Justin Dunk
Ticats.ca
Justin Medlock has become just about automatic.
The fourth-year CFL kicker has connected on 17 of his 19 field goal attempts through seven games this season. He has provided the offence with a level of security; if a drive shuts down but the Cats have managed to cross the mid field stripe, points are all but assured. Medlock has been at his best when the Ticats have needed three points the most, late in games. For example helping push the Hamilton lead to five, forcing the Argos to have to score a major with time running out in what ultimately was a Ticats 37-32 victory on August 13.
The first year Tiger-Cat has also helped to change field position with his strong directional punting this season. He has made it difficult on opposing returners by pinning them against the sidelines, making it easier on the Cats coverage teams to zero in on the many dangerous return men throughout the league.
Medlock has also been doing his part to pin opposing offences deep in their own end on kickoffs. Number seven has averaged 61.9 yards per kickoff in seven games played this year, second best in the CFL. Medlock has certainly turned the Ticats kicking game- a weak point in 2010- into a strength so far in 2011, which has given confidence to head coach Marcel Bellefeuille and the rest of the Black and Gold.
Looking at the Ticats own kick return performance after seven weeks, Marcus Thigpen has shown flashes of the scoring threat he turned himself into during the 2010 season, although he has yet to take a kick all the way back for a touchdown. However, after seeing Thigpen bounce to the outside and gallop 48 yards on a punt return against the Argos, one can clearly see the ability to rip off a big return or find pay dirt is still there. It’s just a matter of time before we see Thigpen hit the endzone.
The Tiger-Cats kick coverage teams have been stellar, particularly in the punt coverare department. Hamilton has held opposition punt returners to a league low of 6.6 yards per return through seven games of the regular season. Marc Beswick, second in the league with 11 specials teams tackles, and Daniel Francis, with eight special teams tackles, have led the way for all of Hamilton’s cover units.
If Medlock and the cover units can keep up their strong play and when Thigpen finds his rhythm in the return game, in the second half of the season the Ticats could boast one of the league’s top all-around special teams groups.
