The Cincinnati Bengals found a gem in Evan McPherson, whose kicking heroics on Saturday sunk the Titans’ hopes and sent the Bengals to the AFC Championship.
McPherson may have more ice in his veins than Joey B himself. He reportedly knew he was going to win it for Cincy the moment he walked onto the field to take the end-of-game kick.
He also knew how special this Bengals squad has become in the span of just one season.
After his game-winning 52-yard kick, McPherson was mobbed by his teammates in an incredibly emotional moment he’ll probably remember forever.
But he eschewed most of the individual praise, noting that the 2021 Bengals team as a whole made history on Saturday — and they aren’t nearly done yet.
McPherson: "Our team is creating our own legacy. This being a team that will be remembered forever. The city is on fire and will probably burn down tonight."
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 23, 2022
Cincinnati did not, in fact, burn down last night, but McPherson got his point across pretty clearly.
Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson is happy to be a part of history
The rookie kicker out of Florida silenced critics who complained about the Bengals taking him in the fifth round.
Why spend one of your precious draft picks on a kicker? This is why.
In the 2021 regular season, McPherson completed 84.8 percent of his field goal attempts and 95.8 of his extra point attempts.
He went 6-of-9 from 40 to 49 yards out and 9-of-11 from 50-plus yards out, but when the team needed him in the Divisional Round playoff game, he delivered.
Zac Taylor’s son’s favorite player came in clutch against Tennessee as Joe Burrow barely managed to stay upright, much less carry the Bengals to the end zone.
13 of Cincinnati’s 19 points came from McPherson. The extreme pressure cooker environment of the playoffs may weed out other rookies, but not him.
In two playoff games so far, McPherson has made all eight of his field goal attempts and all three of his extra point attempts.
As the Bengals storm into their first AFC title game since 1988, they know exactly what kind of legacy they’re creating: a legendary, ground-breaking, narrative-shattering one that includes the likes of Joe Burrow and Evan McPherson.
We wouldn’t be surprised if other teams started picking kickers in the 2022 NFL Draft to find their own Evan McPhersons. Good thing we’ve already got ours.