The falloff for Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson has been sudden and, in some cases, season-defining for the Bengals.
McPherson, affectionately called Money Mac and other names by fans, has been anything but this year. Over 11 games, he’s gone 15-of-21 and missed four of seven attempts from 40-plus yards.
A 71.4 percent overall average ranks McPherson tied for 36th in the league entering Week 12.
The struggles have started to carry over and impact other areas of the Bengals, too, with Zac Taylor opting to get more aggressive in some spots because he clearly can’t trust the kicking game.
And while the Bengals have many, many problems, there are also alarming details like this:
Bengals Kicker Evan McPherson has missed kicks in four different one score losses this season:
– 1/2 XPs at KC (Bengals lost 26-25)
– 2/3 FGs vs. WAS (Bengals lost 38-33)
– 0/1 FG vs. BAL (Bengals lost 41-38 in OT)
– 2/4 FGs at LAC (Bengals lost 34-27)Cincinnati is now 4-7
— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) November 18, 2024
Earlier this year, special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons admitted that the operation of the kick has been part of the problem. McPherson is on his fourth holder in as many seasons.
“I think that’s contributed to some of it. There’s no question that the one in the Baltimore game was not a very good snap, and it wasn’t a good hold. I think that was pretty obvious to everybody,” Simmons said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I think the operation wasn’t perfect in the Cleveland game, frankly. I still expect Evan to make that kick, although it makes it more difficult when the snap’s not exactly right and the hold’s not exactly right.
That was late October, though, and the problems have remained. If all involved haven’t figured it out by now, perhaps the only route for the Bengals is waiting and seeing if their 25-year-old big-money kicker can figure it out over the rest of the season.
The Bengals gave McPherson a $14 million extension this past August, and wiggling out of it next offseason wouldn’t be ideal. But as if this season weren’t wonky enough for the Bengals, the rest of the year almost feels like an audition for him.