Bengals kicker Evan McPherson had a brush with history on Sunday.
As Cincinnati trailed the Packers 10–0 in the waning seconds of the first half, Zac Taylor called his field goal unit out onto the field. There, McPherson and his unit lined up for a 67-yard field goal attempt, which, if made, would have set a new NFL record.
McPherson had the wind working with him, and fired a rocket, with the ball bouncing dramatically off the crossbar before sailing through the uprights. History had been made.
Except it hadn’t. Right before McPherson’s fateful kick, Packers coach Matt LaFleur called a timeout.
Evan McPherson puts it off the crossbar and in from 67 (!!!)
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 12, 2025
...but the Packers called timeout before the kick 😅 pic.twitter.com/5wj8BKjyk6
We’ve seen well-timed timeouts take points off the board plenty of times in the NFL, but it’s not often they erase a line from the history books.
McPherson’s second attempt at the kick was wide and well short of matching his first.
Evan McPherson attempted an NFL record 67-yard field goal but it fell short
— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025
CINvsGB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/d27K0P66B2
The Packers would go on to win the game, 27–18.
Kickers have been making long kicks a wild rate this year, with field goals in the 50-yard range going from something of a risk just a few years ago to now common practice, and kickers across the league comfortable giving it a go from more than 60 yards out.
While McPherson wasn’t able to officially break the record on Sunday, he showed that he has the leg to potentially do it when called upon.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Matt LaFleur Timeout Robs Bengals’ Evan McPherson of Longest FG in NFL History.
