Buffalo Bills: Early predictions for standout Bills players in 2018

Most underappreciated

It’s about time to show some love for a kicker. That’s right, you heard me, a kicker. Steven Hauschka is, in fact, a kicker and a damn good one at that. When the team decided to ink the ex-Seattle Seahawk to a four-year, $12.4 million contract, Bills fans collectively scratched their heads. Why would the team allocate funds to an ostensibly non-vital position? It didn’t help that Beane also chose to sign two fullbacks in the same offseason, despite the position leaning the way of the dodo bird.

For Bills supporters that have been around for awhile, I’ll give you a handful of good reasons why Hauschka was a worthy investment and why he’s underappreciated:  Jake Arians, Shayne Graham, Mike Hollis, Dan Carpenter.

Now, I know that Sundays are typically the most stressful day of the week for Bills fans, but relying on the aforementioned list to execute important field goals over the years was downright soul crushing at times. An upgrade was desperately needed.

Hauschka immediately paid dividends for his new club when he drilled 56 and 55-yard field goals late in the game to solidify a massive upset over the defending NFC champion Falcons. He would end the season hitting 29 of 33 field goals, seven of which came from 50+ yards. He was appropriately given the name “Hausch-Money” as a result.

Given that Hauschka has maintained a 87.3 percent field goal accuracy over his 10-year career, Bills fan need not worry that his performance last season was a fluke. Instead, let’s acknowledge that we have a fantastic kicker and appreciate that he makes Sundays a tad bit less stressful.