According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Cincinnati Bengals placed Kicker Evan McPherson on injured reserve with a groin injury. McPherson seemingly suffered the injury in Sunday’s 44-38 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It has been a rough season for the kicker as he has made only 16-of-22 field goals and 37-of-38 extra points. The Cincinnati Bengals lost 26-25 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, and a McPherson missed extra point proved a critical error.
The Cincinnati Bengals will turn to Kicker Cade York until McPherson is healthy enough to return this season if he ever does. York was cut by the Washington Commanders following a rough Week 1 where he missed two field goals. How will the Bengals fare without their kicker over the next few weeks?
Cincinnati Bengals Season Summary
Bengals placed K Evan McPherson on injured reserve. Bengals new kicker will be Cade York.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 4, 2024
The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2024 season with Super Bowl aspirations, but have come up woefully short of that goal. They are 4-8 and have a 2% chance to make the NFL Playoffs. The team’s offense has been one of the league’s best this season while their defense has been one of the league’s worst. This recipe has the Cincinnati Bengals on the precipice of missing the postseason for the second consecutive season.
Quarterback Joe Burrow is having arguably the best season of his career while the team has struggled mightily. Burrow is leading the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns and is third in QBR. While not blameless, Burrow’s performance is nowhere near the biggest issue the Bengals have faced this season. Cincinnati’s defense, which has been near the top of the league in recent years, has been awful in 2024. They are 27th in yards allowed per game and 31st in opposing points per game. Burrow, and the offense, have been unable to overcome their defense this year.
Final Thoughts
The Cincinnati Bengals head on the road to face the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. Dallas is coming in winners of two in a row and Cincinnati has no margin of error with five games left in the regular season. They will have to go 5-0 over the remainder of the regular season and receive some help from the teams above them in the standings to make the playoffs. It was already going to be an uphill battle for the Cincinnati Bengals, and with the McPherson injury news, their path got much harder.
