Evan McPherson shares why he was confident he would make field goal
Bengals rookie and former Florida Gators kicker Evan McPherson came out of Saturday’s playoff game as the unlikely hero.
The rookie finished a perfect 4-for-4 on his field goal attempts, including the 52-yard game-winner as time expired.
McPherson was the only kicker taken in the 2021 NFL Draft, a fact the Bengals are very proud of at this point. Cincinnati took him with pick No. 149 in the fifth round.
During his three years with the Gators, he hit on 85% of his field-goal attempts, going 51-of-60 overall. He also made 94.5% of his boots inside 40 yards during his career. That success, along with a solid record this season, made him confident that he’d make the final 52-yarder.
“I would say I was (confident), I think that’s one of the most important things for kickers to have is confidence,” McPherson told Dan Patrick on his show. “My teammates had confidence in me.
“I had just taken my last warmup kick into the net. Brandon Allen was telling me, ‘You got this.’ Joe runs to the right, we take a timeout. I walk to the field and I turned to Brandon and told him, ‘Well, looks like we’re going to the AFC Championship.’ I didn’t want to go to overtime, honestly, our team deserved to end it there and get some rest, it was the least I could do.”
Despite the Bengals’ playoff attempts hanging on his kick, McPherson couldn’t bring himself to watch it leave his foot.
“I did not personally (watch the kick),” McPherson said. “I watched it at the halfway point but the way the ball was flying and how it went off my foot, I knew it was good.”
Bengals QB calls out underdog narrative
Joe Burrow doesn’t want to hear about being an underdog anymore. It might be the first playoffs for the Bengals quarterback, but he is quickly proving he belongs.
The second-year player out of LSU has certainly gained respect after two wins against Las Vegas and Tennessee to start his postseason career. Following a 19-16 victory against the Titans on Saturday, the quarterback had a message heading into the AFC Championship.
“I’m tired of the underdog narrative,” Burrow said. “We are a really, really good team. We are here to make noise. We are a really good team with good players and coaches.”
The Bengals’ motto this season has been “Why Not Us,” but it seems Burrow is ready to retire that. Based on how his team has been playing lately, it’s hard to blame him.
Burrow finished Saturday’s victory 28-of-37 passing for 348 yards and an interception. The Bengals’ lone touchdown of the day game on a 16-yard run from tailback Joe Mixon.
It’s not difficult to see why Cincinnati has received the “underdog” label from fans and the media. Before last week, the team hadn’t won a playoff game in more than 30 years. But with Burrow as its cornerstone, the franchise is headed in a new direction.
Not only was this the first playoff win in 30 years, but it was the first time Cincinnati had even made the postseason since 2015. The Bengals won a tight AFC North division, with a 10-7 record.
When Joe Burrow enters the AFC Championship, he will be the underdog once again. Cincinnati is set to face Kansas City next week.
On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.