It may not be fair to place all of the blame on Tyler Bass for the loss by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. There were tough calls and multiple blown opportunities that had a hand in the team having their 2023 NFL season ended before their goal of the Super Bowl, but there was no bigger moment than the one that called for Bass to tie the game with under two minutes to play.
NFL: Bills Lose To Chiefs On Tyler Bass Missed FG
Josh Allen made sure to find Tyler Bass after the game
That’s leadership right there. pic.twitter.com/W9K6qs4dLA
— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2024
The game between the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs lived up to the hype. The two had met in the playoffs and had provided us with some of the more memorable games that we have seen in recent years, and it appeared that it was finally time for Josh Allen and his Bills to get over the hump and take down Patrick Mahomes. Buffalo finally had home field advantage, the momentum, and an offense that was arguably more talented than anything the Chiefs were working with.
The contest featured six lead changes, the final one coming just after the start of the 4th quarter, when Isaiah Pacheco scored a touchdown to put Kansas City up 27-24. After the teams traded turnovers and saw drives stall, Allen was able to get his team into position to try a field goal with 1:47 left to tie the game.
Bass came on for the attempt, and the result was a familiar sight for Bills fans. The kick sailed wide right, and Buffalo was eliminated from Super Bowl contention.
Bass Deletes Social Media Accounts On Monday
: #Bills kicker Tyler Bass has deleted social media after missing the crucial field goal in last night’s loss to the #Chiefs.
Hope he has people that are there for him.
(H/T: @_MLFootball) pic.twitter.com/JcuhsvYLwq
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 22, 2024
The Bills have been one of the more tortured fan bases in NFL history, and the missed kick has certainly brought back some demons from a different generation. The name Scott Norwood rings in their heads as the reason why their trophy case sits empty, and many turned to Twitter and the like to voice their displeasure after the game.
As a part of damage control, Tyler Bass has deleted his social media accounts. There have been reports that he and his family were receiving death threats.
And while there are always bad apples in the bunch, there is plenty of support for Bass, including from the Bills’ superstar quarterback. Allen was sure to find Bass after the game as the players ran into the tunnel, and put his arm around him to console him in the tough moment.
Bass was good on 24 of his 29 attempts during the 2023 NFL season, his lowest percentage since his rookie season, and had a lonf of 54 yards. He still has three years left on his current contract, but the Bills could save themselves a small amount of money by cutting him after June 1st.