Stamps not about to give Paredes the boot just yet
Slumping three-time CFL all-star kicker working on ‘mechanical’ flaw
Mechanical or mental?
Those are the choices you have when trying to figure out the reason why Rene Paredes, one of the CFL’s most consistent kickers over the course of his career, is struggling so mightily to begin the 2016 season.
After missing just four convert attempts last season (26-of-30), the 31-year-old has bent five outside the uprights already this year, including two more in last Thursday’s 33-18 road win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Through four games, Paredes has endured a PAT blemish each and every week.
Things haven’t been as bad when it comes to field goals, as Paredes is 10-of-14 and riding a streak of six consecutive makes, but his four misses are already just two fewer than he had all of last season (41-of-47).
Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson shot down any talk of bringing in another kicker to compete with his struggling incumbent. For now. “No, not right away,” Dickenson said Monday after the first practice of the new work week.
“We want to make people accountable and we need Rene to be better, but he still made — what? — 34 in a row one year, so we still feel like we have a great kicker.”
The reason a kicking competition isn’t in the cards is a simple one.
Dickenson doesn’t believe there’s anyone sitting on the open market that has enough of a resume to push the three-time CFL all-star, a player who holds the league record for consecutive field goals with 39 in a row.
“I don’t know all the kickers that are out there, but the ones that are, there’s a reason they’re on the street — they’re not as good as Rene,” Dickenson said. “Stay with the best player.” Paredes isn’t downplaying his struggles, but he maintains it’s all mechanical, rather than mental, which might be infinitely harder to fix.
“All the misses have been mechanical,” Paredes said. “You just have to treat it like any other kick and make sure to hit it well.
“It’s frustrating because you work so hard and you know what you’re doing wrong, and then you fix the problems and you go into the game and do it again.
“I just have to make sure to stay positive and don’t put my head down. I know I can hit the ball well. I’ve been hitting the ball well on my field goals, so I’ve just got to move on.”
Even though opposing kickers Richie Leone and Chris Milo matched his misses in Weeks 1 and 3, respectively, the points left on the field in the loss to the B.C. Lions and draw with the Ottawa RedBlacks are hard to ignore.
A missed convert late in the win over the Bombers could have loomed large, too, but the offence was able to put together a timely, clock-killing drive with an eightpoint lead to make sure that wasn’t the case.
“I can’t keep points off the board,” Paredes said. “That second PAT we didn’t score (in Winnipeg) could have been bad. They were making a comeback, so it could have been bad for me.”
Despite the tough start, Dickenson’s confidence in his kicker hasn’t wavered, even if the fans are starting to hold their breath on each and every post-touchdown attempt.
“I know, somewhat, about kicking myself, and it’s a lot about just ironing out your details and then tuning everybody else out and getting back to what made you the most accurate kicker in the league,” Dickenson said. “He is working through some things, but I’m very confident, and I like Rene’s work ethic.
“He comes in ready to go. He has to be better, he knows that, but I have 100 per cent faith it’ll happen.”
The most confusing aspect of it all is the fact he didn’t go through any prolonged struggles whatsoever on PATs in 2015, the first season of the extended 32-yard converts.
Last season, the league average was 85.5 per cent, and Leone (11), Montreal Alouettes’ Boris Bede (6), and Bombers-turned-Toronto-Argos kicker Lirim Hajrullahu (6), were the only players in the league to miss more than four extra points.
This season, Paredes is the only kicker to miss more than one, singlehandedly pulling the league average down to an even 87 per cent.
During Monday’s practice, Paredes, who had been previously lining up his PATs from the middle of the field, experimented from the left hash.
He said he’ll decide later this week if he makes that change a permanent one for Friday’s game at McMahon Stadium against the Lions (8 p.m., TSN, News Talk 770).
“That’s what’s frustrating,” Paredes said. “I only missed four the whole season, I think. I’m already at five. It’s really frustrating, but at the same time, you have to move on and make sure you’re working on the little things.
“I’m just working on it and trying to get my rhythm back.”
I only missed four the whole season, I think. I’m already at five. It’s really frustrating but ... you have to move on.