Evan McPherson on Record Breaking Kick, Bengals' Loss to Patriots

Cincinnati Bengals On SI

Transcript

00:00Evan McPherson made team history today with a 63-yard field goal.

00:04It was the exact set of circumstances that you've talked about before

00:08for getting an opportunity like that.

00:10Final play of the half, 60-plus, let it rip from 63.

00:14Yeah, you know, I felt like we had a good chance to get a shot there

00:18at the end of the half, and you're never out of it.

00:21And that's kind of what I learned throughout the years is never take time off

00:27and never let your mind wander because in a blink of an eye,

00:30you can be thrown out there for a long field goal at the end of the half.

00:33And so I think we did a good job staying in the game

00:37and not just looking forward to halftime.

00:39And we executed really well, snap, hold, kick.

00:42Everybody blocked really well.

00:44And, yeah, you know, it's just a lot of fun to get to go out there

00:46and attempt those, and I'm just really happy that this one worked out for us.

00:50There aren't that many members at the 60-yard club in the NFL.

00:54Maybe a couple dozen, I don't know.

00:56But it's not a huge list.

00:58How significant is it to have that one extra yard from your previous long of 59?

01:02Yeah, you know, I've always thought about it.

01:04It would be cool to get one on the other side of the field one day.

01:08And, you know, I'm just blessed to be putting that situation,

01:12that opportunity that coaches trust me to go out there and make it.

01:15And I'm just glad that, you know, they have that trust in me.

01:19A little extra special after the 67-yarder that was good

01:23but didn't count at Green Bay?

01:24Yeah, you know, I always enjoy, like, I feel like my rookie yard enjoyed

01:29the 50-plus attempts, and now it's kind of switched to, like, 60-plus.

01:34It is a lot of fun just to go out there and swing away

01:36and kind of see what happens.

01:38And I feel like when we go out there, we're looked at to make those kicks.

01:43And so, you know, I felt confident going into it

01:46with how we've been hitting it in practice and the operation

01:50and how everything's going.

01:51So it felt good running out of the field for that one.

01:54The NFL record is 68 now.

01:56Yeah.

01:56How long would that have been good from, the way you struck that ball?

02:00Man, we needed the track, man.

02:03You know, how they used to have to set up good from.

02:07I'm not sure.

02:07I think maybe we've got another five on it or so.

02:14It's hard to really tell, but I'd say maybe about another five.

02:18I think you're right.

02:19Congrats on the record.

02:20Is it as good as you can hit a ball?

02:23Yeah, I hit that one pretty clean.

02:25It was probably the best hit of the day, I would say.

02:30But, yeah, that was kind of like the perfect, perfect,

02:33and it won't be the show.

02:34Yeah.

02:35Good reference.

02:36They had you up on the video board after they announced the record.

02:40Were you aware it was a record?

02:42Yeah.

02:42I mean, we hit the 59-yarder in my second year, and that was a record.

02:50And then Cade came in last year and tied it.

02:52And I was aware that the record was 59, and now we just got to keep pushing it back, I guess.

03:02Is there something magical about 60?

03:03Magical back to 60?

03:05I mean, it just feels good, honestly.

03:07It feels good to get one on the other side of the field,

03:09and I think it's impressive when other guys do it.

03:12So I'm just happy that I could go out there and do it as well.

03:15It's the 14th time in NFL history from that far away.

03:18There you go.

03:19From 63 or just 60 plus?

03:21Yeah, from 63.

03:22All right.

03:23You had Tom Dempsey.

03:24That was his.

03:25He was the first one.

03:26He hit a 63 addict for the record.

03:28Yep, exactly.

03:29Yeah, long before you were born.

03:31That is very correct.

03:32Yeah.

03:33It has been surpassed, but, I mean, for a long time, 63 was kind of the white whale.

03:36That was the, I'm sure when you were growing up, that was the mark.

03:40Is that meaningful, the 63 in of itself?

03:43Yeah.

03:43No, I mean, it's very meaningful because, I mean, as a kid,

03:46going through college and high school, like, you always dreamed of those situations.

03:50And, you know, I mean, I hit the 60-yarder, like, in high school

03:54and had the state record for a little bit until my little brother broke it.

03:58But you always dream of those type of situations just to kind of keep the energy up,

04:04going into the halftime, you know, get the team rolling a little bit.

04:07And, you know, I was just honestly really excited to get that opportunity.

04:11Did you, so you knew it was a record.

04:14Did you talk about it with Cade when he tied it?

04:17Did you guys talk about that?

04:18Yeah, I think I gave him a little bit of grief about it.

04:21And, like, you come in for a few weeks and you tie my franchise record.

04:25But, no, you know, in the moment, I'm obviously happy for him because, you know,

04:31I don't root against any kickers any time.

04:33And I just want everybody to go out there and succeed.

04:36And if that kick gave him another opportunity on a team, you know,

04:40I'd be happy for him.

04:41So, but there was some work.

04:43But did the kicker say the after was the other guy?

04:45Yeah, he was just saying, obviously, congrats.

04:48And I think he topped my kick for sure with that last one that he had.

04:53I think that last kick that he had tops my kick of the half.

04:57Just the point in the game, obviously, made it a six-point game.

05:01We needed a touchdown.

05:02We couldn't just go down there and kick a long field goal to tie it

05:04and send it to overtime.

05:05So, I think Andy got us right there at the end.

05:09And that was a really impressive kick by him.

05:11Congratulations.

05:12Yeah, thank you.

05:12You talk about staying ready all the time when Chase trips off that 21-yard run.

05:16Is that when the juices really start pumping?

05:17I'm like, we might have a shot at this.

05:18You know, it's like I feel like that's kind of what I struggle with as a rookie

05:22is there's 20 seconds left and into the first half.

05:26I'm like, oh, there's no way we're going to kick.

05:29And sure enough, you break a long pass, break a long run, and you're up.

05:34So, I feel like since then, it's just kind of you never take a down off.

05:39You know, anything can happen, especially with this offense.

05:43You said best kick of the day.

05:45Does that include warm-ups?

05:46Because you were blasting them from, yeah.

05:47I would say so.

05:48I think I hit that one probably the cleanest out of any ball all day.

05:52And I was hitting it pretty well.

05:53So, you know, I was happy with the first field goal and the extra points.

05:57I thought I hit them well and definitely hit the 63 pretty well.

06:02You hit the upright from 60 in warm-ups.

06:04It looked like that one would bring it from 70.

06:06It was way up on the upright.

06:07Oh, yeah.

06:07Yeah.

06:08It had to go in the same way.

06:09Yeah.

06:09So, we had a good feeling like through pregame of what our range was.

06:15We had a good feeling like that.

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