Seriously, you go for a 61 yard field goal with no wind at your back!? Apparently there has never been a successful field goal kicked in a dome in over 60 yards of the CFL's history. Guess ol' Mikey felt the percentages of winning the game were higher on a non-makeable field goal then gambling on 3rd and 4 with over 30 seconds left, because what team has ever been successful on a third and four?!
Too many shots to the head during his playing career to make a logical decision. No doubt the Bomber brain trust will reward him with a big raise and a 3 or 4 year contract extension. :lol:
What a game, unreal. But yup, the award definitely goes to Mr. Michael O'Shea. In a dome you don't get the carry on the ball as they alluded to on TSN. Boner decision. :thdn:
Any other kicker, I’d agree. But we’re talking Medlock, and anything is possible with that guy.
His team only managed 6 yards on the previous 2 downs. So say they only manage 3 again, they lose.
That might have been the closest they’d get and very last chance to have possession this season. I’d bet my season on the best kicker in the league making it too.
In some parallel universe, the bombers go for it on 3rd & 4 a come up short and everyone is comparing O’shea’s decision to not use Meadlock to the Orioles not using their best closer in the wildcard game against the Jays.
The real problem was the Bombers can’t stop an opposing team from waltzing down the field at their leisure. Correct that problem and this kicking decision becomes moot.
You can't fault O'Shea for a great year. He's got the Bombers looking good and ready to pick the first guy in the draft. Bombers looking good and Argos hitting bottom.
Under the circumstances, Winnipeg is forced to take this gamble because of two reasons. The offense struggled against BC defense and time is expiring soon. With the best field goal kicker in the league, there might be a slim chance of success. So this decision isn't unreasonable.
Going on third and four has many more options for failure than kicking from 60 out… Medlock has admitted he lofted the ball instead of driving it. He was short by about 10 yards. He said he makes 1 out 3 from this distance. Pretty good odds.
Medlock knows his range, He said on the radio that he told O'Shea after warm ups that his limit was 57 yards before the game.
Having Medlock attempting a 61 yarder at that point was wrong. You could tell by Nichols body language that he didn't agree with the call, he wanted that 3rd and 4 play. I am sure that Lapo had a high % play call for that scenario.
IMHO, Bad decision by O'Shea
We lost. No matter what decision, if it failed, the HC looks like a fool. If we failed for the 4 yards there would be naysayers saying we should have kicked. A 'can't win' scenario. Easy to say now that we would have got the 4... 2nd half, they scored 20, we scored 6. Their D was fired up. What play would you guys run ?
I don't think it was an unreasonable gamble. Medlock is a great kicker, conditions are "perfect" and having to gain four yards isn't a given.
Ultimately the Bomber D, and DBs in particular, biffed it when it really counted. They've been undependable all season and it showed again. Matters not, BC ain't gonna beat Calgary....looking at a "Battle of Alberta" Grey Cup I fear.
Yea, 1 out of 3 in warm-ups. That’s decidedly different than an actual game with a rush. Seeing them line-up live at the stadium (from my 50 yard line seats), it looked almost impossible, especially in the dead air of BC Place. I was almost sure some type of gadget play was going to be called.
No doubt Lapo could have drawn up a play to give them 4 yards and a first down to move the Bombers closer to a more reasonable field goal range. The odds of that were far greater.
You can’t send your kicker out – no matter how lights out, how dominant, how game-changing he’s been – for a 61-yard field goal attempt, with your season on the line.
You have third and four with 36 seconds left? You go for it. You send out your quarterback, who turned your season around and had completed eight of his last nine throws. You send out your tailback, who remains one of the league’s most bruising threats, who rarely gets taken down on the first smack of contact. You have Ryan Smith, money all afternoon. You went out and gave Weston Dressler big money in the off-season for moments like these.