No snap judgments

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/07/2010 (5912 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So what do the kicker and the punter think of all this?

A change at the long snapper position means that Alexis Serna and Mike Renaud, exclusive members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicking fraternity, are once again forced into developing some instant chemistry with the person who feeds them the ball. On Monday, the Bombers brought in veteran long snapper Taylor Inglis to do the job that rookie Adam Bestard couldn’t get a handle on Friday — which was to deliver the ball to the punter or to the field-goal holder without skipping it on the field turf.

Two full days of workouts with Inglis are in the books, and the familiarity is starting to show.

"We’re not really changing that much," Renaud said Tuesday. "It’s the chain reaction. I’m counting on Taylor to deliver the ball to me quickly, and Alexis is counting on me to get the ball down. Once something isn’t right, even if it’s for that split second, things get thrown off. We should be OK."

Bestard was thrown into the long snapper position after the steady Chris Cvetkovic blew out a knee in the final pre-season game. The club gave Bestard his walking papers after the Hamilton contest, but neither the place-kicker nor the punter/FG holder were interested in pointing fingers or laying blame for the worrisome special teams performance.

"I still got the ball down, but it probably wasn’t where Alexis wanted it," Renaud said about the two poorly-snapped balls which resulted in disappointing misses. "He still got it up, but he didn’t hit it the way he wanted to. If the ball was a little bit higher (from the snap), maybe I could have put it in a better position…who knows?"

Renaud’s take on what happened Friday is simple: The two Bestard snaps in question weren’t bad snaps. A bad snap is one that goes over the head of the intended target. They weren’t the best snaps, sure, but the ball was in Renaud’s hands, so he should be able to put a good hold down for his kicker.

"It’s like a receiver," he said. "If they get a hand on it, they feel like they should catch it. That’s how I look at it."

The steady Serna, who despite going 3-for-6 in the field goal department was pleased with his overall kicking performance versus the Ticats, also wasn’t in the mood to dump on a former teammate.

"Regardless of the situation, if the ball is there I have to make that kick. We’re all professionals out there," he said. "Mike gets the ball down best he can and it’s my job to kick it through and put points on the board. I have to find a way to get it done."

Serna said part of his job is to not even notice a bad snap. He can’t worry about how or when the ball gets to Renaud. If he does, then he’ll certainly misstep on the path to the ball. His head is locked in on Renaud, not what’s happening at the line.

"One of the things I’ve learned is not to delay anything mechanical in those types of situations," Serna said. "It’s more mental. I could have focused a little better. I need to concentrate on my run and on the ball, and trust that the ball will be there.

"Everyone holds the ball different, everyone looks different down there," Serna added. "But that’s just with the holder. The long snapper shouldn’t impact how I kick the ball."

Renaud says the events of the last few days is a reminder of just how crucial a solid special teams unit is. Winnipeg still won the game despite missing three field goal attempts, but Renaud knows they might not be so lucky next time.

"People might say that it’s not an important part of football — what’s the big deal about the snap and the hold?" he said. "That is a part of the game that needs to be working perfectly, or the results will not come. Hopefully, Alexis, Taylor, and myself can do a better job this week."

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca