Did Randy Bullock Fake an Injury After Failing Miserably on a Field Goal Attempt?
Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow did what he needed to do. Making his NFL debut, Burrow put his Cincinnati Bengals in a good position to kick the game-tying field goal. Burrow helped set up a 31-yard field goal attempt by Randy Bullock. Bullock, however, missed badly and limped off the field. Some are questioning whether Bullock’s injury is real, or was it an excuse for the dreadful miss?
Randy Bullock’s NFL career
Randy Bullock was widely regarded as the country’s top placekicker when he was playing college football at Texas A&M. He was the recipient of the Lou Groza Award in 2011, given to the nation’s top placekicker. Bullock was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was the first kicker ever selected by the team.
Bullock has been in the NFL for nine years. During that time, he has kicked for five different teams. He spent the first three-plus seasons with the Texans. Known for his strong leg, Bullock battled Shayne Graham for the job, but tore his groin in the preseason, missing the entire season.
In each of his first two full seasons with the Texans, Bullock made five field goals of more than 50 yards. He was released by the Texans in 2015 but hooked on with the New York Jets. Bullock spent the 2016 season with three different teams before settling down with the Cincinnati Bengals, the team he continues to kick for.
Bullock misses 31-yard field goal and comes up limping
During Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals kicker Randy Bullock had a chance to send the game into overtime. After rookie quarterback Joe Burrow marched his team downfield and into field-goal range, Bullock had a chance to tie the score. Instead, he missed badly and came up limping as the Bengals lost 16-13.
According to ESPN, Bullock said he suffered a cramp in his left calf (the photos show him grabbing his right one). Bullock booted the ball that sailed wide right and he immediately grabbed his calf. The Bengals, who have a quick turnaround and play Thursday night, signed former Cleveland Browns kicker Austin Seibert as a precaution. “Randy’s our kicker,” said Bengals coach Zac Taylor.
“We all made mistakes in that game,” Taylor said Monday. “I think anybody who watched the kick, he didn’t kick it like he usually does, so obviously something happened. He cramped up. He hasn’t made any excuse for it. It’s just what happened.”
Former kicker Lawrence Tynes calls out Bullock
Former NFL kicker Lawrence Tynes went right at Randy Bullock after the missed field goal. Tynes posted a video of Bullock’s badly missed kick on Twitter and said he never tried the “old pulled calf” after a miss. Tynes wasn’t the only one questioning Bullock’s injury.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Michael Silver of the NFL Network also wasn’t sure Bullock’s injury was fabricated. “I hope Randy Bullock’s okay. Something tells me that that injury is akin to – like you’re in a race, and you realize like it’s not going well,” Silver said.
“And then you pull up with the hammy, like right around then. And you’re like, ‘Ah, it just doesn’t feel right.’ You were gonna lose anyway, but now I’ve got a twitch. I hope it’s not serious.”
