Bengals kicker Evan McPherson keeps racking up the awards

Who would have thought that when the Cincinnati Bengals spent a fifth-round pick on Florida kicker Evan McPherson that he'd go on to have this kind of start to his career? The pick was highly criticized at the time ("Who spends a draft pick on a kicker, especially in the fifth round?!") but McPherson proved his worth, kicking the team's way into the AFC Championship Game and into the Super Bowl.

McPherson picked up where he left off and has already notched his first AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts against the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football last week.

"McPherson connected on two fourth-quarter field goal attempts – from 19 and 57 yards – and all three of his point after attempts in Cincinnati’s 27-15 win over Miami."

- NFL Communications

Evan McPherson continues to be the gift that keeps on giving

As the press release noted, McPherson knocked through both of his fourth-quarter field goal attempts with one coming from 57 yards out. He also was 3-for-3 on his extra-point attempts, which meant that he was to thank for nine of the team's 27 points.

McPherson has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week two other times but this is his first of this season. Last year, he won the title in Weeks 1 and 11 for knocking through a game-winner in overtime against the Vikings and then connecting on all four field goal attempts in a blowout win over the Raiders later on.

So far through four games, McPherson is 9-of-11 in field goal attempts, good for a field goal percentage of 81.8 while he has missed just one of his seven extra-point attempts, giving him an 85.7% in that department.

This is the first of what's likely to be many other AFC Special Teams Player of the Week awards for McPherson this season and it's the third of his young career. The kid's been a stud.