Loss leaves Blue D-jected

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Winnipeg Blue Bombers' DB Johnny Sears (bottom) is congratulated by gleeful teammate Brandon Stewart after Sears picked off a first-quarter pass. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defence did all it could against the B.C. Lions Friday night.

It still wasn't enough.

The Bombers defence, looking good for three quarters in the 20-17 Lions win, couldn't seal the game off when it mattered the most, giving up the winning field goal from B.C. kicker Paul McCallum from 41-yards out with zeros on the clock. That, after the B.C. offence marched the ball down 42-yards on four plays in final 27 seconds to give the veteran leg plenty of distance to work with.

"We definitely performed well, but we got to get into the habit of winning," a dejected linebacker Marcellus Bowman said afterwards. "Our core is together and we're starting to get healthy and everything, but if you don't get that 'W' is doesn't really matter.

"It don't matter how many steps you take. If you get to the point where you need to be, then you need to take another step. We just got to finish... we're not there yet."

The fourth quarter was a rollercoaster ride for the defence Friday night, intercepting quarterback Travis Lulay not once but twice in the frame. First, Demond Washington jumped on a pass at the B.C. 25-yard line with 10 minutes to play. That led to a Justin Palardy field goal that gave the home side its first lead of the night, a slim 11-10 advantage.

The very next B.C. offensive series, Bowman stepped in front of a Lulay pass; another turnover that lead to another Palardy field goal, and Winnipeg was looking good at 14-10 with five minutes to go.

Field goals weren't going to get it done and that same defence, which helped give the Bombers the lead, then fell apart.

Lulay strung together a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive -- a march that featured a huge, crippling 43-yard strike to Shawn Gore down the middle over defensive back Alex Suber -- that gave the visitors the lead once again.

That was 10 points surrendered at the end of a tight ball contest.

Overall, the club turned in their best defensive showing. The 20 points against was the lowest amount they've given up all season, and the 331 yards net offence against was a major improvement over the season average of 420 yards against.

Not only that, the three interceptions -- Johnny Sears had the third pick for the Bombers -- nearly equaled the number of picks they had coming into the game (4).

Moral victories was the topic of questioning in the locker room, but that didn't wash with the last place 2-6 club.

"We don't do moral victories -- we lost," defensive back Jonathan Hefney said.

"We made a lot of plays defensively, it's very unfortunate at the end of the game we gave them 10 points," head coach Paul LaPolice said. "We're in a hole, but if we can keep playing at a high level the rest of the way, I think we have a chance to be in it."

QUOTE: "I thought there was a lot more field, so I just jumped on his back. It is what it is. Everybody saw the play; everybody is going to have their own judgment on the play. I didn't feel (it was a penalty). They made that call. They make a lot of calls." -- Bombers linebacker Brandon Stewart, on the unnecessary roughness penalty he took on Lulay out of bounds in the second quarter.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 25, 2012 C3