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After two consecutive losses, the Buffalo Bills got back in the win columns after defeating the New York Jets 23-20 on Monday Night Football. A victory over the Jets means the Bills stay in first place in the AFC East while the Jets fall third behind the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass ultimately connected on the game-winning 25-yard field with 3:46 left in the fourth quarter. However, his misses could’ve cost the Bills the win. Speaking to reporters after the game, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott didn’t mince words about his confidence level in Bass.
“He knows he needs to make those kicks,” McDermott said. “That’s the bottom line. He knows he needs to make those kicks.”
Bass missed from 47 yards in the third quarter. His missed extra point in the second quarter also went viral because it looked awful before it was officially noted as blocked.
Joe Buck: Bass. No chance. That was just weird.
Troy Aikman: I don't think the wind had anything to do with that one.
Buck: I've seen better kicks than that on "College GameDay." What the heck was that? https://t.co/sZsrBh1WvI pic.twitter.com/P2V8ltkID1
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 15, 2024
Consistency has been an issue for Bass all season long after Buffalo signed him to a four-year, $21 million extension in 2023. If the Bills aren't careful with who they have at kicker, they could see games like the Jets go in the other direction. So, at this point, McDermott starts to sound like a broken record while he waits for his kicker to become more accurate.
What can the Bills do to fix their kicking woes?
During the Bills’ final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, Bass missed his 51-yard attempt, resulting in a 31-26 loss. During the 2024 regular season, he missed three field goal attempts in the 40-49-yard range and two extra-point attempts. Overall, Bass is the third-worst kicker in the NFL in terms of field goal accuracy. Meanwhile, he's the worst placekicker in terms of extra-point accuracy.
McDermott and the Bills have started mulling over reinforcements last month to challenge Bass. So far, they've invited Anders Carlson and Cade York for workouts. However, neither has been impressive enough to replace Bass, forcing McDermott to stick with the inaccurate kicker.
While McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane expressed confidence in Bass's ability to turn things around this season, the clock is ticking. Buffalo cannot have Bass come up short like he did last season against the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. During the Bills’ 27-24 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Divisional round in January, Bass missed the game-tying 44-yard field goal with 1:43 left in regulation. The ball swung wide right. Those small mistakes can crater a season, something Buffalo cannot continue to gamble on.
