Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (2) kicks a field goal in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
CINCINNATI – Six of the previous 12 Divisional Round playoff games have been decided by three points or in overtime.
That includes the Cincinnati Bengals’ 19-16 upset of the No. 1 seed Tennessee Titans in the 2021 season.
So it got me thinking which franchise’s have had the most clutch kickers, and field goal operations as a whole, in postseason history.
In the Super Bowl era, kickers are 1,571 for 2,069 in the postseason, a 75.9 percent accuracy rate.
Among the eight teams remaining in the playoffs, only one ranks in the top 10 all time – the Baltimore Ravens are seventh at 84.9 percent (45 of 53).
The Bengals, who have a stilted run of postseason success, are tied for fourth.
Cincinnati kickers are 38 of 44 for 86.4 percent. The Houston Texans also have made 86.4 percent but are only 19 of 22.
Obviously Evan McPherson has a lot to do with where the Bengals rank as he’s 19 for 19.
Here are the other Bengals kickers and their success rates:
Josh Brown 2 of 2 (100 percent)
Jim Breech 9 of 11 (81.8 percent)
Mike Nugent 4 of 5 (80 percent)
Horst Muhlmann 3 of 4 (75 percent)
Shayne Graham 1 of 3 (33 percent)
Nugent was the last Bengals kicker to miss, pushing a 50-yarder wide right in the team’s 31-10 loss to the Houston Texans in 2011.
Since then, Cincinnati kickers have made 25 consecutive postseason field goals.
That’s the longest active streak in the NFL.
The Steelers are second with 23, but former Cincinnati kicker Jake Elliott could move the Philadelphia Eagles into the lead if he gets on a heater on a Super Bowl run. The Eagles’ streak is 16., which is tied for third longest with the Falcons.
When it comes to postseason field goal accuracy on the road and in Super Bowls, the Bengals lead the NFL at 92.6 percent (25 of 27, with 14 of those belonging to McPherson).
The Buccaneers (91.3 percent), Jaguars (86.4 percent), Vikings (84.4 percent) and Ravens (82.5 percent) round out the top 5.
The Ravens will be on the road Sunday night and, potentially, in the AFC Championship Game.