As final dress rehearsals go, it served up just enough entertainment to have the masses salivating for more.
Perfect Sern boosts chances
Doug Berry post-game interview
QB Kevin Glenn got a rough ride from Montreal's Chris Smith, and the team has to do a whole lot of fine-tuning in a hurry before the Argos hit town next Friday for the start of the regular season, but the Bombers managed to eke out a 19-16 pre-season win over the Montreal Alouettes.
But while the curtain lifts on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers real football season in a week, based on what was on display in Thursday night's 19-16 victory over the Montreal Alouettes the early return on the 2008 edition is that it remains a bit of a mixed bag right now. Yes, as talented as this crew is it nonetheless has a whole pile of fine-tuning to do -- and in a hurry -- before the lid lifts on the real campaign next Friday against the Toronto Argonauts.
It will also enter the campaign with some unanswered questions, many of which could linger into the first month of the season or so.
Here's one observer's take on what we saw in the annual Hall of Fame game, played before an announced sell-out crowd of 29,553:
WHAT WE DO KNOW
Don't touch that defensive front seven...
Bomber defensive end Tom Canada (44) gets a mitt on Alouettes QB Anthony Calvillo, leading to a sack. Canada’s teammate Doug Brown wreaks havoc to Calvillo’s right.
No surprises here, but the Bomber D-line of Doug Brown and Jerome Haywood and ends Tom Canada and Gavin Walls was spectacular against the Als. Expect more of the same all season as this foursome rivals any in the Canadian Football League. The linebacking trio of Barrin Simpson, Ike Charlton and Cam Hall is also set in concrete and if Hall's first quarter is an indicator -- he had five tackles in the first 15 minutes -- don't expect a sophomore jinx from the team's top rookie.
QB controversy? Yeah, right...
OK, so Kevin Glenn didn't exactly fill the skies Thursday night. In fact, while he finished the first quarter just one-of-five for nine yards with two interceptions and a time-count penalty, he settled in after that and moved the ball. A little rusty, but he took some shots, too, and his left arm held up to the pounding.
We did like what Ryan Dinwiddie did -- again -- as he followed up a solid outing in Hamilton a week ago with some steady work, including effectively using his legs to move the chains, driving the Bombers for their only TD and game-winning field goal while finishing nine-of-14 for 167 yards. And while Bryan Randall didn't even get on the field to get his jersey sweaty, the Bombers appear to have their best QB depth from 1-to-3 in years.
Meet Alexis Serna, the new placekicker. The Bombers may have offered him a late training-camp invite, but the former Oregon State star is making good on the opportunity. He was good on all four of his field goals -- with a longest of 37 -- on a night when a proven vet like Montreal's Damon Duval whiffed on all three of his attempts.
WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO FIND OUT
Mr. Reid, Mr. Dynamic...
Never understood why the Bombers insisted that Fred Reid was only a kickoff man and a punt returner last season -- the ball tumbles out of the sky, you catch it and return it, what's so complicated about that? -- but what he showed against the Als is he is this team's best option to handle the return chores. Reid had one punt return for 16 yards, a kickoff return for 21 and took a missed-field goal 104 yards at the end of the half before being pushed out of bounds by Anwar Stewart. We've seen enough -- give him the job.
What's this, some of these guys can actually squeeze the thing?...
Who plays where in the Bomber secondary is still as clear as mud -- pencil in Anthony Malbrough, Kelly Malveaux and Robert Bean -- but some of these other guys can not only cover, they can make the kind of difference-making plays that were lacking a year ago. Winnipeg finished last year with a league-low 10 interceptions, but got two last night -- one each from Willie Amos and Greg Moss. Couple that with the work of Jovon Johnson through training camp and it appears the Bombers won't be dialing up Juran Bolden looking for emergency help in their secondary.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW
It's about this kicking soap opera...
How's this for a debut? Punter Duncan O'Mahony's first punt was just 33 yards and on his second attempt he bobbled a perfect snap and then fumbled -- on his own seven-yard line.
O'Mahony finished with a 40.6 yard average, but import Brian Monroe was clearly the better punter. We know the Bombers love this directional stuff where they kick to a spot and try to pin the returners, but Monroe simply crushes his attempts and, as an added bonus, has Jon Ryan-esque hang time. We humbly suggest that if Monroe is cut on Saturday, as expected, that he not venture too far. This storyline is not, repeat NOT, going away.
Which Canuck gets a job in the air defence?
A ton of candidates at both safety and corner, but nobody has really jumped off the page through two pre-season games. There's been some impressive play, but nothing that screams, 'Give me the damn job' from Ian Logan, Jason Nugent, Sebastian Clovis, Marc Beswick and Steven Holness. They can't keep all of them but, for what it's worth, Nugent started the game with the No. 1 defence.
Get ready for a surprise or two...
Finally, with CFL teams needing to declare their final 42-man rosters by Saturday afternoon the big question now with the Bombers, especially with so many newcomers impressing, is what kind of impact the enforceable salary management system will have on the final cuts. The next day or so could leave Bombers management fretting over their decisions and wearing out the digits on their calculators.
ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca
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