You’d be forgiven for watching Tyler Bass’ stunning 61-yard game-winning field goal in the final minute of the Buffalo Bills’ Week 9 win over the Miami Dolphins and deducing that this is a regular occurrence for the veteran.

He seemed calm, collected and collected, as if he kicked kicks that traveled more than half the field every week. Lined up in midfield with the game literally on his leg, Bass didn’t blink and his kick had plenty of room as it soared over the middle of the posts.

It seemed routine again, but Bass’s kicking has been anything but for much of the last year. He struggled in the 2023 regular and postseason seasons, and his issues carried over into the first eight games of the 2024 campaign; had made just 80% of his field goals and 92.9% of his extra points entering Week 9. Buffalo’s brass publicly expressed confidence in Bass amid his struggles, but they had also been preparing for life without him, expressing his openness to turning toward a “best option” before finally signing a kicker to his practice squad (a player he has since cut).

Related: WATCH: Bills K Tyler Bass receives game ball after game-winning kick against Dolphins

And it looked like Week 9 was setting up to be another lackluster outing for Bass, as he missed an extra point in the third quarter before making another PAT later in the game. That’s what made his game-winning field goal in the final minute even more special: Not only was it incredibly difficult, franchise record kickbut it came amid a series of struggles that lasted for years and that, at times, seemed destined to end in a divorce between him and the club.

The 27-year-old emotionally reflected on the kick after the win, telling reporters it was because he simply stayed dedicated to his craft.

“Man, it means everything,” Bass said. “Emotional. I haven’t really processed it yet. I just worked so hard, man, I just focused on the here, right now, the present, and being patient with everything, man. You’re going to go through ups and downs, but keep doing your best. We did that today. “Just very emotional.”

It’s been a challenging few months for Bass, with the veteran kicker experiencing the same doubts that a period of poor performance in the workplace would generate in any human being. He’s gotten through it by simply reminding himself why he’s doing what he’s doing and that he belongs, a notion that was demonstrated in the final moment of Buffalo’s Week 9 victory when it moved to 7-2 on the season.

“I just remind myself that I love this,” Bass said. “I love this sport, this is what I have dreamed of. When I was there, I honestly wasn’t thinking about anything. “I just went through my process and trusted my preparation, and that was it.”

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