A Foreword This week's article is going to be a bit shorter. This is now the 10th week in a row that I've put out an article averaging about 2.5k words and I'll be honest, I need a bit of a break. Also, I've recently been blocked by the CFL Twitter account, which is a huge blow to my psyche, as well as my content as I am no longer able to link in highlights from their page. If anyone knows how to get in contact with them so I could plead my case, I would be eternally grateful. From Dean Faithfull interviews to game-winning field goals, let's discuss how the CFL Special Teams units performed in this week's review;
Kickers
Here are the CFL Week 15 Kicker Power Rankings;
Lewis Ward went 3/4 on field goals this week and 4/4 on PATs. Ward was able to make 2 field goals from 53 yards out but unfortunately missed his final field goal from roughly the same range. During the missed field goal return, Ward seems to have sustained a torn pectoral muscle that will end his season prematurely. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back out on the field in 2024. This unfortunate series of events has led to the REDBLACKS signing Canadian Kickers Keiran Burnham and Michael Domagala.
Sergio Castillo struggled this week, going 1/2 on field goals and 2/3 on PATs. If he doesn't figure things out in the next few weeks, he could see himself falling in the Power Rankings.
David Côté technically went 2/4 on field goal attempts and 2/2 on PATs this week, however, it must be noted that one of his field goals was blocked at the line of scrimmage. David's other miss came from 50+ yards away and was his first miss from over 50 yards.
Boris Bede went 3/3 on field goal attempts and 2/2 on PATs this past week and in doing so he became the 25th player in CFL history to surpass the 1,000-career points mark. Congratulations Boris, here's to 1,000 more! Also, I want to mention that Bede scored his first "Clutch" kick after this 38-yard field goal with 32 seconds left on the clock.
Dean Faithfull did an exclusive 40+ minute interview with the fine folks over at CFL Central. You should go check it out!
Punters
Here are the CFL Week 15 Punter Power Rankings;
Boris Bede had 4 of his 7 punts (57%) remaining inside the 20-yard line with a single punt remaining inside the 10-yard line.
Richie Leone had 1 of his punts "blocked" this week, tanking his gross average. Without the 13-yard block, his average would sit around 50 yards per punt instead of 43.5 yards per punt.
Joseph Zema averaged 50 yards and 40 net yards per punt across 6 attempts. Zema continues to show impressive directional punting when it matters most and leads the CFL in Net Yard Average.
Stefan Flintoft only punted 3 times but averaged 55.3 yards per punt, a season-high for the BC Lion.
Long Snappers
Here are the CFL Week 15 Long Snapper Power Rankings;
Jorgen Hus records his second week with a long snap classified as a Ball. Hus is usually very reliable but has struggled in the last 2 weeks. Hopefully, he can figure things out and get back to normal.
Adam Guillemette had recorded 4 long snaps in the highlight packages this week, with 3 of those being listed as Strikes. Guillemette's lone Ball was almost disastrous, though, as it came during Boris Bede's 38-yard, game-winning field goal attempt. Luckily for Adam, David Ungerer III, the interim holder while Punter John Haggerty is out, was able to come out of his stance and reel in the wayward snap for the win. Adam Guillemette is just a rookie so it makes sense that he will struggle from time to time. With that being said, he has been incredibly consistent for most of the year.
Louis-Philippe Bourassa was perfect yet again this week, recording 4 Strikes over his 4 long snaps shown. The only reason he isn't going up in the Power Rankings is because David Côté's blocked field goal was blocked by the man Bourassa should have been covering.
Kickoff Specialists
Here are the CFL Week 15 Kickoff Specialist Power Rankings;
Boris Bede averaged 70 yards per kickoff across 4 attempts. Bede also had 1 kickoff remaining inside the 30-yard line.
Kickoff Returners
Here are the CFL Week 15 Kickoff Returner Power Rankings;
Chandler Worthy was the most effective Kickoff Returner this week, returning 4 kickoffs for an average of 27.3 yards per return. Worthy's longest return was the longest of any returner in Week 15, at 50-yards.
Punt Returners
Here are the CFL Week 15 Punt Returner Power Rankings;
Javon Leake returned 5 punts for a total of 54 yards, with 2 of those returns (40%) going for more than 15 yards.
Tyreik McAllister only returned 1 punt for 9 yards but I wanted to mention here that he had a missed PAT that was returned 126 yards for a... defensive safety? Come on CFL! This should be worth 6 points by itself!
Terry Williams played an important role in the Lions win this past week after returning 5 punts for 63 yards, an average of 12.6 yards per return. Williams also had an obscure return this week, returning a missed field goal 120 yards for a touchdown!
Coverage Teams
Here are the CFL Week 15 Coverage Team Power Rankings;
Thank you for taking the time to read my work.
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