Evan McPherson plans to fix his 'downfall' from last season
Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson had the type of practice on Monday that you’d expect from one of the best kickers in the NFL.
The Bengals practiced end-of-game situations, and McPherson drilled all of his kicks. McPherson became one of the most popular kickers in football in 2021 because of his consistency in clutch moments, and is looking forward to those moments again in 2023.
Bengals depth chart: Check out the first depth chart of the NFL preseason
‘A sigh of relief’: Why extending Logan Wilson was right move for Bengals
After practice on Monday, McPherson visualized what it would be like to kick the game-winning field goal in Week 1 in front of the Dawg Pound in a tough environment in Cleveland. He wants to make up for the kicks he missed, the struggles he went through and the doubt that he felt at points last season.
“I’m a big thinker,” McPherson said after a special teams’ heavy practice on Monday. “That was my downfall last year. You have to get past overthinking things. You have to just go out there and react. That’s what I’ve been trying to do as a player. I struggled the first couple weeks. I was overthinking a lot of things. Now I have a free mind. I’m just going out there and kicking the ball.”
McPherson said that he’s still kicking himself for the way he performed on the road in Week 8 against the Browns last year. Before he went on the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium, he decided that he was going to make different adjustments to account for the wind. He analyzed how he’d have to adjust his swing pattern. He told himself to stay calm despite playing in a tough road environment on Monday Night Football.
McPherson went on to have the most frustrating game of his career. He missed a game-changing 47-yard field goal before halftime and also missed an extra point.
The Bengals open the 2023 season at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Since he saw that date on the schedule, McPherson has been thinking about a chance to redeem himself.
“I definitely overthought the Cleveland kicks last year,” McPherson said. “I can vividly remember that game. You hear about the Dawg Pound and its intimidation factor. But it’s just no different than any other stadium. Going into Week 1 this year, I know it’s no different than any stadium I’ve kicked in. I’m not overthinking anything this year.”
McPherson and Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons agree that McPherson’s sophomore season in 2022 was “solid.” McPherson was 24-for-29 on field goals. While he was perfect on 50-plus yard field goals, McPherson was much less consistent on shorter range kicks. He also missed four extra points.
During McPherson’s rookie year, he looked like he was on track to be one of the best kickers in the NFL. Simmons still sees McPherson on that track.
“I want him to continue to progress up,” Simmons said. “I view him as one of the top young guys in the league, and he needs to continue to view himself that way. It also means he has to still do all the things that it takes for him to become that top guy. That’s a part of the learning process for him.”
McPherson’s inconsistency last season surprised himself because of how good he was at keeping his poise when he was a rookie in 2021. McPherson made a game-winning kick in his NFL debut, a game-winning kick to clinch the AFC North and two game-winning kicks in the playoffs.
This summer, when McPherson reflected on the biggest kicks of his career, he realized a lesson.
“I didn’t think that much in those situations,” McPherson said. “I have to get back to that.”
McPherson started out training camp with one of his shakier stretches as a Bengal. Over the last week, he has found his stride again and gotten back to kicking at his usual level.
On Monday, with a long stretch of practice centered around McPherson making simulated game-winning kicks, he delivered. He says his “clearer mind” and his “sharper focus” are good signs for what his third year in the NFL can look like.
“Your third year, people expect a lot out of you,” McPherson said. “At this point, you either have it or you don’t. The average career span for an NFL player is around three years. Your third year tells you what type of player you’re going to be. And I’m going to be a good one.”
More observations from Monday's practice
• The Bengals offense got limited work during a special teams’ focused practice, but they did a series of 11-on-11 drills that started with the offense up against its own goal line. While the first team defense stopped the first team offense with tight coverage from cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt on third down, the second team offense won the drill. Backup quarterback Jake Browning threw up a deep ball to rookie wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, who made a leaping catch between a double team and continued his promising training camp.
• The Bengals running backs did full speed pass protection drills. Chase Brown was the most consistent blocker, but he’s working on refining his technique and approach. The Bengals have no clear cut replacement for what Samaje Perine brought to the table with his pass blocking. Joe Mixon had a few great reps, but he also had a few tough losses when he tried to pick up a blitzing linebacker.
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones returned to the practice field after a minor shoulder injury. Running back Trayveon Williams (ankle) was back on the field but was limited. Right guard Alex Cappa (undisclosed) and defensive end Tarell Basham (leg) remain out.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals kicker Evan McPherson plans to fix problems from 2022 season
