Evan McPherson is a rookie kicker, but I don’t have any concerns about him getting nervous while playing on pro football’s biggest stage. He’s had a pretty great first season, capped by coming up huge in all three of the team’s playoff games.
He’s made all 16 of his kicks in the postseason, finishing with 4 field goals in each of Cincinnati’s games. Only 19 times in the last 10 years have kickers converted 4 field goals in playoff games, and McPherson has three of those games.
McPherson is the first kicker in the Super Bowl era to go 12 for 12 on field goals in the postseason. Only one other kicker has kicked more than 10 playoff field goals in a season (Adam Vinatieri) but he also missed one.
McPherson needs 2 field goals to tie the record for most field goals in a postseason, and he needs 9 points to tie the record for most playoff points scored by a kicker. Vinatieri (in 2006) currently holds those records.
Below is the list of all kickers with at least 8 field goal attempts in a postseason in the Super Bowl Era. I’ve got them in order by points scored.
| 8-PLUS FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS IN POSTSEASON | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | G | XP-A | FG-A | Pts |
| 2006 | Adam Vinatieri, Ind. | 4 | 7-7 | 14-15 | 49 |
| 2021 | Evan McPherson, Cin. | 3 | 4-4 | 12-12 | 40 |
| 1992 | Steve Christie, Buff. | 4 | 12-12 | 9-10 | 39 |
| 2020 | Ryan Succop, T.B. | 4 | 12-13 | 9-9 | 39 |
| 1987 | Chuck Nelson, Min. | 3 | 9-9 | 9-9 | 36 |
| 2003 | John Kasay, Car. | 4 | 8-8 | 9-11 | 35 |
| 1985 | Tony Franklin, N.E. | 4 | 10-10 | 8-10 | 34 |
| 2011 | Lawrence Tynes, NYG | 4 | 10-10 | 8-10 | 34 |
| 2015 | Brandon McManus, Den. | 3 | 3-3 | 10-10 | 33 |
| 2006 | Stephen Gostkowski, N.E. | 3 | 9-9 | 8-8 | 33 |
| 2013 | Stephen Hauschka, Sea. | 3 | 9-9 | 8-8 | 33 |
| 1999 | Al Del Greco, Tenn. | 4 | 8-8 | 8-11 | 32 |
| 2008 | David Akers, Phil. | 3 | 5-6 | 9-10 | 32 |
| 1991 | Chip Lohmiller, Wash. | 3 | 12-12 | 6-10 | 30 |
| 1996 | Mike Hollis, Jac. | 3 | 6-6 | 8-9 | 30 |
| 1990 | Matt Bahr, NYG | 3 | 6-6 | 8-9 | 30 |
| 2021 | Matt Gay, LAR | 3 | 9-9 | 7-9 | 30 |
| 1982 | Rafael Septien, Dall. | 3 | 9-9 | 7-8 | 30 |
| 2018 | Greg Zuerlein, LAR | 3 | 5-5 | 8-10 | 29 |
| 1998 | Jason Elam, Den. | 3 | 11-11 | 6-8 | 29 |
| 1995 | Norm Johnson, Pitt. | 3 | 8-8 | 7-8 | 29 |
| 2000 | Matt Stover, Balt. | 4 | 11-11 | 6-8 | 29 |
| 2003 | Adam Vinatieri, N.E. | 3 | 6-6 | 7-10 | 27 |
| 1977 | Efren Herrera, Dall. | 3 | 9-10 | 6-9 | 27 |
| 1986 | Rich Karlis, Den. | 3 | 6-6 | 7-9 | 27 |
| 1998 | Morten Andersen, Atl. | 3 | 6-6 | 7-8 | 27 |
| 2020 | Harrison Butker, K.C. | 3 | 6-7 | 7-8 | 27 |
| 2016 | Chris Boswell, Pitt. | 3 | 3-5 | 8-8 | 27 |
| 2020 | Tyler Bass, Buff. | 3 | 5-6 | 7-9 | 26 |
| 1984 | Uwe von Schamann, Mia. | 3 | 11-11 | 5-8 | 26 |
| 1982 | Mark Moseley, Wash. | 4 | 14-14 | 4-8 | 26 |
| 1972 | Curt Knight, Wash. | 3 | 4-4 | 7-8 | 25 |
| 1983 | Mark Moseley, Wash. | 3 | 9-10 | 5-10 | 24 |
| 1969 | Jan Stenerud, K.C. | 3 | 5-5 | 6-10 | 23 |
| 2005 | Josh Brown, Sea. | 3 | 7-7 | 5-8 | 22 |
| 1986 | Mark Moseley, Cle. | 2 | 4-4 | 5-8 | 19 |
| 1968 | Jim Turner, NYJ | 2 | 4-4 | 5-8 | 19 |
| 1970 | Jim O'Brien, Balt. | 3 | 6-7 | 4-9 | 18 |
Statistics for both charts compiled using search tools at Pro-Football-Reference.com
Rookie kickers have tended to hold up just fine in Super Bowl games. Ten others have played in the big game, and they’ve missed only 2 field goals and 2 extra points – 37-39 on extra points, and 13-15 on field goals. Half of those misses were by Jim O’Brien, who was a toe kicker for the Colts in 1970.
| ROOKIE KICKERS IN SUPER BOWLS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Age | Opp | Result | XP-A | FG-A | Pts |
| 1970 | Jim O'Brien, Balt. | 23 | Dall. | W 16-13 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 11 |
| 1980 | Matt Bahr, Pitt. | 23 | LAR | W 31-19 | 4-4 | 1-1 | 10 |
| 1985 | Kevin Butler, Chi. | 23 | N.E. | W 46-10 | 5-5 | 3-3 | 7 |
| 1989 | David Treadwell, Den. | 24 | S.F. | L 10-55 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 3 |
| 1992 | Lin Elliott, Dall. | 24 | Buff. | W 52-17 | 7-7 | 1-1 | 14 |
| 1994 | Doug Brien, S.F. | 24 | S.D. | W 49-26 | 7-7 | 0-1 | 6 |
| 1996 | Adam Vinatieri, N.E. | 24 | G.B. | L 21-35 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 10 |
| 1997 | Ryan Longwell, G.B. | 23 | Den. | L 24-31 | 3-3 | 1-1 | 4 |
| 2012 | Justin Tucker, Balt. | 23 | S.F. | W 34-31 | 4-4 | 2-2 | 4 |
| 2017 | Jake Elliott, Phil. | 23 | N.E. | W 41-33 | 2-3 | 3-3 | 7 |
| 2021 | Evan McPherson, Cin. | 22 | LAR | ? | ? | ? | ? |
If this Super Bowl comes down to McPherson attempting a kick inside 55 yards, I would think the Bengals would feel very good about their chances.
—Ian Allan