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Buffalo Bills rookie kicker Tyler Bass has been making a name for himself all season long, but some questioned what the sixth-round pick from Georgia Southern would be able to do when the game was on the line.
Turns out, Bass is going to be just fine.
With 8:08 remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter, the Bills were facing a fourth and six situation and only had an eight-point lead. Bills head coach Sean McDermott had nothing but confidence in his rookie kicker though and sent Bass out for a 54-yard field goal.
Bass put his kick through the uprights for what was the eventual game-winning field goal as the Colts came down on their next offensive drive and scored a touchdown to cut Buffalo’s lead to just three points. Bass’ kick was also the longest field goal by a rookie in the playoffs in NFL history.
He also tied Steve Christie’s team record for the longest field goal in the playoffs, which he set in the 1993 Super Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys.
“It was awesome man, just full trust in him, full trust in our field goal unit, and their execution,” McDermott said during his post-game video conference call. “We have a lot of confidence in those guys.”
Bass attempted two field goals on Saturday and made both of them. He also made all three of his point-after attempts and hasn’t missed a kick since he missed an extra point attempt against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 13.
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Bass Has Been Breaking Bills Records All Year
In his first year in the NFL, Bass has already been breaking Bills kicking records.
He’s already made the most amount of extra points in a single season, passing Scott Norwood’s 1991 record of 56, and he has also scored the most amount of points in a single-season with 141, averaging 8.8 points per game this season.
In total this season, Bass has made 57 of his 59 extra-point attempts and has also made 28 of his 34 field goal attempts.
Not only has Bass been lighting up the league as a rookie, but he’s also brought a little “swagger” to the kicker position. After hitting his 54-yard field goal against the Colts, Bass showed off a little of that excitement with a celebration.
Bills Rookies Step Up on Big Stage
Bills general manager Brandon Beane will probably look back on his team’s 2020 draft and smile because of what his rookies were able to do on Saturday.
Bass hit the eventual game-winning field goal and wide receiver Gabe Davis stepped-up up in a big way by catching four passes for 85 yards.
As time ticked off the clock at the end of the first half, the Bills drove down the field and Josh Allen ran for a five-yard touchdown to give his team a 14-10 lead heading into halftime. But, Davis made two key catches during the 10-play, 96-yard drive, to keep it alive.
The first came on a 37-yard pass down the right sideline and the second came on the left sideline for a 19 yard gain two plays later. Both plays ended up being reviewed by the officiating staff and both were ruled catches as Davis showed off his toe dragging abilities.
“Those were big plays, especially for a rookie in his first playoff game, it just showed that he’s mentally tough and the game isn’t too big for him and that’s good to see,” McDermott said during his post-game video conference call. “Then a couple of the other guys too, mainly Tyler Bass making that kick as a rookie, a 54-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. That just shows you their mental toughness and how prepared they were.”
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