Matt Prater’s Unexpected Role with the Bills Is About to Get a Whole Lot More Important
ORCHARD PARK - When Matt Prater signed with the Buffalo Bills just before the season kicked off, he wasn’t looking for a long-term lease - literally or figuratively. The 41-year-old veteran kicker knew he was stepping in as a short-term solution while Tyler Bass nursed a hip/pelvic issue. But fast forward a few months, and Prater has gone from stopgap to essential piece of the puzzle for a Bills team fighting to stay in the playoff hunt.
“I knew I was going to be here for a few weeks,” Prater said this week. “I just came in with the mindset of doing the best I can to help fill in.”
That fill-in job? It’s now a full-time gig.
Head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Bass underwent season-ending surgery last week, officially handing the kicking duties to Prater for the remainder of the season.
Bass gave it a go in the preseason finale against Tampa Bay, converting three of four field goals and both extra points. But the pain didn’t go away, and after weeks of trying to manage the injury, the decision to have surgery became inevitable.
“He was dealing with it, it wasn’t going away,” McDermott said. “We thought it was, but it didn’t.
So the decision was almost made for him.”
Enter Prater - an 18-year NFL veteran who many assumed had kicked his last after a knee injury ended his 2024 season early with the Arizona Cardinals. But when the Bills called, Prater answered, and he’s been more than just a warm body filling a roster spot. He’s been reliable, poised, and in some cases, clutch.
Through 11 games, Prater has hit 17 of 19 field goals, good for an 89.5% success rate - ninth-best among kickers with at least 10 games under their belt this year. His only two misses?
A 39-yarder that went wide left against Miami in Week 3, and a 52-yard attempt that clanged off the upright late in the fourth quarter against Kansas City in Week 9. The Bills still held on for the win in that one, but it was a reminder that even a seasoned leg can have its hiccups.
Interestingly, Prater’s been more inconsistent on extra points than field goals. He’s 34 of 37 on PATs - a 91.9% clip that ranks 24th among qualifying kickers.
That includes misses in each of the last two games, with the most costly coming in Houston. That misfire left the Bills needing a touchdown instead of a game-tying field goal in the final seconds of a 23-19 loss.
Still, Prater’s impact goes beyond the scoreboard. On kickoffs, he’s been a quiet weapon.
His average hang time of 3.80 seconds is tied for third-best in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and he’s forcing returns on 86.8% of his kicks - fifth-best among NFL kickers. That means fewer touchbacks and more chances for the coverage unit to pin opponents deep.
Opposing teams are starting their drives at the 30.4-yard line on average, tied for 14th-best - a stat that reflects both Prater’s placement and the special teams unit’s execution.
“He’s a veteran player, he’s been around,” McDermott said. “There’s a lot of experience in Matt Prater.
It’s been fun to watch the amount of wisdom he’s shared with our team, especially on special teams. He’s extremely confident because of that experience and the way he prepares.”
Now comes the next test - and it’s a big one. December is here, and with it comes the elements.
Wind, cold, snow - all staples of late-season football in Western New York. And while Prater has kicked in Denver’s thin air and played in a Super Bowl, he’s spent the last decade inside domes in Detroit and Arizona.
Highmark Stadium in December and January? That’s a different beast.
“Just getting used to the conditions and playing outside,” Prater said. “Obviously playing in Buffalo versus a dome, it’s colder and windier.
But the other team has to kick in it too. You just try to hit a clean ball, and it won’t move as much.”
Prater’s not shy about acknowledging where age has caught up to him. The booming 60-yarders that once came easy are now a bit more calculated.
“The hard part for me has always been kicking it straight,” he said. “I know the coaches here won’t send me out for a kick I can’t make distance-wise.
That’s why we go around pregame - I’ll give them a line I feel good from. I know I can’t hit it like I used to, but I can still hang okay.”
The Bills are entering a stretch where every point matters. With a schedule packed with tight matchups and playoff implications, Prater’s leg could very well swing a game - or a season. And while his role began as a temporary fix, it’s now one of the most critical on the roster.
“For me, it’s always been a week at a time, game by game,” Prater said. “Just try to do my best every week.
Whatever happens, happens. Weather’s out of my control.”
The conditions may be unpredictable, but the Bills are hoping Prater continues to be anything but.