The Cincinnati Bengals are the surprise team of the NFL. But they owe that not only to their superstar offense and pass-rushing monsters on defense – but also to an unassuming rookie kicker bursting with confidence.

Munich/Cincinnati – There are only four seconds left on the clock in the Divisional Round Playoff Game between the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals, the score is 16-16.

After the Bengals’ defence intercepted a Ryan Tannehill pass in the final minute, quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase brought their team into field goal range with a superb pass down the sideline.

The pressure was now all on kicker Evan McPherson to put the ball between the posts to the thunderous screams of the Titans fans in Nashville and the eyes of tens of millions of viewers around the world.

No doubt about “Money Mac “

And that’s exactly what McPherson did. That he would send the Bengals one round further, no one on his team had any doubt. Immediately after the game, Burrow said on “CBS”, “The guy is unbelievable. He’s got ice in his veins. The way he performs, the way he talks to people, you can tell right away he’s a great kicker.”

“Money Mac” himself, as he is called by his teammates, had no doubts either, as his quarterback told the press conference afterwards, “He did a practice swing with his leg before the kick and casually said ‘Looks like we’re going to the AFC Championship Game.’ He’s unbelievable,” the playmaker reiterated his praise for the rookie.

“It’s important for me to have confidence and always challenge myself, too,” McPherson said on “ESPN. “

Not an easy start to the season

With that said, the season didn’t start out so well for the 22-year-old rookie from the Florida Gators in Ohio. He could have beaten the Green Bay Packers twice in week five with a potential game-winning field goal, but missed both times. There has already been some minor discussion surrounding the rookie.

Where other kickers, even experienced ones, break down mentally, McPherson remained steady. Not a given, he was the only placekicker drafted in 2021. “We’ve already seen in training camp that he has that certain something. Anybody in the NFL can kick a ball through the uprights, but not everybody can do it under that pressure,” Joe Burrow said after the Tennessee game.

Aside from the game against Green Bay, McPherson played an outstanding season. Overall, he made 28 of 33 field goals, including each of 13 under 40 yards, and 46 of 48 extra points. He is still perfect in the playoffs, making eight of eight field goals and three of three extra points, for which he received the game ball from Head Coach Zac Taylor after the Nashville game.

Two down, two to go!RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/CxLTL3O8Bv

– Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 23, 2022

By the way, the Cincinnati Bengals’ unsung hero also broke records: not only is he the youngest player ever to hit a 50+ yard field goal, he also set the record for most 50+ yard field goals in a game with three converted attempts.

Full of confidence heading into the AFC Championship Game

This confidence inevitably carries over to the whole team. Not only McPherson, Burrow and Chase take the field with a broad chest, the same goes for Tee Higgins, his number two receiver and actually the entire defence.

The Bengals are not as individually rich as their upcoming opponents Kansas City Chiefs, but in terms of confidence they are at least equal to their opponents from Missouri.

When it comes to another important field goal attempt, the Bengals players and fans can almost sit back and relax. In the regular-season meeting between the two teams (34-31), it was also Cincinnati’s rookie kicker who sealed the victory.

Maybe the Bengals’ sideline will say, “Looks like we’re going to the Super Bowl” before Evan “Money Mac” McPherson’s game-changing kick.