, but, the Bengals also lost by three points. Who knows how the game turns out if Taylor just plays the logic card in this situation.

Featured image via Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports