Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicker Justin Medlock used to be automatic, but twice this season now he’s missed field goal attempts on the last play of the game.
“It’s a little upsetting right, it happened and I mean, I beat myself up a little bit about it,” Medlock said. “I’m supposed to make those kicks. That’s what they brought me in here to make those kicks and I was telling somebody today that’s what’s disappointing. We make those kicks you know, and we didn’t. We didn’t come through.”
“It’s kind of hard to talk about, but I definitely thought I could have made that.”
The 34-year-old Medlock has lost the title as the CFL’s most accurate kicker of all-time. After hitting on 88 per cent of his tries in his first season in the blue and gold, he’s made only 77 per cent of his attempts this season, including just seven of his last 13 kicks. His field goal percentage now ranks dead last among the CFL’s nine starting kickers.
“It’s been kind of laughable,” Medlock said. “I don’t think it’s technical, but you could say it could be mental a little bit. I don’t know. I was definitely ready to go make that kick.”
WATCH: Raw Justin Medlock Interview – October 24
Medlock was chosen as the CFL’s most outstanding special teams player just a year ago and despite his recent cold streak, Medlock still leads the league in scoring and still has the confidence of his head coach.
“Keep trotting him out there and I know he’s going to make it,” Mike O’Shea said. “He’s a good teammate, he’s our guy, and he’s damn good, so you know what, I just leave him alone and let him do his work.”
“I’m just trying to move on honestly,” Medlock said. “I told people, hey, we got two games here and playoffs and just focus on that. I don’t even really care anything I’ve done in the past whether I made 60 field goals last year or whether I started off the season really well.”
The Bombers just hope he can work out the kinks in time for the playoffs with their final home game of the regular season scheduled for Saturday against the B.C. Lions.
WATCH: Raw Mike O’Shea Media Briefing – October 24
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