What Bills' Josh Allen said after Tyler Bass hit 61-yard game-winner vs. Dolphins
The Buffalo Bills sunk the Miami Dolphins in Orchard Park Sunday by a final score of 30-27.
The Bills won a close-fought battle in the final regular season meeting between the two clubs thanks to some late-game heroics by their offense and special teams.
That effort was headlined by kicker Tyler Bass, who delivered a game-winning kick for the ages and the longest in Buffalo Bills history at 61 yards.
Immediately after the win, quarterback Josh Allen became emotional during an on-field interview speaking about Bass: "I love that man."
"So proud of him. So happy for him," he added during his postgame press conference. "Got emotional in my little postgame speech out there – just the trials and tribulations that he’s been in throughout this year. … A 61-yard field goal to win a game against a division rival, it’s what stories are made of. I love him. I respect him so much. Everybody in that locker room’s so happy for him, and he’s our guy."
Since the end of last season, Bass has experienced his ups and downs, including this game. He missed an extra point, hit an upright on an extra point, and then delivered the long knockout punch to get the victory.
"That’s why we all love sports, right?" Bills head coach Sean McDermott said to the press after the game.
Bass's extra point miss came in the third quarter after the Bills took a 12-10 lead on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Allen to WR Mack Hollins on fourth-and-goal. And as it was his third missed PAT of the season, fans may have been concerned if the kicker with some clutch kicks in his career could deliver again.
The Dolphins perhaps knew better, as they've seen Bass beat them in the final seconds of a game before.
And in a site that's become all too familiar, Bass did just that and Buffalo continued its dominance against Miami.
"What a story, man. What a story," McDermott proudly declared. "I just think overall that here's a young man that has been going through it and the journey that he's been on week to week, the questions that have been asked of him, of me … it's natural, it's the business we're in. It's a great example of mental toughness. I think it's a great example of perseverance, resilience for young kids out there. Here's a player that was under the microscope pretty darn hard."
Bass has endured a challenging season of misses, one in which the teams signed kicker Lucas Havrisik to their practice squad after an Oct. 14 win against the Jets in which Bass missed a field goal and an extra point. The Bills veteran kept the job and had a chance this week to show off the big leg that the club drafted him for in 2020.
"Just reminding myself that, you know, I love this, I love the sport," Bass said about his mindset and approach. "This is what I've dreamed of and when I was out there, I honestly wasn't thinking about anything. Just went through my process and trusted my preparation. That was it."
That perspective paid off when it mattered, for the team and the player.
"It means everything," Bass added about the kick. "Very emotional. Haven't really processed it yet, but just putting in a lot of work, man, and was just focused on right here, right now, the present and being patient with everything, man. You're going to go through ups and downs, but just continue to put your best foot forward. We did that today. So just very emotional, I would say."
McDermott presented the game ball to Bass in the locker room afterward as well, deferring any credit when asked about standing by his kicker.
"He did it. I didn't do it," the coach said about the gesture. "I know why you're asking, but he's the one who did it. … The questions that were starting to pop up and more and more this year, and then we bring in a kicker to compete with him. He just stayed true to who he is and he stayed true to his process. Even today, (with the) early miss on the extra point. He stayed true to his process. I think that's very powerful."
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: What Bills' Josh Allen said after Tyler Bass hit 61-yard game-winner vs. Dolphins
