Well, that about does it

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/10/2010 (5519 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — Somebody call a priest and notify the next of kin — the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2010 season is officially on life support.

The Bombers, as has been the case all year, coughed and sputtered when it mattered most and fell 16-14 to the B.C. Lions in front of 23,186 at picturesque Empire Field, marking the seventh time this season they have lost a game by a touchdown or less.

Lions kicker Paul McCallum connected on a 19-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining to provide the game’s winning points and a last-gasp attempt to move into scoring range ended in Bomber territory with a desperate Terence Jeffers-Harris to Terrence Edwards lateral.

The result drops the Bombers to 3-10 and all but slams shut the crossover playoff possibility with the Lions improving to 5-8. The two clubs meet again on Thanksgiving Monday in Winnipeg.

As well, the Bomb Squad remains winless on the road in 2010 after suffering its seventh consecutive loss. All told, Winnipeg has lost eight straight on the road dating back to a win in Hamilton last October.

The Bombers had taken a 14-13 lead with 5:32 left on a Justin Palardy 26-yard field goal — he had missed from 30 earlier in the quarter — but Lions pivot Travis Lulay marched his squad deep into Winnipeg territory to set up the McCallum three.

The Bombers led 10-zip at the intermission courtesy an efficient offence that, even while pushing the Lions all over the field, still wasted a couple of opportunities to build an even bigger lead. But it was a stifling defence that established early dominance by limiting the Lions to just 106 yards total offence and forcing one turnover.

Winnipeg jumped to a 3-0 lead on its first possession when Palardy hit from 17 yards out, that kick coming after Greg Carr dropped a sure TD in the end zone. But the defence set up the next score when Geroy Simon was nailed by Deon Beasley and Jovon Johnson and his ensuing fumble was scooped up by Marcellus Bowman. That set up the only TD of the first half as Jyles connected with Terrence Edwards behind coverage for a 58-yard strike.

Alas, for as good as the Bombers were in the first half, they fell asleep in the third quarter and allowed the Lions right back into the fight. B.C. was sparked by two key developments: ace return man Yonus Davis continued to set up his squad in excellent field position while Lulay used his legs to do some damage and effectively move the offence.

In fact it was Lulay who found the end zone for the Lions’ first TD, hurdling over two defenders for a score that cut the Bomber lead to 10-7. He would finish with 57 yards on nine carries while McCallum was good on all three of his field goals.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca