EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (93.7 The Fan) – His head coach likened his kicker to a serial killer, of course in the most flattering way. What he means is Chris Boswell has the focus and determination that nothing is going to bother him. And what he does is make clutch kick after clutch kick.
Sunday it was from 60 yards on the road to beat the Jets.
“I’ll be honest, when I saw him touching that logo, I was like ‘oh, that’s a long field goal’,” said first-year Steelers teammate Juan Thornhill. Then he saw what Steelers fans have seen for the last three years and most of his career, a ball go through the uprights from anywhere.
Since 2022, Boswell is 72 of 77 with three of those misses from over 50 yards. Even with that, he’s still 21 of 24 from 50-plus and kicking at home on grass, next to a river with open pockets in the stadium.
“He’s the best in the league,” said Steelers teammate Alex Highsmith. “That’s what he does. I didn’t know how far it was. I knew we were sending him out there, I had no doubt in my mind he was going to make that kick.”
“Bos is just a beast,” said special teamer Isaiahh Loudermilk. “He’s automatic. That last kick, I’m running out there and I’m sure everyone had the same feeling, if we protect for this dude, he’s going to make it. He’s a special player.”
“Bos always makes it from 60 in pregame,” Tomlin said. “Bos always wants to bang from deep. That one he made in the first half, I don't even know if he even looked at me. It's fourth down and he walked on the field. But that's the type of guy you want banging for you under those circumstances.”
“He's got a low pulse rate, he can't wait to deliver.”
It’s that confidence, not getting bothered by pressure. What it boils down to for the 34-year-old is treating every opportunity the same.
“I just keep telling myself a kick is a kick whether it’s in the first quarter or the fourth quarter, the ball doesn’t change,” Boswell said. “The field doesn’t change. I take that approach as best as I can. Obviously in the back of your mind you know it’s a game winner and all that. As long as you approach every kick the exact same, it should go over pretty well.”
Christian Kuntz has been his long snapper for the last five years. He said that isn’t just talk from Boswell, he said he truly acts the same for a PAT in a blowout as a 60-yard field goal to win the game. Kuntz said a lot of professional kickers have the same mindset, but it’s easier said than done. What he does is goes out and actually does it, year after year.
“It’s like an eerie calmness,” said four-year special teams captain Miles Killebrew. “He’s a true pro. Bos is one of those guys we expect him to make these phenomenal kicks. It feels automatic. He prepares. He puts in the work. I just think preparation breeds confidence. The way he operates allows all of us to be confidence in his performance.”
“Boz is that dude,” said his holder, punter Corliss Waitman. “He’s ready for whatever on fourth down. As soon as he walked out there, I knew he was going to make it. He’s just that good. The whole team believes in him.”
Waitman said Boswell has that ‘it’ factor. He said a lot of people have the ability, but he does it. Every time he goes out there he expects to make it. He doesn’t have to say anything, remains laid back during the game and never looks scared.
“You can see a kicker sometimes when they go out there, they are a little nervous, not really sure if they are going to make that field goal, but he walked out there with so much swag,” Thornhill said. “He was too confident. There is no way he’s missing this field goal.”
Boswell said after the game Sunday he’s not worried about his contract right now. There were reports he wanted to renegotiate with time still left, but he rarely missed practices and kicked in the preseason. He said all of that will take care of itself as he is currently the lowest paid kicker in the division.
It’s hard to see emotion about anything out of the 11-year Steeler, does he ever let loose?
“With his teammates, not to the crowd, but with us, yeah,” Kuntz said. “We celebrate, screaming, excited.”
But then back to the calm, laid back Boswell that just goes about doing his job, like no other kicker in the NFL.