The Buffalo Bills may be 3-1 and still perched atop the AFC East, but the mood after Week 4 is a lot shakier than the record suggests. A 29-26 loss to the New England Patriots left a bad taste for Bills Mafia, and with the Los Angeles Rams next on the schedule, the pressure is starting to build.
That makes the kicking game one of the few bright spots worth pointing to right now. Tyler Bass has opened the season in strong form, and his numbers jump off the page: he’s tied for first among all kickers in field goal percentage at 6-for-6, with most of those attempts coming from 30-39 yards. He’s also 13-for-14 on extra points, with the lone miss coming in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.
Still, the bigger question isn’t how Bass has started. It’s whether the Bills have actually learned enough about him yet.
Adam Fromal of FanSided.com put it plainly: " The Bills need to test Tyler Bass before it really matters".
He added, " The veteran kicker missed the entire 2025 campaign with hip and groin issues, and he hasn't had a chance to show he's fully himself again. His lone blemish in 2026 comes from a PAT he pulled outside left, but his longest field-goal attempt is a meager, low-leverage 46-yarder that broke a 0-0 tie in the first quarter against Houston. The entirety of his field-goal resume this season involves kicks from 27, 28, 33, 34, 38 and 46."
That’s the heart of the issue. Bass has been perfect so far on field goals, but the Bills haven’t exactly asked him to stretch things. Only one of his attempts has come from the 40-49 yard range, and nothing yet has really pushed him into the kind of pressure kick Buffalo will eventually need from him.
The Bills made their faith in Bass clear by sticking with him as their kicker after he missed all of last season. They didn’t bring in serious competition, and they’ve continued to trust him as the guy.
But trust and proof are two different things, especially when the season gets deeper and the margins tighten. Bass has been shaky in the postseason before, going 18/23 in his playoff career. His roughest stretch came in the 2023 postseason, when he went 2/5, missed two kicks against the Steelers in the wild card round, then missed the game-tying kick against the Chiefs in the divisional round that ended Buffalo’s season.
That’s why these early kicks matter, even if they haven’t been glamorous. Bass has shown he can handle what’s been put in front of him. What the Bills still need is a better look at the longer stuff.
He’s got the leg for it, too. Since the 2024 season, his longest kick has not been shorter than 54 yards, including a 61-yard field goal against the Miami Dolphins in 2024.
Of course, Bass can’t control how the offense stalls out on third down or whether Joe Brady decides to keep the unit on the field on fourth down. But it wouldn’t hurt Buffalo to give him more chances from 40-49 yards, or even a shot in the 50-59 range, just to see where things really stand.
Because sooner or later, the Bills are going to need Bass in a game where the kick matters most. When that moment comes, they’ll want a lot more than a clean early-season stat line.
In Other News...
Bills Fans Will Feel Mitch Morses Heartbreaking Family News
Mitch Morse shared heartbreaking family news this week, announcing the death of his younger brother Robbie, who passed away last week at 30. Robbie had lived with lifelong disabilities after suffering severe brain trauma as an infant, and the Morse family had long been open about his story, turning their private struggle into something many football fans came to know over the years.
The loss is one that will resonate in Buffalo, where Morse spent part of his career and built a strong connection with the fan base. Condolences poured in from across the NFL, including from former teammates and multiple teams, a reminder of how widely Robbies story was felt beyond one locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Have A Problem They May Need To Trade For
The Bills 29-26 loss to the Patriots did more than dent the standings. It also pushed a familiar concern back into the spotlight: a secondary that is being asked to hold up while the defense adjusts to Jim Leonhards system, all while injuries keep stripping away experienced options. Buffalo has had to lean on less seasoned defensive backs, and the results have made the back end look like a spot that could use help sooner rather than later.
With the trade deadline still on the horizon in 2026, the question is whether Buffalo waits for its current group to stabilize or starts looking outside the building for reinforcements. The need is obvious enough after a night like this, but the challenge is finding a move that actually fits both the Bills defense and the urgency created by a thin, banged-up secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Face A Risky Tyreek Hill Decision With AFC Stakes
Tyreek Hill is expected to land with an NFL team soon after working his way back from a season-ending injury and being released by the Dolphins, and the Bills are one of the clubs that could wind up in the mix. NFL insider Albert Breer pointed to Buffalo and Kansas City as the two most obvious fits, which makes sense given how both early AFC contenders could use help at wide receiver and have enough ambition to think beyond simple depth.
For Buffalo, the appeal is obvious and the risk is just as clear. Hill would give the offense another dangerous weapon, but the Bills would also be weighing his recovery and age against the possibility that the Chiefs could get there first. In a conference where every edge matters, the decision is less about whether Hill can help and more about how much a contender wants to bet on what he still has left. [Read more 🡒]