Bucs’ starter who was under the gun early in the season responds in the biggest way possible with a record-setting performance in loss to Eagles
The Bucs’ kicker has been excellent recently after a shaky start to the season.
Boy, I guess you could say the message received by Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin in the last two weeks.
The Bucs’ kicker had an enormous day on Sunday in the team’s 31-25 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium. He ended the half with a record-setting kick for the franchise, booting a 65-yard field goal to send the team into the locker room with some momentum. In the second half, he boomed through a 58-yarder. Both kicks surpassed his previous career-long of 55 yards.
The kicks are particularly notable because he was the recipient of some direct and harsh criticism from his head coach after the team’s first two games of the season.
McLaughlin responds strongly after being in Bowles’ doghouse early in the season
“[It’s] a bit [of] a sore topic with me,” Bowles told reporters after practice the week after the Houston game. “I don’t believe none of that other stuff – just make the damn kick.
“[He’s] gotta make them. They’re concerning. They’ve happened two weeks in a row. Obviously, we have to get better there. We gotta block it better, we gotta kick it better, and we gotta make them. It’s really cut and dry.”
McLaughlin missed a 44-yard field goal against the Falcons and an extra point. He pushed a 38-yarder off the right upright, and it was no good against the Texans. Those aren’t chip shots but are kicks that most NFL kickers make.
However, those misses feel pretty far in the rearview mirror now. McLaughlin knocked through two kicks from 50+ yards in the Bucs’ 29-27 win against the New York Jets last week. Now, you can add two more in that category. For the season, McLaughlin is nine of 12 on field goal attempts and eight of nine on extra point attempts.
Chase McLaughlin’s 2025 field goal stats
- 20-29 yards: 1-2
- 30-39 yards: 2-3
- 40-49 yards: 2-4 (includes block vs. Jets)
- 50+ yards: 4-4
The Bucs will have to find a way to put the ball in the end zone more often if they want to become one of the best teams in the NFC this year and push for the Super Bowl. But it’s nice to know that, if the Bucs need a knock from beyond the midfield logo, they’ve got someone who’s got the leg to get it done.
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