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Winnipeg Blue Bomber Report Record: 7–11–0

Bomber Report

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Kelly adamant team on right track

By: Ed Tait

9/11/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 20

HIS back against a wall, a throng of microphones aimed directly at him, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly looked every bit the man facing a firing squad.But the rookie Bomber boss remains steadfast in the foundation he believes he's built, even though his handiwork will now be scrutinized.

"I know what the next few days is going to bring. But we're an awfully young football team," said Kelly. "I'm excited about what the future will bring. Our shortcomings I think are pretty evident... And we'll start (Monday) addressing those shortcomings and start looking to 2010 to get this thing right."

Those shortcomings were in full display in Sunday's loss to Hamilton: The second-lowest scoring team in the CFL managed just 17 points -- only one TD offensively -- and looked completely lost in a the second half. Quarterback Michael Bishop finished 8-of-26 for 122 yards with one TD and two interceptions and, get this, was just 2-of-13 for a measly 10 yards in the final 30 minutes.

Bishop, 33, was 6-8 as a starter after parachuting into Winnipeg in July, and threw for 3,035 yards with 15 TDs against 19 interceptions on the season. But this is a position that will be under the microscope going forward.

Kelly said he wanted to have Bishop back in 2010 and "as of right now" would also invite back Stefan LeFors, who opened the season as the team's starter. The Bombers also had Casey Bramlet and Ricky Santos on the roster Sunday while Adam DiMichele has been here since September.

The team is also high on at least two QB prospects on its negotiation list: Former Utah star Brian Johnson and former Atlanta Falcon D.J. Shockley.

"Michael Bishop came in under some of the most adverse circumstances that anybody could ever come in and went 6-8 for us, had some outstanding games and had some not-so outstanding games" said Kelly. "The way he handled himself in the face of adversity should be commended, whether it was on the field or off the field. I'm a Michael Bishop fan.

"Obviously, I made a mistake this year in not having a more veteran presence to help groom a younger guy. We think we have three talented young guys here right now. We have a couple guys on our negotiation list that we have been in contact with. But Michael brings us a veteran presence that needs to be in camp with us."

Asked if Sunday's loss was a microcosm of the entire season, Kelly didn't disagree.

"Probably," he admitted. "At times we looked pretty darn good. But we left our defence out on the field too long, which has been our problem the whole year.

"Our inconsistencies on offence have caused us a lot of struggles this year. We need to reassess, re-evaluate, redesign a few things and address a couple personnel spots. We'll get it right. There's too many good people in this room for them not to succeed."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 9, 2009 C3

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20 Commentscomment icon

I echo the Bigg Piggs comments; in fact I echo 90 % of the comments posted on this site. As much as I would like to see Mike Kelly and Bauer go, it pains me to think that we would be paying three coaches at one time next year. For a once proud franchise, fasten your seat belts more turbulants ahead. My advise to those totally frustrated with the team's make up including myself; convince yourself " its only a game and move on ". Easier said than done especially when your dealing with a very, very passionate fan base.

We need some old time Bomber football back folks, and Mike Kelly is not it. He is excited about his sophomore season, well he is delusional. 60 yards passing outside of that one big play - yikes. i think most bomber fans want to see his sopholess season; he can watch from his couch at home, paid by the Blue, but since he is still being paid, he should be filmed watching each Bomber game, taking notes with a clipboard, and flashed periodically on the scoreboard video screen during the game. He could write comical messages for fans on a white board and hold it up. he could be something in between a coach and a mascot, as he seems to cheer more than he gets football results.
Seriously.
And more seriously:
Old time Bomber character. I see...

-Coach: Greg Marshall, quick, before Toronto gets him.
-re-assign Lyle Bauer within the organization
-Bring in Chris Walby to coach or to manage
-Bring in Bob Cameron as special teams coach (no offence, but Westwood kinda messed up out there yesterday, and needs his old buddy back)
-Keep Westwood and Serna (also missed a key FG with the wind) or Renaud and trade one of the three for a strong DB or in package for a strong backup of another team.
-QB: Maas or some first rate backup plus one development QB (not Bishop).

Finally: if the Asper financial situation is not straightened out in one year and it's looking impossible for D.Asper, then the football team could shift from 'community ownership' to a fan-owned and operated cooperative

Bryant and Armstrong were quiters and were not required on our football team. An excuse can be made for a lack of talent but what Bryant. Armstrong and to a lesser degree Simpson did is inexcusable.

Good post Mr. McGoo. Kelly messed up the offence starting from the QB downwards. There is some talent there and they are not to the expection of the fans. It's going to take a long time to get to the Grey Cup. Are we living in a fools paradise. God only knows.

What I don't understand is why we can't play consistent football? One game we're hot, the next we're not, then hot, etc. We've got a great group of players, I honestly don't think we need a major overhaul in that department. We've got a good receiving bunch when they're not dropping passes, good special teams players, defense is not too shabby, just the one quarterback who keeps making too many irrational decisions. What we need is more creativity in the play calling (they are so boring) and I also think we should hire a quarterback coach. (someone who knows what they're doing would help) I'd take the job!

We lost, Kelly will be back. Quit whining.

Chayglass

I agree with your assessment of the Bombers and what they need. Mike Kelly made wholesale changes, but they were changes that were long overdue and the Bombers are much stronger now than they have been since 2001. After the waste of the Taman years turning the Bombers into a winner is a bigger job than many fans recognized. It was too big to be done in one year, but Mike Kelly has accomplished most of it.

All the so called "controversy" about Mike Kelly seems to me to be just so much garbage. When I've been able to listen to him live he's made a lot of sense. I've never heard him duck or attempt to shift blame. The only occasion I heard him lose his temper was after the scout was turfed by the Ti-Cats and some arrogant "journalist" kept trying to get a "gotcha". My own philosophy is not to suffer fools gladly (life's too short) and Kelly was far kinder to the idiot than I would have been.

The decision on his future with the Bombers will be up to the team's executive. Over the next couple of weeks I expect they will conduct a thorough performance review on every member of the team and decide who stays and who goes. I kind of hope Mike Kelly is around to finish the job he started.

"Kelly said he wanted to have Bishop back in 2010 and "as of right now" would also invite back Stefan LeFors, who opened the season as the team's starter."

Is he mad? Has he learned nothing this year? His losing record aside, this deplorable lack of judgment is reason enough to ride Kelly out of town on a rail.

YOU are a joke..leave town NOW..

So help me god, I agree.. this team needs a little more youth on the OL, a little more consistency on the DL, one or two more coaches (one of whom should be a QB coach), and a legitimate starting QB (or good prospect in the Porter/McPherson/Lulay mold). But that's also just about all they need. Go through all 25 starters (counting returner). There really aren't THAT many holes. There's just gaping ones at the most spectacularly critical positions. And it's fixing (or not fixing) that which will decide how long Kelly has a job for.

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