Buffalo Bills: 3 X-factor players for Week 12 against Chargers

Tyler Bass

When you are a kicker in the NFL, your popularity with your fan base has the ability to alter week-to-week; Tyler Bass knows this all too well.

When the Bills selected a kicker in the 2020 NFL Draft, many fans were behind it while many were against it. Those for the decision say that the writing was on the wall for Stephen Hauschka.

During his last two seasons in Buffalo, Hauschka’s leg was getting noticeably weaker. Reaching 35 years of age, the cannon of a leg that Hauschka had with the Seattle Seahawks when the franchise was making long-playoff runs and Super Bowl appearances was starting to dwindle. Pair that with the windy, hostile environment that is Bills’ Stadium and the wheels started turning when Bass entered camp that he would take Hauschka’s spot on the roster.

Those who were against the decision to put a rookie kicker in instead of the proven Hauschka got their chances to say ‘I told you so” during many points of the season so far. Being 19/25 on the season for field goals for 76.0% and 29/30 on extra points for 96.7%, Bass has been far from perfect, but he has been close. He has only missed one field goal attempt and has been perfect on the extra point in his last three games.

Going against a Los Angeles Chargers team that has Joey Bosa, the Buffalo Bills could find themselves in some pretty bad field position if Allen is sacked. With Bass being on the up and coming in recent weeks, if the Bills need a long field goal attempt, Bass has shown, especially against the Cardinals, that he can do it.