Enlarge Image

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Blue Bombers starting QB Alex Brink has a laugh with teammates during practice Thursday morning. He�ll have a huge role in tonight�s outcome.

Related Items

1. Articles

   • Developing a six sense

Five areas to watch when the Bombers host the Alouettes tonight:

1. Brink, again

ANOTHER week, another game, and another chance for quarterback Alex Brink to prove himself worthy.

The general consensus after his last game, the tight win over Edmonton, went like this: The team loved the decisions he made with the football and liked the way he established himself early in the game. The two interceptions weren't his fault the club says, but a little more pocket awareness would have prevented those errors.

Under the shadow of Buck Pierce telling his radio show audience earlier this week that he'll be ready to play before September comes, Brink gets another chance to make his case.

For the 27-year-old, there's more to this one than just a win.

"I haven't really thought about it that much. This is such an important part of our season right now," Brink said. "We need wins. We need to get back on track if we want to have the type of season that we set out to have at the beginning. I'm focused on that; the rest of it will take care of itself."

2. Secondary city

MUCH has been made about Montreal's defence through the first five games.

Like Winnipeg, the unit has been torched both in points allowed (32.4 per game average) and total yards per game (390.6). The real concern is in the secondary.

The Als are giving up 311.4 yards passing per contest (only the Bombers are averaging more at 326) and opposition quarterbacks are completing 75 per cent of their passes. You might remember the last time Winnipeg faced this group: the offence forced the Als into FIVE pass interference penalties.

3. Bowman and Bowman

TWO players who weren't involved in the Week 2 matchup (a 41-30 Alouettes win) suit up for their respective teams tonight. Winnipeg welcomes Marcellus Bowman back. The quick and hard-hitting linebacker returns to his weak-side position after missing the start of the year with a hamstring injury. Look for him to make an immediate impact for the Bombers run defence.

On the Montreal side, John Bowman faces the Blue for the first time in 2012. The defensive end missed the first three games with a knee injury, but has been back for the last two. He's Montreal's biggest threat in the pass rush.

4. Bye-bye week

HEAD coach Paul LaPolice talked about how this is a four-point game and how Winnipeg can pull even with Montreal with a win tonight. That's the official line of focus from the club.

There is a bye week looming for the Bombers, though, and with flights booked for hometowns across North America, one wonders if all the attention will be on the task at hand. Yes, they are professionals and yes, this is a big game, but put it this way:

How do you perform at your job when you're scheduled to start a vacation the next day?

Yeah, it's tough to concentrate.

5. Calvillo comfort

QUESTION for the Bombers defensive front: Is it more important to knock Anthony Calvillo down, or is there more benefit to just making him uncomfortable with pressure?

"Sacks are always good, I'm a defensive lineman, of course I love sacks," DE Kenny Mainor said, "but I think if we mess up his timing and get him uncomfortable, that will mess up his timing with his receivers (and) throw off (things) with the linemen."

Winnipeg had zero sacks against Montreal in Week 2. That number has to go up.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @wazoowazny

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 3, 2012 C3