Blue Bomber Report Record: 6–12–0

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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Better to laugh than cry

Blue Bombers put on awful show at Commonwealth

By: Adam Wazny

Posted: 07/14/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

john ulan / the canadian press The Bombers couldn�t stop the run, the pass or Eskimos quarterback Steven Jyles at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton Friday. The Winnipeg offence wasn�t any better. As a result, the Blue are now 0-3. (CP)

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EDMONTON -- There will be no lipstick application on the pig, no polishing of the 'you-know-what' after this one.

What else is one supposed to say after watching the Blue Bombers -- steadfast in their belief that their winless mark coming into Commonwealth Stadium was merely an aberration and not a reality -- get treated to an old-fashioned western-style beatdown by the Edmonton Eskimos Friday night?

The final score: Edmonton 42, Winnipeg 10.

The Bombers drop to 0-3 on this season-opening road trip and is now looking at a short week before taking on the Toronto Argonauts

Wednesday night (the Argos play in Hamilton this evening).The last time Winnipeg started the season oh-for-three was in 2008, when they started the season 0-4 en route to an 8-10 record.

Oddly enough, the Bombers were coming off a Grey Cup appearance that year, too.

"I don't know if there's much to say at this point," defensive back Jovon Johnson said after wards. "Everybody has to start looking in the mirror and have the attitude we have to start playing with. Right now we're not playing with no attitude, no enthusiasm -- we're just out there and it's not good right now."

Things were so bad against the Eskimos in the first half -- the 30 minutes where the Bombers turned the ball over four times that led to 18 home points -- that a foot injury to starting quarterback Buck Pierce turned into an afterthought as the home side piled on the points.

More on that quarterback crisis in a moment. First, let's walk through a first half against an Eskimos team that scored a total of ONE POINT against the Saskatchewan Roughriders last weekend:

The bad starts for Winnipeg in 2012 continued when Clint Kent -- the former Bombers linebacker who was dumped by the team after training camp -- picked up a Demond Washington fumble on the Bombers 29-yard line and ran it back into the end zone midway through the first quarter. The Eskimos followed that up by intercepting Pierce on the next series, and the Bombers were scrambling.

Already down 10-0, the Eskimos started to separate themselves from the Bombers when quarterback Steven Jyles hit receiver Cary Koch for a 33-yard touchdown pass two minutes into the second half.

It was Edmonton's first touchdown on offence in seven quarters and Jyles' -- the former Bombers quarterback -- first passing touchdown of the season. The Green and Gold, now in complete control of the game with Winnipeg not being able to muster anything on any side of the ball, made it 24-0 when linebacker T.J Hill intercepted Bombers backup Alex Brink and ran it back for a 32-yard touchdown.

The Bombers turned the ball over yet again when running back Bloi-Dei Dorzon was held up at the line of scrimmage and stripped of the ball by Edmonton linebacker Damaso Munoz. The fumble was recovered by linebacker JC Sherritt, and ultimately turned into a single point by Shaw (he missed a 32-yard field goal).

Turnovers

Edmonton (2-1) later punched through a 24-yard field goal to push the lead to 28-zip, before rookie Canadian receiver Shamawd Chambers pulled down a four-yard TD pass from Eskimos backup Kerry Joseph to make it 35-zip at the half.

The Bombers' five turnovers surpassed the total amount they had in the first two games, a disturbing trend to a start of the season that has been full of disturbing trends.

"All three sides got beat," head coach Paul LaPolice said. "We had an early turnover or two and it really deflated us. We have to b e able to play through those things. We all have to be accountable and look in the mirror, and that starts with me."

As for Pierce, he was injured with three minutes left in the first quarter, when defensive tackle Ted Laurent grabbed him by the ankles for a six-yard loss on second down. Pierce went 3-for-5 for 61 yards and one interception and the team was calling it a "left foot injury" after the game.

It's the second time in three weeks Pierce has been unable to finish a game this season, and the 22nd time he's left a game in 58 starts during his eight-year career.

Brink also left the game in the fourth quarter after he was steam-rolled by Sherritt on a run. He got up woozy and left the fieldunder his own power. He finished 8-of-18 for 75 yards and a pick.

Winnipeg kicker Justin Palardy put the Bombers with a 46-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter, before third-string QB Joey

Elliott found receiver Chris Matthews for a 72-yard touchdown pass less than a minute into the fourth.

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

KEY PLAY

Edmonton linebacker T.J. Hill stepped in front of an Alex Brink pass and ran it back 32-yards for a major to make the score 24-0 with 10 minutes in the second quarter.

KEY PLAYER

Up against incredible scrutiny, Edmonton QB Steven Jyles turned in a solid performance, going 15-of-27 for 272 yards. The two interceptions didn't hurt him, either.

KEY STAT

The Bombers offence and special teams turned the ball over four times in the first half, acts of charity that led directly to 18 Eskimos points.

NEXT GAME

Away: Toronto

Wednesday, July 18

6:30 pm / TSN

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 14, 2012 C1

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