When the Buffalo Bills signed Stephen Hauschka away from the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, they envisioned the veteran placekicker making an immediate impact in Orchard Park. Performances like Sunday’s 26-16 win over the Denver Broncos, when Hauschka was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and converted both of his extra point attempts, validate the Bills’ decision to bring in Hauschka to replace the talented but inconsistent Dan Carpenter.
Hauschka’s strong outing earned him the AFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week honors for Week 3, the second time in his career he’s earned the award. He set a franchise record in the win, becoming the first Bills kicker to convert a pair of field goals of 53 yards or more in a game.
Against Denver, Hauschka converted field goals of 49, 55, 53, and 27 yards, and his final two field goals helped seal the win, coming after Buffalo’s defense forced a turnover on downs and an interception.
The unseasonably warm weather in Orchard Park was also a contributing factor to Hauschka’s record-setting day, as the 80-plus degree weather allowed each of Hauschka’s kicks to sail free and easy after being booted.
“The ball was flying good and I was hitting the ball well,” said Hauskchka, who felt he could have hit from even further out on the sun-splashed day at New Era Field.
“That one direction, where we made most of the field goals was probably 58, and then the other direction, I could probably hit up to 63, 64.”
Hauschka becomes the first Buffalo player to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors since Carpenter, his predecessor, who claimed the award in Week 11 of the 2016 season.