Bengals coach admits a hidden error was made late in Cincinnati’s crushing loss to Bears
Cincinnati ran into a problem against Chicago.
Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson has one of the strongest legs in the NFL, so it was surprising to see him miss a 54-yard field goal in Cincinnati’s Week 9 loss to the Chicago Bears, not by kicking the ball too far left or right, but by not getting it to the uprights at all.
McPherson’s kick fell a few yards short of the crossbar because, as explained by special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons, the ball he kicked was a regular ball used for regular plays from scrimmage and not a “K” ball that is only used for kicks.
“K” balls are no different than any other regulation ball other than their altered softness, which makes them easier to kick. All balls must pass inspection hours before kickoff.
The decision for head coach Zac Taylor to kick at all was questionable as the Bengals were down seven points with 5:58 remaining in the fourth quarter. By the time he decided to send the field goal unit out onto the field, the play clock had already started.
This was the cause of the mishap leading to McPherson’s miss.
Why the Bengals kicked with the wrong ball
NFL rules state that once the play clock starts, teams are not allowed to swap out balls, regardless of what they’re planning to do. Once the play clock started and Taylor trotted McPherson out onto the field, he was going to be kicking with a disadvantage.
Cincinnati needed to have the “K” ball ready before the play clock started for the officials, but because Taylor was indecisive about whether or not to go for it on fourth down, that didn’t happen.
Simmons told reporters that this has happened to other teams before, including the Bears themselves in Week 8.
McPherson has been more accurate this season compared to 2024, with 13 makes to just three misses through nine games. His accuracy was on display with his latest miss, but the operation before he even takes the field just wasn’t on point Sunday.
Had McPherson made the kick, Chicago would have likely operated differently in the final five minutes of the game with a smaller lead. However, winning by five points will likely cause this mistake to be forgotten in time.
This story was originally published in A to Z Sports Cincinnati Bengals, as Bengals coach admits a hidden error was made late in Cincinnati’s crushing loss to Bears.
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