Has Zac Taylor Lost Confidence in Evan McPherson? It Was a Factor in Bengals' Loss to Ravens

The Bengals lost to the Ravens 35-34 in Week 10.

Cincinnati Bengals place kicker Evan McPherson (2) returns to the bench after missing a field goal attempt in the second quarter of the NFL Week 8 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Have the Bengals lost confidence in Evan McPherson?

The Bengals had the ball at the Ravens' 34-yard line with a 21-14 lead with one play remaining in the third quarter. Burrow got sacked, which pushed them back to the 40-yard line.

Burrow was pressured on 2nd-and-16 and threw an incompletion. Instead of getting a few yards on third down, the Bengals went for the first down and were forced to punt after Burrow couldn't connect with Ja'Marr Chase due to the timing around him.

The Bengals could've picked up five yards, eight yards, anything—and then McPherson would've had a chance to give then a 10-point lead. Instead, they punted from the Ravens' 40-yard line.

The next possession was just as bad. The Bengals had the ball at the Ravens' 34-yard line on 3rd-and-2. Another pass to Chase fell incomplete. Taylor decided to go for it on 4th-and-2, instead of letting McPherson kick a 51-yard field goal to potentially extend the Bengals' lead to 24-20.

"We were in field goal range and wanted to go up eight. Didn't want to go up four," Taylor said. "Felt confident that we would make the field goal, but at the same time, it was the type of game where you just felt like you needed that maximum lead."

The Bengals didn't convert the fourth down and the Ravens took the lead on their next possession.

Where is Taylor's confidence in McPherson right now?

 "High. High," Taylor said. "I know it hasn't been exactly the type of season the whole operation has envisioned. But there's no question, I didn't doubt for a second that we would make the field goal. I didn't want three points there, I wanted seven points."

McPherson has made 13-of-17 field goal attempts this season and 29-of-30 extra point attempts. He's 3-of-6 from 50+ yards, which includes the bobbled hold in overtime against the Ravens in Week 5.

Taylor's confidence in McPherson appears to have wavered. His in-game decisions will be something to monitor moving forward, especially with a must-win game looming on Sunday against the Chargers.

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