Tyler Bass had to spend much of the last six months going back to basics, rebuilding his routine and confidence after his fourth NFL season ended poorly.
The 27-year-old kicker faced the challenge of dealing with what went wrong and the criticism he received after missing a game-tying 44-yard field goal attempt with 1:43 left in a 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional playoffs on January 21.
“It was humbling,” Bass told The Associated Press as the Bills finished training camp in Pittsford, New York, last week. “And I’m grateful for it to find my routine. And that’s kind of what I’ve been working on in camp. … I think it was good for me.”
So far, he’s shown improvement, making both of his field-goal attempts in the preseason opener against Chicago on Saturday, despite a 33-6 loss.
His first kick was a 24-yarder into strong winds coming from Lake Erie, and his second was a 49-yarder with the wind, in the same direction he missed against the Chiefs.
Coach Sean McDermott made a point to highlight Bass, saying he was one of the few positives in a game where the Bills didn’t meet their usual standards. McDermott had also praised Bass a couple of days earlier when asked about players who impressed him in camp.
“I really like what I’ve seen from T-Bass,” the coach said. “I think he’s in a good rhythm in getting back in a game and kicking.”
The focus on Bass has been a concern for the Bills this season, even though they didn’t bring in another kicker for competition.
The miss against Kansas City wasn’t an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern for a player the Bills drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 draft from Georgia Southern, who had just signed a four-year contract extension.
