Bills HC Sean McDermott admits he’s ‘concerned’ about Tyler Bass’ struggles

Buffalo Bills Sean McDermott is "concerned" about the persisting struggles of kicker Tyler Bass.

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Head coach Sean McDermott was uncharacteristically blunt when discussing his kicker following the Buffalo Bills’ Week 6 win over the New York Jets, not immediately reiterating confidence in or coming to the defense of Tyler Bass after his two-miss outing.

“He knows he needs to make those kicks,” McDermott told reporters after the game. “That’s the bottom line. He knows he needs to make those kicks.” 

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It was an unexpectedly candid answer from the sideline boss, who generally isn’t one to offer anything close to significant criticism of a player in a press conference. That said, one could understand his mindset; Bass missed an ugly extra point in the second quarter before missing a 47-yard field goal later in the game. The veteran made his three other kicks throughout the night (one field goal, two extra points), but the misses are concerning, especially considering the fact that he’s converted on just 75% of his field goals and 90% of his extra points through six games this year.

His struggles date back to last season, as he made just 82.8% of his kicks throughout the 2023 campaign (22nd amongst kickers with 25 or more field goal attempts). Once one of the most consistent kickers in the league, Bass is now a walking question mark; the team has consistently reiterated faith in him despite his woes, making McDermott’s postgame comments all the more surprising.

Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The head coach took on a more familiar tone during his Tuesday media availability, again confirming his faith in Bass while admitting that there is some internal worry.

“I can understand everyone’s concern, I’m concerned the same,” Bass said. “He’s had some really good kicks, really good moments, and some moments that weren’t his best. That’s part of the journey, as well, and [I’m] confident that he’ll continue to work through that and his best football is ahead of him.”

Public confidence aside, Buffalo is perhaps open to the idea of adding an additional kicker, working out two specialists after its Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins. Nothing ever came of those workouts, but Bass has since missed two field goals and two extra points; perhaps the team will soon re-visit the idea.  

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