We’re counting down the best, most important, most impressive early career Buffalo Bills. These players are the closest thing to a “farm system” for an NFL team, and ideally they’re playing major roles in the team’s success. For every Von Miller the team’s signing in free agency, they’re only able to work that tactic by supporting him with a handful of younger, cost-controlled players.
In ninth place is a player you might not have thought about at first, but he’s valuable to the Bills in his own role. It’s the team’s kicker, Tyler Bass!
The list so far
Number 9: K Tyler Bass (turned 25 on February 14)
Moving up one spot from last year’s list because he’s so good at his work is everyone’s favorite kicker. Chalk it up to the All-Pro football holder he partnered with if you’d like, but Bass improved his field goal success to 87.5% in 2021, while making every extra point. His touchback rate dropped to 56.6%, but that was due to the Bills employing a tactic to kick high and short of the end zone, which made it easier to defend kickoff returns.
At one point in the year, Bass was on a streak of 16 consecutive field goal conversions and 23 consecutive extra points—one that ended in a miserably rainy loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Following that game, he was 9-of-10 on field goals and 21-of-21 on extra points in the remainder of the regular season.
Unlike the 2020 season, Bass didn’t attempt any field goals in the playoffs, and he was 9-of-11 on extra points.
He may not show up on the football field very often. But he’s indispensable in his role for the Bills, and that earns him a place on this list for the second and final time.
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