Evan McPherson Is Back to Being Automatic - and the Bengals Are Reaping the Rewards
After a rocky 2024 season where Evan McPherson struggled to find his rhythm, the Bengals’ kicker is reminding everyone why he was once considered one of the most clutch legs in the NFL. And on Thanksgiving night in Baltimore, he didn’t just bounce back - he put on a kicking clinic.
McPherson went a perfect 6-for-6 on field goals and nailed both of his extra-point attempts in Cincinnati’s 32-14 win over the Ravens, accounting for 20 points on his own. That kind of performance doesn’t just help win games - it earns recognition. On Wednesday, McPherson was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Let’s put that performance into perspective. Six field goals in a single game?
That’s a career high for McPherson, the most by any kicker in the league this season, and it ties for the second-most in a single game in Bengals history. He hit from distances of 31, 42, 24, 33, 52, and 41 yards - a full showcase of range, consistency, and poise under pressure.
That 52-yarder in the fourth quarter? It wasn’t just another three points.
It was his 28th career make from 50 yards or more, setting a new Bengals franchise record and tying him for sixth-most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2021. And he’s been lights-out from inside 50 this season - a perfect 19-for-19.
As for his only misses this year? They’ve come from deep - 67, 56, and 54 yards - and even those came with asterisks.
The 67-yarder actually went through the uprights, but a timeout was called just before the snap. The 54-yarder?
That was kicked with a non-kicking ball after a last-second decision left no time to swap it out. In other words, McPherson hasn’t just been good - he’s been reliable in every situation that’s within reason.
And don’t forget, this is the same kicker who drilled a franchise-record 63-yarder earlier this season against the Patriots. That’s elite territory.
What makes this resurgence even more impressive is where McPherson was a year ago. In 2024, he posted the worst field goal percentage of his career, hitting just 72.7% of his attempts (16-for-22). For a guy who had never dipped below 82.8% in his first three seasons, that was a clear outlier - and a wake-up call.
So what changed?
According to McPherson, it wasn’t about reinventing the wheel. It was about getting back to what worked. During training camp, he made a conscious decision to return to the fundamentals that got him to the NFL in the first place.
“It’s funny,” McPherson said. “After my rookie year I went on a deep dive to figure out how I could become more consistent. It sent me the other way.”
That deep dive, while well-intentioned, led him away from the natural technique he’d developed through high school, college, and the pre-draft process. This past offseason, he hit the reset button.
“I kind of resorted back to that,” he said. “I feel more comfortable in my technique now, and I can just focus on the kick and not really focus on my steps and all these other things I was putting on myself.”
It’s a simple adjustment, but a powerful one - focus less on the mechanics and more on the moment. That shift in mindset has translated into more consistent performances in practice, which McPherson says has been a big deal.
“My first few years I wasn’t necessarily doing good in practice, but would do good in the game,” he said. “Now I’m just trying to do good across the board.”
That consistency hasn’t gone unnoticed by his head coach.
Zac Taylor’s trust in McPherson has been unwavering, even during last year’s struggles.
“I can’t think of one moment of, ‘Oh, should we go for this?’” Taylor said. “No, Evan’s going to make a 50-something yarder.”
Taylor pointed out that this season, those decisions have felt easier - because McPherson has been that reliable. And it’s not just what he’s doing on Sundays. Taylor sees it every week on the practice field.
“He’s doing this at practice. He’s been doing this since training camp,” Taylor said. “The same consistency, and then going out there in the game and giving our team a lot of confidence.”
For a Bengals team still fighting for footing in a tough AFC North, having a kicker you can trust from 30 or 60 yards out is more than just a luxury - it’s a weapon. And right now, Evan McPherson is locked in, back to being the guy who made headlines as a rookie for his swagger and clutch gene.
He’s not just making kicks. He’s making a statement.