Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass has deactivated his social media accounts after missing a potential game-tying field goal in Sunday’s season-ending playoff loss to the rival Kansas City Chiefs.
Bass’ page on X, formerly Twitter, now reads: ‘This account doesn’t exist.’
Similarly, his Instagram account now reads: ‘Sorry, this page isn’t available.’
Certainly Bass has faced his share of criticism after sending the 44-yard attempt wide right with 1:47 remaining in the AFC Divisional Round matchup. Not only did it effectively end another once-promising Bills season, but it also reminded Buffalo fans of Scott Norwood’s famed ‘wide right’ miss in Super Bowl XXV, which the team lost to the New York Giants.
Not everyone is being critical of Bass, though. In fact, Bills Mafia members have been donating to the Ten Lives Club – a non-profit no-kill feline rescue shelter – because the 26-year-old kicker has served as the organization’s spokesperson.
Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass has deactivated his social media account after Sunday’s miss
Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass (2) watches his game-tying field goal attempt go wide
Tyler Bass’ page on X, formerly Twitter, now reads: ‘This account doesn’t exist’
‘WE STAND WITH TYLER BASS. DON’T BULLY OUR FRIEND,’ read an Instagram post from the Ten Lives Club. ‘We just heard the terrible news that Tyler Bass is receiving threats after yesterday’s game and our phones are ringing off the hook from people who want to donate $22 to Ten Lives Club in Tyler’s name.
‘Tyler doesn’t deserve any of the hate he’s receiving,’ the post continued. ‘He’s an excellent football player and an even better person who took the time to help our organization and rescue cats last year. Leave our friend alone.’
The response was instantaneous.
‘Donated,’ wrote one responder. ‘Tyler is amazing!’
‘You don’t have to be a Tyler fan, Bills fan, or even a football fan to know that no player deserves death threats,’ read another.
‘Hell I’m a Steelers fan and I just donated $22 too,’ read an additional response. ‘Tyler’s an elite kicker. Everyone misses some. Especially in that windy end zone.’
Allen wants his team to support Bass as he’s likely to receive negativity for missing the kick
Bass accepted blame for the defeat after Sunday’s excruciating loss in Orchard Park.
‘Ultimately, completely on me,’ Bass aid. ‘I feel terrible. I love this team, man. It hurts. This one hurts bad.’
However, quarterback Josh Allen tried to take the blame off Bass, saying that it was a pair of incompletions on his own part that necessitated the field goal in the first place.
‘I wish he wouldn’t have been put in that situation. You win as a team you lose as a team. One play doesn’t define a game, doesn’t define a season,’ Allen said. ‘Losing sucks. Losing to them, losing to anybody.’
The Ten Lives Club has been getting donations from a variety of football fans
While the Bills Mafia is mostly known for reckless parking lot stunts, typically involving Buffalo fans jumping onto flaming folding tables, the group is also capable of doing good from time to time.
When then-Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton helped Buffalo qualify for the postseason in 2018 by tossing a 49-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd, Bills Mafia members responded by doating $315,000 to the veteran signal caller’s charity.
The group has also helped the foundations of former Bills players Eric Wood and Brian Moorman.
‘When we started Bills Mafia, the idea was to do something positive with it, not make it out about us, and do something that would affect the community in a good way ‘ Del Reid, the co-founder and president of Buffalo FAMbase, told ESPN in 2018.
The group even launched a T-shirt brand, 26 Shirts, to help generate revenue for various nonprofits.
‘So we started a nonprofit and kind of out of that idea grew this 26 Shirts business model, where we would sell T-shirts that would give back to the community in a real, tangible way.’
