# Hall of Famer Tony Dungy Defends Chiefs K Harrison Butker After Backlash ## Dungy: Butker is "one of the best clutch kickers in the NFL" Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy is defending Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker after he was criticized for missing two field goals in the team's 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. ## Dungy Praises Butker's Career Accomplishments Dungy, who coached the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl XLI victory, said on NBC's "Football Night in America" that Butker is "one of the best clutch kickers in the NFL." He pointed to Butker's 90.2% field goal percentage in the regular season, which was the second-highest in the NFL this season. Butker also made 6 of 7 field goals in the playoffs this season before missing two in the AFC Championship Game. Dungy said that Butker, who is now in his sixth season with the Chiefs, has "been a great kicker for us" and that he "has confidence in him going forward." ## Butker Apologized for Missed Kicks Butker apologized for missing the two field goals after the game. He said he "felt like [he] let the team down" and that he "needed to be better." Butker's misses were costly. The Chiefs were down 24-21 with just over two minutes remaining in the game when Butker missed a 45-yard field goal that would have tied the game. The Bengals then drove down the field and kicked a field goal of their own to take a 27-21 lead. With just seconds remaining in the game, Butker had a chance to tie the game again with a 34-yard field goal. But he missed that one wide right, and the Bengals held on for the win. Despite the missed kicks, Dungy is confident that Butker will bounce back. "He's a tough kid," Dungy said. "He's going to learn from this. He's going to come back stronger next year."
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