Courtesy Winnipeg Sun:

Troy Westwood must think it’s still Halloween, because he said something yesterday that is sure to scare the pants off Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans.

“I hope Sunday comes down to a game-winner from 48 yards,” the Bomber placekicker said.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!

OK, so that’s a bit of cheap shot at a guy who’s struggling, but it has to be questioned considering he hasn’t made a field goal longer than 42 yards this season.

Head coach Doug Berry announced yesterday that Westwood will be Winnipeg’s kicker for Sunday’s East Division semifinal against the Montreal Alouettes at Canad Inns Stadium.

Despite Westwood missing from 49 and 43 yards last Friday night, Berry opted not to bring in competition for the 40-year-old on the eve of the team’s first playoff game.

Berry said on Saturday that he had no confidence trying anything longer than a 40-yard field goal, but his tune had changed yesterday.

“It depends about the wind,” Berry said, “but if there’s not wind or the wind’s at his back and it’s between 40 and 50, most likely we’ll try it.”

Berry went over practice film from the last two weeks and noted that Westwood made approximately 90% of his kicks from between 39 and 53 yards during an intense kicking competition against import Aaron Barret, who has since gone home to California.

“I just felt he can do it in practice, he can do it in a game,” Berry said. “It’s not like he can’t do it. He’s a veteran.

“And besides that, according to history — so I’m told — this is the time of year that Westwood comes to play.”

Berry’s hearing must be good, because Westwood has shown that he is money in the bank come playoff time. The lefty has made 47 of 58 attempts in 14 career playoff games for a solid 81% success rate. He has made 12 consecutive field goals in division finals and semifinals since 2000.

He is 5-for-9, however, in the Grey Cup, his most infamous performance being the 1-for-4 showing in the 2001 championship game that many Bomber fans cannot forget about.

Westwood, meanwhile, has already forgotten about his tumultuous 2007 regular season, during which he was benched for four games, missed another two due to injury and made just 20 of 33 attempts for a career-low success rate of 60.6%.

“The second after that last regular-season game was done, it was just in a garbage bin, never to be seen again — by me, anyway,” Westwood said. “I know what I’ve done in the playoffs, and I expect to do the same (this year).”

“… I expect perfection in the playoffs, and I know I’m going to play well on Sunday.”

Westwood was asked yesterday about his uncertain future after 17 seasons in Blue and Gold, but he’s not ready to go there just yet.

“I’m thinking about tomorrow is what I’m thinking about, and I’ve been doing that for a few months now,” he said. “I’m concerned about practice tomorrow and focusing on Sunday, and that’s truly all I’m thinking about.”