Riders make the right kicking moves this year

Coach Chamblain last year tried to go with the old style one kicker does it all with the young Milo and it blew up in their face. This season no chances were taken. Knowing how important field position is the riders kept the best punter who can also Kick Off. Although it is an import that is what the DI import spots are for and not just top squeeze as many import skill position players on the roster as you can and skimp on the kicking position with just one Canadian Kicker to squeeze on an extra Canadian Special teams player.
Milo is a young kicker with a great leg for a FG kicker and that is all he needs to worry about.
Ricky S so far in two games have put the opponents punters and kick off guys to shame with punts with tremendous hang time as well as diastance and kick offs are to or in the end zone. BANG instant filed position advantage to the Riders. As for Milo his performances so far in FGs specks for itself.
As for Canadian Players good drafting, good coaching and smart free agent signing have brought in top Canadian Talent at a variety of positions to either start or be part of the Dline rotation, A dime package or cover two defense and Canadian Olineman that have been able to start at RT.
In fact looking at the roster they have too much Canadian talent to fit all of the players onto the roster. Zach Evans was beat out by a rookie on the Dline but too good to cut or leave unprotected on the PR or worse yet release him and ask him to stay in town.
The emergence of McHenry playing a modern FB/TE position where he can block as well as a good receiver and route runner along with the pick up of Darryl Stephanson who is bigger and strainger than McHenry and also has good hands. This leaves Neil Hughes odd man out. An awesome special teams player and good extra blocker but now where for him on the roster. Currently on the one game where they cannot keep him forever may have to join another old reliable special teams FB on the 9 game IR than so be it.
If for some reason the Riders lose one of their top special teams players Hughes could be needed especially late in the year. Also is probably a great practice player

Completely agree that keeping Ricky to punt was the right decision. To quote the guy who sits next to me at games, “he kicks the Schmidt out of the ball”

Can’t really say that he has a “great leg”. We’ve had kickers in the past (and a few others around the CFL currently) that would more times then not put it through 40-50 yards out. Milo really doesn’t have that range. Once he falls outside that 30-35 range it becomes at best a 50/50 chance.

Milo has lots of leg to hit from 50. I have seen him hit a little shy of that with at least 10 yards to spare.
Congi on the other hand...well, the punter did FGs outside of 35 or 40 or whatever.
Milo has always had the range, it is his consistency kicking straight that has killed him, and honestly, it has not mattered a whole pile where he was kicking from.

I must admit, I truly did not think they would keep a NI for punting duties with 2 NIs on the roster, but I am glad they did.

When I speak of range, I mean distance and accuracy combined. Outside of 30-35 his accuracy drops drastically. He has a lot of improvement to be made to even come close to the likes of Ridgeway, Prefontaine, McCallum, DeAngelis, Vanderjagt, etc. He is an average kicker at best.

Sorry, but Career averages:
Milo: 79.2

McCallum: 79.6
Ridgway: 78.0 (and might I add that in his first 4 years would have cried tears of joy to break 70%…he was a 66.9%er

These are but a couple of examples…I grabbed the 2 with Rider ties.
Am I saying he will be the next McCallum…I honestly don’t know. He definitely has the leg strength to be. However, to say he is average at best kinda means the players you have listed should be considered average in your eyes as well. And hey, until he misses an 18 yarder for the W, nuff said.

Good call depop on calling out [Deanjo] on average kickers in his/her eyes…The master is in the link below.

[url=http://www.sportshall.ca/honoured-members/31396/lui-passaglia/]http://www.sportshall.ca/honoured-membe ... passaglia/[/url]

Chris Milo… :thup: glad the Riders have him.

Lui kicked a lot of FGs over his 24 year career, but he was still a 73.1%er

It has always bugged me a bit when people call him the greatest.

Clutch...you bet
As was Ridgway

Over how many years? Ridgeway never had a year even remotely as pathetic as Milo’s was last year (64.7). Daves average is over 14 years. Dave’s average yards per kick is also a heck of a lot longer (37 vs 26).

well…um, that is their averages career wise… as said.
might want to look those bold statements up. Dave in fact had 2 seasons worse than Milo’s 64.7, so lets not call him mud just yet. The fact that Dave’s average is over 14 years is obviously in Dave’s favor…it gives more time to blend the bad season’s out…Milo has not had that opportunity. When Milo left the CIS he owned a few records, and I believe even now sits 3rd best % ever. And yes, that is relevant, as he, at this point, has more CIS experience than CFL.

http://www.cflapedia.com/Players/r/ridgway_dave.htm

Noted fact about Lui; the success he had on fake punts to get first downs was class. [however I think you do know that]

No doubt there, I was referring purely on the FG stance.

Jamie Boreham, IMO, could have potentially revolutionized the punting position…too bad he had his head down making a tackle. He played the role unlike I have ever seen, and put teams in a position that they could not really send return blockers down field. He didn’t need to launch a 50 yard kick with 30 yards hang time, because the coverage team almost beat the ball down field lol. He had no interest in punting from 15 yards behind the LOS!

Schmidt has been awesome to date. I don't know when we've had the type of field advantage from a kicker. Special team coverage outstanding too.

Thus far Milo is 9 for 9 with a long of 47

and with the shortest average.

By all means, back that up

[url=http://cfl.ca/statistics/league/stat/Kicking/year/2013/type/reg]http://cfl.ca/statistics/league/stat/Ki ... 3/type/reg[/url]

26.4

only three of his kicks were beyond the 29 yard line.

great...now attempt to factor in the yardage lost by the misses from the kicks other teams have missed.

He has hit everything asked of him. How can you ask for more? He hit a 47 yarder and made it look pretty easy.

were you secretly his neighbour growing up and he kicked your dog or something. Slamming him is unfounded...as shown, he is ahead of Ridgeways curve...I don't see the issue.

47 yarder with a strong wind at his back.

wow…
He could nail a 55 yarder and you would say, yeah, there was a wind though.
A - it was gusting winds
B - it was a crossing wind (about 35 degrees across the field)
C - it is still the 2nd longest FG of the year (longest is 48)
D - he still is statistically ahead of Reidgeway
E - he is WAY WAY WAY above Dave’s average his first 3 years
F - He has not missed…period. Not his fault his kicks are shorter.
G - do you want Congi back? he is at 60%.
H - his rookie season he started shaky but ended 84.6%. That is a superb season by any kicker’s standard
I - His 2nd season he struggled. Double duties ruined his season.
J - He is back to kicking only. Hasn’t missed…oh right…but his longest is only 47 yards with a crosswind, so it is apparently worth crap.

You seem to expect every kicker to instantly put up a HOF season. NO kicker ever has done that in the CFL every season… Nobody…