Money Mac Magic
The Bengals' Evan McPherson came within a "T," of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur's hands from making NFL history Sunday. On the last play of the first half, even though LaFleur called a timeout just before the snap, McPherson sailed a 67-yarder that bounced through the uprights good. A yard longer than Justin Tucker's NFL record.
His re-kick went only as far as the middle of the end zone, but he admitted the make proved what he always knew: He can make them that long.
But he also knew LaFleur had called the timeout even as he kicked it.
"That's what we always do. Follow through on it. I didn't think he'd call a timeout because we were going fast," McPherson said. "The second one, we actually have time to get it set up longer."
Carter Gets Call
Fourth-round pick Barrett Carter drew his first NFL start at linebacker when he teamed up with second-rounder Demetrius Knight Jr. Carter's playing time has gradually increased since the opener, when he took 14. He took a career-high 33 snaps last week against the Lions and had a career-high six tackles.
He forced a field goal for the game's first score on the second play of the second quarter when he made an open-field tackle on Packers quarterback Jordan Love after Love sprinted away from a near sack by edge Trey Hendrickson.
Logan Wilson, their longest-tenured defender, played every snap last week and played a bunch Sunday as defensive coordinator Al Golden upped his rotation of the three.