New England Patriots' all-time points leader Stephen Gostkowski famously said, “You’re only as good as your last kick.” If that’s the criteria, then Saskatchewan Roughriders' kicker Brett Lauther is pretty darn good.
Lauther had an inconsistent preseason in which he was 5-for-9 kicking field goals. He admittedly was experimenting with some new elements to his technique that he tried in the off-season. Heading into the regular season, Lauther seemed to have ironed out the wrinkles.
However, during a Week 11 meeting with Montreal, Lauther’s accuracy was off. He finished the game 3-for-7 in field goal attempts, including a miss on the game's final play in a 27-24 loss to the Alouettes. Following the game, Lauther remained in his locker stall in the Riders locker room, waiting to answer questions from the media.
“Single-handedly losing that one for the guys was tough. Going out and doing that, it’s unacceptable. I feel like the biggest liability on the team right now," Lauther said on Friday, August 16.
Since then, Lauther has been anything but a liability. Instead, he has been one of the most reliable kickers in the entire Canadian Football League. The 33-year-old has made 14 consecutive field goals and is 20-for-21 in seven games since that Week 11 loss to the Als. The lone miss since was a 60-yard attempt into the wind at the end of the Labour Day Classic.
Over this span, Lauther has played in his 100th career CFL game on Saturday, October 5 in Edmonton. Most recently, he was 6-for-6 in field goal attempts during Saskatchewan’s 39-8 win over B.C. in Week 19. Lauther is also the only kicker in the CFL this season who is perfect in convert attempts going 39-for-39.
“You have faith in these guys. I know he had a rough night, one night, and everybody was ready to say goodbye. We love him and he loves us. We're happy he's here," head coach Corey Mace said.
Lauther and the Riders return to the field on Saturday to wrap up the regular season when Saskatchewan hosts the Calgary Stampeders. Countdown to Kick-off begins with a chance to watch Justin Dunk and Wes Cates live at 2 p.m. on YouTube. Luc Mullinder and I join at 4 p.m., with the kick-off to follow at 5 p.m. on the Co-operators Roughrider Radio Network.
