Head 2 Head: The Kicking Game

Blue Bombers’ K Justin Palardy has experienced the ultimate highs, along with the tumultuous lows of being a CFL player.  He was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2010 but was released a mere five games into the schedule.  Luckily for Palardy the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were in need of a kicker and gave the 23-year old the opportunity to prove that he belonged in the league.  Palardy showed impressive kicking power and a mature-beyond-his-years mental toughness en route to making 26 of 30 field goals, 86.7%, which was a new single-season Bombers record.

The 2011 season hasn’t started off as well for Palardy.  At 7-for-11 he’s missed as many field goals through three weeks of this campaign as he did during 2010.  Last week, against the Stampeders, Palardy attempted a 44-yard field goal with just 24 seconds left that would have given his team the lead. Heavy winds pushed the ball wide left.  It’s difficult to fault Palardy for not making what was a very difficult kick, but given his performance last season the Bombers expect Palardy to come through in the clutch.  Now, instead of being 3-0 that missed field goal leaves the Bombers at 2-1 heading into this Saturday’s tilt with the Argonauts.

Like the Argonauts, the Bombers have had their fair share of offensive struggles – meaning a heavy reliance on Palardy to come up with points.  The Bombers average the fewest total yards on offence in the CFL at 275 yards per game.  Thus, the Bombers don’t find themselves in enemy territory very often so, when they do, it is imperative that Palardy capitalize on his opportunities in putting points up on the board.  So far, Palardy has accounted for 28 of the Blue Bombers 63 points this season (43%).  Keep in mind that Palardy is the team’s placekicker and doesn’t also hold the dual responsibility of punter.  The only time he can manage to get a single point is if a Palardy field goal/kickoff results in a touchback.  Therefore, the 43 percent of total points coming from Palardy is even more indicative of the Blue Bombers’ struggles to get into the endzone.

Touchdowns are clearly coming at a premium for both the Blue Bombers and the Argos, suggesting Palardy and Prefontaine will play vital roles in determining the victor on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre.  Of course, it is not a winning formula to rely so heavily on a kicker but having one that can keep a team afloat during lean times is of critical importance.  And in that case, Palardy and Prefontaine are two of the best available.

Through the third week of the CFL season, the Toronto Argonauts are still looking to establish some level of consistency on both sides of the ball.  To know what it feels like to get the job done, the rest of the team has to look no further than their kicker/punter, Noel Prefontaine.  ‘Pre’ has started the 2011 season a perfect 7/7 in field goal attempts and has not missed since going 1/2 against the Hamilton Tiger Cats in Week 16 of last year.

He is 12 / 12 dating back to last season.  Given his early success, combined with the struggles of the Argos’ offence, it really comes as no surprise that it was Prefontaine’s 43-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining that provided the Argos with their only win of the season, a 23-21 win over the Stamps on Canada Day.  Though many have questioned the leg strength of the 38-year old Prefontaine, he has proven that he can be counted on to make clutch kicks, a task that becomes even more crucial with an offence that is having some difficulty putting points on the board.

In trying to assess Prefontaine’s value to the Argonauts’ offence, consider that in the three games this season he has accounted for 26 of the Argos’ 56 points (46%).  In his five games as the primary kicker/punter for the Argos last season, Prefontaine chalked up 43 of the team’s 93 points (also 46%). 

The concern is that too much reliance on the kicker for offence does not bode well for winning football games.  The Argos are 1-2 this year, and went 2-3 in Prefontaine’s five appearances (including post-season) in 2010. With the offence offering little momentum and star running back Cory Boyd injured for at least one more game, Prefontaine’s consistency is, at the very least, giving the Argos a chance to salvage some victories until the proverbial ship is straightened out.
Aside from his strengths as a placekicker, and as a punter (avg 44.1 yds/kick ranks 2nd in the CFL), Prefontaine brings a plethora of other strengths as a football player.  In high school, he spent time at quarterback and safety and, as a result, Prefontaine can influence the game in many ways.  Already in this young season Prefontaine has demonstrated that he is highly capable. 

In the season opener he prevented a touchdown with a huge hit on Stampeders returner Larry Taylor, who only had the kicker to beat.  Then, in Week 2 against the Blue Bombers, Prefontaine used a trick play to complete a 32-yard pass to DB Evan McCollough.  Prefontaine’s different talents not only show how versatile he is, but can really swing the momentum in favour of the Argos when the team needs it the most.  Considering his wide array of talents and the 14 years of CFL experience he brings to the Argos, Noel Prefontaine is a vital piece to the Argonauts organization going forward.