Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass, right, kicks a field goal in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Monday. (Elsa / Getty Images)
By C. Douglas Golden October 15, 2024 at 6:33am
Buffalo Bills fans, I know this is a hard truth to take, but Scott Norwood did not lose Super Bowl XXV for you guys.
Norwood, for those of you who don’t remember, is the reason why the phrase “Wide Right” has its own page on Wikipedia. Those were the words ABC Sports announcer Al Michaels used as Norwood missed a last-second 47-yard field goal on Jan. 27, 1991, in the game that got the poxed Bills teams that lost four straight Super Bowls closest to winning one. Instead: “No good! Wide right!” New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19.
But the thing is, Norwood was the perfect kicker for Buffalo, which had a prolific offense. He was phenomenal on artificial turf, which the Bills played on. He was deadly accurate at under 40 yards, even in the Buffalo cold. In that era, 47-yard kicks weren’t chip shots, even in perfect conditions. In that Super Bowl, New York managed to shut down Buffalo’s offense thanks to a masterful game plan by then-Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick. Tampa isn’t cold. It also used a grass field.
So no, Scott Norwood wasn’t the problem, not in that game. He was a great kicker — for Buffalo, in 1990. For Buffalo, in 2024, Tyler Bass is the problem.
Bass, as those of you have visited the “Wide Right” Wikipedia page have no doubt discovered, has his own section after he, too, missed a 44-yard kick that would have tied a playoff game in the closing seconds against the Kansas City Chiefs at home in January.
Fine, 44 yards. Could happen to anybody, even though that’s considered chip-shot range in the modern NFL. This, though?
Tyler Bass just kicked the worst extra point you’ll ever see
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 15, 2024
“I’ve seen better kicks than that on ‘College GameDay,’” play-by-play man Joe Buck said of the second-quarter extra-point miss by Bass. “What the heck was that?”
Do you watch Monday Night Football?
To be fair, Bass was wide left this time. Very wide left. Like, Bernie Sanders wide left. And yes, a Jet did get his fingers on it. A Jets player who was on the left side of the line of scrimmage and should never have gotten close to blocking a kick that went through the uprights. Did we mention this was way off?
And this wasn’t just edgy, hip Barstool Sports calling this a bad extra point attempt. At staid ESPN, which was broadcasting the game, this was the caption to the video: “Is this the worst extra-point attempt of all time? Tyler Bass lines up for the extra point, but the kick goes hilariously wrong.”
The difference wasn’t just the side of the miss or the hilarity of it. The Bills managed to win, something they didn’t do in either “Wide Right” game — although not in convincing style, against a different New York team, and one they could put away a lot easier if Bass had nailed it.
The Bills ended up winning the game 23-20 against a Jets team that is reeling after an unexpected midseason coaching change. Furthermore, thanks to that missed extra point, Gang Green was still within striking distance with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, needing only a field goal to tie.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, facing a third and 16 from his own 40, ended up throwing an interception on a deep pass inside the Buffalo 20-yard line; Jets’ receiver Mike Williams fell down, which is why Taron Johnson was able to make an amazing pick.
Aaron Rodgers throwing game-losing interceptions will always be fun to watch pic.twitter.com/xWAwBzBcGc
— Kole Musgrove (@KoleMusgrove23) October 15, 2024
Had the pass been completed — which is, you know, a lot easier when your receiver doesn’t slip and fall on the pattern — it would have been a chip-shot for New York to tie it. If Bass had made the kick, meanwhile, Rodgers would have had to get them in the end zone, a considerably more difficult task.
Also, did we mention it was a bad kick? Because yeah, it was really bad:
One of the worst XPs you will see all season.
“I’ve seen better kicks than that on College GameDay.”
Tyler Bass 😂pic.twitter.com/VGN1RKIzNK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 15, 2024
In short, when comparing “Wide Rights,” don’t forget that Scott Norwood was a good kicker that punched above his weight in an era where equipment, training, specialization, and accuracy for kickers was far below what it is in 2024. Don’t blame Scott, blame the Bills falling right into the Giants’ trap in Super Bowl XXV.
Tyler Bass, however? That’s all a him thing.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he’s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he’s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
Birthplace
Morristown, New Jersey
Education
Catholic University of America
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Topics of Expertise
American Politics, World Politics, Culture
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
