Ottawa Redblacks punter Noah Gettman is facing the fallout after a missed tackle allowed a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown in the team's fourth straight loss, a 27-22 defeat to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night. The 25-year-old rookie, who otherwise ranks second in the CFL with an average of 50.79 yards per punt, has publicly apologized for the play that sealed the Redblacks' winless start to the season.
Missed tackle proves costly
The game was tied 13-13 in the third quarter when Gettman booted a 58-yard punt. Saskatchewan returner Mathew Sexton, playing his first CFL game, fielded the ball and raced down the sideline, evading multiple defenders. Gettman was the last line of defense but lunged and missed, allowing Sexton to score the go-ahead touchdown.
Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie did not mince words when addressing the play. "I thought we had some blocks in the back that didn't get called, but the punter has got to make that tackle," Dinwiddie said Monday. "He couldn't have been in a better situation. The sideline was right there."
Coach's blunt assessment
Dinwiddie criticized Gettman's technique, saying, "It's almost like he didn't want to touch the guy … I've never seen anything like that before. We watched it as a whole team. He was called out for it. Obviously, you've got to punt, but there are times to make tackles you can't turn down. You couldn't have even won a patty-cake award with that technique."
The coach added that the team addressed the issue internally and warned that repeated failures could cost Gettman his roster spot. "It's tough for him to look all those guys in the eye after that. So we handled it the proper way. But if that happens again, he won't be here."
Gettman's apology and reflection
Gettman has been haunted by the play since Friday. "The past three days, it's just been going through my head … I haven't been able to sleep much," Gettman told Postmedia. "I just want to apologize to everyone. It doesn't matter if I'm a kicker or a punter or whatever; that's a play you've got to make. He's running down the sideline, and I thought I could just push him out. It's all my fault. I didn't get enough, I guess, push on him. I should have put my body into him, or dove at his legs and got him out of bounds. So that's on me. I should have done better."
He also acknowledged that his punt placement could have been better to help coverage. "Obviously, if my punt is a little bit better, outside the numbers toward the sideline, too, you know, our cover could have gotten down. It starts with the punt. Once I get a good location on the punt, we can eliminate big returns like that. But yeah, that punt return, that touchdown is solely on me. I just want to move past that and just apologize. I'll do better next time."
Background on Gettman
The 6-foot-4, 202-pound Gettman was born in Daytona Beach, Florida. He spent four years at Sacred Heart University before finishing his college career at the University of Akron in 2022. Despite the misstep, his punting average ranks second in the league, behind Toronto Argonauts' John Haggerty (53.22 yards per punt).
