Five Storylines

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This article was published 30/09/2011 (5097 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five things to keep an eye on when the Bombers host the Alouettes tonight:

1. Startin’ Brink

He says he’s feeling fine, but is anyone concerned about the Bombers starting a quarterback who is coming off a dislocated shoulder (non-throwing) six days ago?

Part of what Alex Brink brings to the position is his sneaky ability to move out of the pocket.

He can tuck the ball and run, and with this being just his first start since last year’s Thanksgiving turkey, odds are that he’ll be more inclined to take off once the first or second read is finished.

As backup quarterbacks always say — you’re always just one hit away.

Regardless, Brink knows the heat is coming from Montreal.

“They’re an aggressive group; they’re going to make your athletes beat their athletes. They’re going to play man-coverage and they’re going to blitz a little bit and try to pressure the quarterback,” he said.

2. Educating Anthony

Winnipeg did an excellent job against Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo two weeks ago, confusing him with a variety of looks at the line. In a few instances, he hurried throws when there wasn’t any pressure at all — a sure sign of bother.

Winnipeg’s front seven only had one sack in the game, but the impact was noticeable.

Now that he’s seen the Bombers defence first-hand, what adjustments will the future Hall of Famer (and the Alouettes) make this time? He is coming off a concussion in Edmonton last week, true, so look for him to be a little quicker in his reads and dump the ball off a lot faster — especially in the early going.

3. Special sauce

Forget about punter Mike Renaud’s struggles and the questions about Justin Palardy’s leg strength for a second. Take a look at the Blue return game.

Winnipeg is dead last in kickoff return yardage, averaging just 17.4 yards a return (the CFL average is 20.3). Punt returns are more on par with what the rest of the teams are doing; the nine yard average per return is just off the league average. What’s killing the Bombers special teams is penalties, though. Winnipeg has amassed a combined 260 yards in penalties on kickoff and punt returns this season, well in front of the second-most guilty team in the league (Montreal, 215).

On that note: Returner Tim Brown is back in the lineup after missing a game with a hand injury.

4. Sticking Whit It

How the Bombers handle the Montreal receivers this time is a plot line to follow, but watch how the Alouettes use Brandon Whitaker. The running back, who rushed for 113 yards and caught two touchdown passes in Edmonton, found pockets of success against the Winnipeg defence two weeks ago. But with the Als having to play from behind in the 25-23 loss to the Bombers, he became somewhat of a forgotten man.

Expect Whitaker, the CFL’s rushing leader (906 yards), to be given a bigger role this time around.

5. Final countdown

Will the Bombers rattle Calvillo’s cage again? Can the Winnipeg secondary duplicate what they did in Montreal? Does running back Chris Garrett have what the Bombers require on the ground? Are the injuries on the Winnipeg side a factor? Is this the biggest game of the year for the Bombers?

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @wazoowazny