Brad Robbins' 28-yard punt in the fourth quarter Sunday night did not cost the Buffalo Bills, but it was enough for general manager Brandon Beane to make another change to his roster.
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Bills kicker Matt Prater kicks a field goal during the second quarter Sunday at Highmark Stadium. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Robbins was released Tuesday by the Bills and they signed his replacement, Australian punter Cameron Johnston, who's 33 years old and amid his eighth season in the NFL. Johnston appeared in one game with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 and, previously, he punted for the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles. He missed most of the 2024 season because of a torn ACL in Week 1.
The Bills also signed 41-year-old kicker Matt Prater to their active roster in a move that ensures another team can't add him off their practice squad. Prater arrived in Orchard Park last week to replace Tyler Bass, who landed on injured reserve with a left hip/groin injury that kept him out for most of training camp.
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Coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday that Bass is still "our guy," but the kicking job is Prater's for the foreseeable future. Prater, who's amid his 19th NFL season, made the game-winning 32-yard-field Sunday night that gave the Bills a 41-40 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. He went 3 for 3 on field goals, including a 43-yard kick as time expired at the end of the first half.
With Johnston's arrival, the Bills will have a different kicker and punter than they did at the start of training camp in July. Robbins, 26, had a strong performance in camp, but he had a rough showing in Week 1 with an average hang time of 4.31 seconds and net average of 38 yards on his four punts. His last punt, a 28-yarder, gave Baltimore the ball at its own 35-yard line with a 15-point lead and 9:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens went three-and-out, and the Bills scored 16 unanswered points to pull off the unprecedented comeback. Robbins was the holder on field goals, including the game-winner, and Johnston likely will take on the responsibility in his absence. Johnston has appeared in 96 NFL regular-season games since 2018, and he's punted in five playoff games. His 4,108 punting yards in 2021 led the NFL.
In 2023, Johnston averaged 47.7 yards on 66 punts with 30 of those landing inside the 20-yard line for the Houston Texans. The performance earned him a three-year, $9 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he suffered the ACL tear early in 2024 and did not make their 53-man roster to start this season.
Prater ranks 14th on the NFL's all-time scoring list with 1,819 points, 14th in extra points with 589 and 13th in field goals with 410. He holds league records for most career field goals of 50-plus yards (81), most consecutive field goals of 55-plus yards in a season (6) and consecutive field goal conversions of 55-plus yards (7).
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