What the hey, win is a win

TORONTO -- This was the scene inside the cramped, steamy quarters at Rogers Centre that served as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers dressing room Saturday afternoon: Kelly Bates sat slumped in one corner with a sly grin on his face, a sweat-soaked Barrin Simpson was the picture of pain, grimacing as he attempted to get dressed while Michael Bishop looked like a man who had just been dragged through a knothole backwards.

And, as the music blared and backs were slapped heartily, the whole picture left the distinct impression Saturday afternoon's 13-12 victory over the Toronto Argonauts wasn't your average garden-variety 'W.' No, the defensive gem/offensive mistake-fest won't be dumped into a time capsule any time soon, but it was critical in stopping the bleeding for a Bomber side -- now 2-3 -- that was on the precipice of imploding.

"The difference between 1-4 and 2-3 is the demeanour of the team you're seeing right here right now," said cornerback Jovon Johnson. "Really, had we lost this game we would have taken a step in the wrong direction and guys may have been hanging their heads. But now that we're 2-3 we have this belief now we can keep fighting and winning some games.

"We've still got to put some pieces of the puzzle together, but we're in the fight."

And the Bombers are in the fight courtesy another gritty effort by a defence which forced six turnovers -- a seventh came courtesy the special teams -- with a little help from the football gods and a new quarterback in Michael Bishop with all of four practices under his belt. The defence pressured Argos QB Kerry Joseph to throw four interceptions, including two inside the five-yard line, and forced two other fumbles in a bend-but-don't-bust effort that saw Toronto hold the ball for almost 10 minutes longer than Winnipeg.

Still, despite the plethora of mistakes the Argos had a chance to seal the deal late before a time-count violation wiped out a last-minute Justin Medlock field goal from the 47, followed by a 57-yard effort clanging off the upright and falling short.

"This keeps us in it," said defensive tackle Doug Brown. "Nobody can write us off now. We've got an even bigger challenge going into Calgary next week but at least we're back in the ring and not down for the count and worried about the three-knockdown rule. We're on to the next round.

"What I like is we're starting to forge a little bit of an identity for the 2009 season. The first game maybe you get lucky. The second game you play well and it could still be a fluke or coincidence... but that was our fifth and the guys are being consistent in turning the ball over. That's something we haven't seen in a while. The way those guys are flying around in the back end intercepting passes and forcing mistakes... it's Week 5 and I think we're proving we're going to be a force defensively.

"Yeah, it was an ugly win," Brown added with a shrug. "It was like when you're at the circus and they've got that tent over to the side and they've got those jars filled with formaldehyde and the three-headed baby goat and the ugly things like that. That's how pretty our win was today... but a defensive masterpiece nonetheless."

Bishop, meanwhile, provided the necessary boost for an offence that had flat-lined over the last two weeks. He finished 16 of 30 for 213 yards with a TD strike to Terrence Edwards while being picked off once and running five times for 25 yards. In other words, he came exactly as advertised and was the perfect tonic not only for the offence, but gave a battle-weary defence a breather -- particularly in the first half.

"We told them that if they scored early we'll hold them in it," said Simpson. "We bent a couple of times but came up with a big play that got us out of a couple of situations. This is probably the most-thievourous defence I've ever been around. We're doing what we've got to do to win.

"We know we have to do our part defensively and not just make them kick it. Our mindset is to get out there and get a turnover. We've got guys like Neil McKinlay coming in and getting a turnover and getting the game-winning fumble which I was able to jump on. Everybody on defence is taking their turn to make a play. And when the offence gets rolling, as they started today... look out."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 2, 2009 A1