By the Numbers: Does Medlock give the Bombers a leg up?

WINNIPEG — For Kyle Walters and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the 2016 off-season was about upgrading.

With the signings of former Rider receivers Weston Dressler and Ryan Smith, hometown running back Andrew Harris and defensive tackles Euclid Cummings and Keith Shologan, the Bombers’ GM added star power at key positions.

Then of course there’s that veteran kicker they added, Justin Medlock.

Yes, the defence looks to be much improved, while new offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice and his pivot Drew Willy will have plenty to work with in 2016 following a boisterous off-season in the Manitoba capital. But not lost in the noise is the major upgrade in the kicking game, perhaps the biggest potential difference-maker for the Bombers in 2016.

CFL.ca’s Pat Steinberg wrote in his MMQB that Medlock is indeed the Bombers’ most important addition, and after breaking down the numbers it’s hard to disagree.

Medlock, 32, is the most accurate CFL kicker of all-time with a success rating of 87.5 per cent. That’s accurate, particularly for a kicker known more for his powerful leg than his pinpoint accuracy:

2015 BY THE NUMBERS: MEDLOCK VS. BOMBERS

While it’s easy to see that Winnipeg’s production in the kicking game was among the worst in 2015, there’s no doubt Medlock’s was simply the best. So what kind of difference can Medlock make in Blue and Gold in 2016?

On top of being long and accurate (two field goals over 53 yards last year and 14-of-18 from 40-plus), Medlock was also clutch, something the Bombers weren’t. While he hit nine of his 10 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter of games and all three attempts inside the final three minutes, the Bombers kickers went 7-of-12 in fourth quarters and 3-of-5 in the final three minutes.

An even bigger factor: the convert. While Medlock was automatic on extra points after they were moved back to the 32-yard-line (49-of-52), the Bombers missed seven of their 27 attempts, essentially costing them two games outright. Those two games with missed converts were a 26-25 loss to Calgary on July 18 and a 24-23 loss to Edmonton on Oct. 3.

Oddly enough, Medlock didn’t attempt a single field goal that would either break a tie or overcome a deficit (not including his game-winning kick in the Eastern Semi-Final against the Argos), while in his career the Bombers’ new kicker ranks among the worst when it comes to punting the football. Those will be factors to watch for the Bombers in 2016.

In the end, though, while Harris, Smith and Dressler are game-breakers that will make the Bombers’ offence a unit to watch this season, Medlock provides something new and unique himself: reliability in the kicking game and the ability to score from anywhere beyond midfield, including on converts.

It’s something the Bombers sorely missed in 2015.

– With files from Head Statistician Steve Daniel