Bede’s morale not shaken by erratic start
It was, in the words of Boris Bede, a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the temperature was high on the field at Stade Hébert. But if the Alouettes’ kicker was feeling the heat, he kept it well concealed.
“We bring people in all the time. It’s a professional game. Some decisions have to be made quickly. It happens. Today’s my day,” Bede said on Wednesday, 48 hours after he missed three consecutive field goals in a 13-point loss at Toronto.
True to his word Monday night, general manager and head coach Jim Popp had three kickers auditioning to potentially replace — or work in conjunction with — Bede. Although Popp refused to identify the kickers, RDS reported them to be Hugh O’Neill, Brett Lauther and Drew Basil.
Popp did emphatically state, however, Bede will remain the Als’ only kicker for Friday night’s home game against Saskatchewan. Bede will handle punts, kickoffs and field goals against the Roughriders, but what occurs beyond that game remains to be determined.
Bede has missed seven of 12 field goals this season. Indeed, he has missed more kicks through four games than he did last season as a rookie, when he connected on 36 of 40 attempts. He continues to cost a team that can ill afford to squander points.
“I don’t want to make a change if we don’t have to, but we can’t continue in this direction. There’s too many misses,” Popp said. “Boris is punting well and kicking off well. For some reason — it’s probably his plant foot — he’s struggling kicking field goals. It happens.
“The guy was 36 of 40 a year ago. He’s just in a rut. Hopefully he’ll get out of it. He was outstanding last year.”
While the Als could carry two kickers on their 44-man roster, they’ve traditionally utilized only one. That allows the club to dress an extra body to play on special teams.
Of the three that worked out, O’Neill’s the most experienced. He was selected in the second round (11th overall) by British Columbia in 2011. He has played for the Lions, Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Hamilton.
Lauther was a seventh-round draft choice of the Tiger-Cats in 2013. He spent two seasons with the team. He was on Saskatchewan’s and Toronto’s practice rosters last season. Basil, an import, played at Ohio State and attended training camp with the Als in 2015.
If the Als carry two kickers, they won’t both be imports.
Bede, knowing his capabilities and the strength of his leg, said he doesn’t feel threatened by others competing for his job. And he said management’s justified in looking at other kickers.
“My field goal sequences aren’t great at all. They’re actually pretty bad,” he admitted. “There’s a justification to it. I’m perfectly open to it. At the end of the day it’s a competition and it’s going to be the one who’s best who stays on the field.
“It’s not going great for field goals, I’m not going to lie. But I’m not feeling any heat.
“There’s obviously a point for bringing these kickers in. At the end of the day I know what I can do. I’ve shown it. I’m not worried about that at all.”
Bede claimed he’ll enter the next game not thinking about or analyzing what has transpired to date — but should he miss his first attempt, who knows if that will all go out the window? And, although the Als are breaking in a new holder, Kyle Graves, this season, Bede stated nobody is to blame but himself.
“As long as my foot hits the ball, I have to put it through the uprights,” he said. “It’s team work for sure. We didn’t bring in holders or long snappers. I’m the one with the last word. My leg speaks for itself. I get to kick and have to put it through the uprights.”
I don’t want to make a change if we don’t have to, but we can’t continue in this direction. There’s too many misses.
Bede’s problems, of course, are one of myriad issues facing a team that now has lost three consecutive games and has to prepare for the Riders on a short week, and with only one practice. Along with the offensive miseries and penalty troubles, the Als’ offensive line has surrendered 12 quarterback sacks over the last two games, and 13 overall. Only Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg have relinquished more — but all three teams have played one more game.
Right-tackle Jeff Perrett, the veteran of the line, was twice penalized for holding against the Argonauts.
“I know I got the quarterback killed once, possibly twice. That’s not good. It’s horse---- actually,” he admitted. “I played absolutely like horse---- if I want to be honest with you. It was possibly the worst game I’ve played.
“I feel like I let the team down,” Perrett continued. “There’s a couple plays I’d like back but, overall, with all the bad things that happened, we still had a chance to win, which is a good thing, I hope. We just have to get out of our way. Eventually that will happen.”
Quarterback Kevin Glenn temporarily left the game in the fourth quarter after getting twisted and struck in the back.
He certainly can’t continue enduring punishment and hope to make it through the entire season unscathed.
“I don’t think any quarterback wants to take the physical punishment, day in and out. At my age, I don’t,” he said. “That’s too much pounding on a guy who’s been playing 16 years at the age of 37. But I don’t worry about it.
“We play a physical sport. At any given moment, something can happen. You try not to put that stuff in your mind.”