Paredes kicks it up a notch for Stamps
Earlier this season, there were questions in the media — including this very publication — about Rene Paredes’ performances for the Calgary Stampeders.
In retrospect, those questions were pretty dumb.
As the Stampeders enter the final three weeks of the 2017 season, there’s been no field goal kicker in the CFL who has been as consistent as Paredes. With 48 field goals to his name, the 32-year-old is hunting down his club’s singleseason record.
At this point, it’s a little hard to even remember why anyone was worried about him. The man himself certainly never was.
“I feel I’ve been good all year. A couple (missed) extra points, but that’s about it,” Paredes said Wednesday from McMahon Stadium. “I think all year I’ve been kicking well, just this time of the year I’ve been getting more kicks than usual so people notice it more.
“I’m just locked in. I’m locked in every time. Sometimes kicks don’t go your way, but it happens.”
The numbers back up his assertion. So far this season, Paredes has hit 48 of 53 field goal attempts, good for a league-best 90.6 per cent.
Yes, there were a few missed converts in the opening couple weeks of the season, but he hasn’t been missing those recently.
The Stampeders coaching staff is understandably pleased.
“It’s always interesting to me that when he does miss a kick — which is going to happen — people do seem to be pretty hard on him,” said Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson. “He’s been outstanding for basically his whole career with the Stamps.
“We feel like we’ve got one of the best and he continues to always make those game winners.”
It’s true that Paredes has been lights out when it counted most this year. Just last weekend, he hit a game-winning 17-yard field goal to seal the Stampeders’ 28-25 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
He’s also closing in on the Stampeders’ single-season record for field goals. It’s a record he’s all-too familiar with, having tied Sandro DeAngelis for the mark when he kicked 56 last season.
It all adds up to a year in which it feels a little ridiculous to question his value to the Stampeders.
MCDANIEL OUT
The Stampeders will be without their top receiver this weekend against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The team sent Marquay McDaniel for more testing after he injured his leg against the Ticats. While the results were encouraging, the Stamps are opting to give him an extra week to recover.
“We got fairly good results, actually,” Dickenson said. “Nothing significant. I’m just gonna give him a week and let the other guys that have practised (play). I would expect him to be available next week”.