New England Patriots' Stephen Gostkowski out for the year
If it comes down to a late game, or a pressure-packed situation, the hopes of the New England Patriots will no longer rest on the foot of Stephen Gostkowski, but instead on Shayne Graham.
On Wednesday, 10 November, the Patriots put Gostkowski, the squad’s place kicker, on the injured reserve list with an injury to his thigh. The move effectively ends the 2010 campaign for the five-year veteran out of the University of Memphis.
According to ESPNBoston.com, the kicker is suffering from a torn quad muscle, which might require surgery. The absence of Gostkowski could prove detrimental for the Patriots, as the kicker, who has hit 10 of his 13 field goal attempts this season,
has been one of the best special teams’ players in the NFL.
Even the squad’s most polarizing figure, quarterback Tom Brady, understands what the loss of Gostkowski will mean for the Pats. "He’s been a h**l of a player here. Great kicker," the play-caller told reporters during a Wednesday morning press conference. "We’ve
had a few guys put on IR that are real good, dependable players," Brady said, before adding, "He'll be missed."
Although the team’s medical staff initially thought that Gostkowski would only have to miss a few weeks while recovering from the injury (which occurred this past weekend), it is apparent that the thigh will sideline the kicker for the remainder of the year.
However, an understanding Graham seems optimistic that he will be able to fill the void that Gostkowski has left.
"No one wants to see a player go down with injury, especially a player the calibre of Stephen. He’s done such a good job for this team," the Patriots new place kicker told the media.
"My goal is to come in here and perform at my best and perform well for the team and help us win games. I think the fact that I haven’t been on a team for every game this year makes me a little hungry and makes me look forward to getting my career going
on again."
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