CINCINNATI — Evan McPherson has made Zac Taylor’s life on the sidelines a lot easier ever since he was taken in the fifth round out of Florida in 2021.
“From his first game in this league, he’s had a tremendous impact on this club, on this city,” Taylor said Monday in announcing the three-year extension for McPherson that will pay him a record $10 million extra cash in the first year. “So we’re really proud that this day has come where he rightfully gets his extension.”
That first example of clutch kicking that would eventually earn him the moniker “Money Mac” came on Sept. 12, 2021 when he kicked the game-winner in overtime for a 27-24 victory over the Vikings.
“We’ve got a lot of trust in him, a lot of my gut as games come to a close, I’ve got tremendous faith in Evan, as you can see from the moments where we’ve relied on him to close out games for us or opportunities within games from long range. He’s got the leg, he’s got the confidence, he’s got the ability. He’s only going to continue to get better and better. I truly believe his best days are ahead even though we’ve already had some best days also.”
He has played in 49 regular-season games for Cincinnati and converted 78 of 93 field goal attempts, along with 126 of 132 PATs. His 21 career made kicks from 50 or more yards are the most in team history, the most in NFL history in a player’s first three seasons, and tied for the most by any kicker since he entered the league in 2021. He has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week three times, and his 83.9 career FG percentage is the third-highest in team history (minimum 75 attempts).
While his regular season record is impressive enough, including a franchise-record 59-yarder in the 2022 opener against the Steelers, McPherson has made his biggest mark in seven postseason games, becoming the team’s all-time leader in postseason scoring (69 points). He is a perfect 19 of 19 on postseason FG attempts, marking the second-most made FGs without a miss to begin a postseason career in NFL history behind former Chicago/N.Y. Giants/San Francisco kicker Robbie Gould (29).
Two of his postseason FGs were game-winning “walk-off” kicks after the 2021 season, including a 52-yarder in the AFC Divisional Playoff at Tennessee and a 31-yarder in overtime of the AFC Championship at Kansas City that sent the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI.
McPherson has earned his moniker as “Money Mac”. How did he get to the point of being Mr. Clutch?
It’s all in the breathing, military breathing. The cadence is breath in four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four and rest for four.
“I still get nervous,” McPherson told me. “It’s a whole range of emotions that go though you before any kick. I think nerves is definitely one of those things. I just pray for peace and clear mind. Nerves are definitely something that is normal.”
Funny thing is that just two days before the legendary kick, McPherson had one of the worst practices that season, missing an estimated 9-of-10 kicks at the end of practice.
“I wasn’t (concerned) because it was just such an outlier day where nobody said a word,” Taylor said. “Everybody just pretended it wasn’t happening. Nobody said anything. It was kind of like “Tin Cup.” It was like we all just kind of watched, and he just kept kicking, and then we all just kind of ignored it, because it doesn’t happen. Never happens, never happened, and then goes out there, kicks the game-winner like it was nothing and nobody would have ever known.”
While Roy McAvoy McPherson is clearly getting rewarded for his on-field production, there is the added benefit of a player who has embraced everything it means to be a Cincinnatian.
“Even outside of the stadium, we have created such a good community through church, through friends that we’ve met at restaurants here and there,” McPherson said. “It’s just a great city to be a part of and to be in. I’ve got a lot of friends outside of the stadium and outside of the team. So just to know that we’re gonna be here and get to enjoy those people is really exciting.”
“He’s just got this aura about him where you got a ton of confidence in him, and never seems to have a bad day, never seems to be flustered by a moment, and you just always have that confidence in him. And my gut always tells me, hey, put him out there.”
McPherson acknowledged Monday that he booted a 68-yarder in training this summer with a holder and would like to get the chance if the right opportunity presents itself.
“That really changes field position, so the situation’s got to be perfect,” Taylor said. “I can’t define a situation right now that that would occur, but you never know. Maybe it pops up.”
McPherson certainly wouldn’t say no.
“I would love to. I would love to attempt it,” he said. “We have had a couple opportunities in the preseason we passed up on but I think the one I could have had in the Bucs game we ended up getting the first down instead of settling for the 58. The other one I think was fourth-and-1 in the last game where it was a 63-yarder. I would love to attempt one just kind of see how it is get out there and wail away at one.”
One of the ongoing themes of this training camp has been success that the defense has had in providing headaches for Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense. That’s saying something because Burrow is rightly considered one of the best intellectual and perceptive quarterbacks in the league. On Monday, the defense held Burrow and the offense out on four red zone chances, including a four-and-goal from the 9.
Joe Burrow off back foot throws a 4th down red zone pass for Charlie Jones that Dax Hill knocks away. pic.twitter.com/nPBWAAneL0
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 19, 2024
Burrow dropped back and felt Sheldon Rankins in his face and tossed the ball on a backpedal to Charlie Jones. Jones was open but Dax Hill closed quickly and knocked the ball to the ground. Hill was also in tight coverage on Trenton Irwin on a 25-yard fade from Burrow. The ball fell to the ground and the defense quickly came over to congratulate Hill.
“A lot of positivity in terms of production, and just flying around out there.” Dax Hill on the role he sees in Bengals secondary. It was Hill who batted down a Joe Burrow pass on fourth down in red zone. pic.twitter.com/V9ARnaswno
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 19, 2024
“It’s way more challenging. As a play-caller on offense, just details in the run game, it’s hard to just get that yardage because of the fits of everybody on the second level,” Taylor said. “So, forget about the d-line, but just the fits from backers, safeties, corners. It just makes it a lot more challenging. The receivers have to be on top of everything. We’ve had so many presentations on our run game, just the details because our defense is doing such a good job playing at a high level and with anticipation and aggressiveness and physicality.
“That’s been good and I think it’s shown up in the preseason games. The guys that have played, I think the run defense has been really good. (The Bears) got a reverse for 16 yards but beyond that, it was four yards there for a long time in the half that they had rushing. I think that’s gone from top to bottom on our defense that’s really shown up this training camp.”
Camp Observations Days 16:
