Bruce Arians: Kicker Matt Gay 'Ain't Goin' Anywhere' After Game-Winning Miss
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians saidys kicker Matt Gay will not be out of a Tampa Bay job despite missing a potential game-winner as time expired in Sunday's 32-21 loss to the Giants.
"He ain't goin' anywhere," Arians said Monday, according to ESPN. Gay, who missed a 34-yard field goal attempt, had already missed two extra-points in the game.
Arians also updated the story behind a delay-of-game penalty that he said Sunday was taken "on purpose" as Tampa Bay drove downfield late.
The decision happened with the Bucs on the 9-yard line with 13 seconds to play. After spiking the ball to stop the clock, Arians took the penalty which caused the team to move back to the 14-yard line, setting up the 34-yard attempt.
"I just took it on purpose. He’s better back there. That field goal is easier back five yards," Arians said. "We wanted to move the ball, put it in the middle and make it easier."
"We didn’t go out there intentionally to take a penalty," Arians said Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times. "When I saw the umpire standing over the ball, the thing I didn’t want was a 10-second runoff, confusion. Set it up, put it in the middle of the field and kick an extra point."
Arians added that Gay has struggled from extra point distance of about 33 yards, especially on the right hash mark.
Tampa Bay has struggled in the kicking department, going through 11 kickers, including Gay, since 2009
The Buccaneers, who dropped to 1–2, will next face the Rams on Sunday.
