Five story lines

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/11/2011 (5143 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Bombers take on the Stamps at McMahon Stadium this afternoon (3 p.m., TSN, CJOB). A few things to consider:

1. The main event

Alex Brink welcomes the big stage. Paul LaPolice figures it will take on the feel of a playoff contest once things get underway. The stakes — first place and a home playoff date — are high for both teams.

Saturday is a special day in the CFL, with the Bombers-Stamps contest and the Montreal-B.C. affair both on the docket, so all eyes interested in Canadian football will be watching, measuring each club one last time before the playoffs begin next weekend.

Can the Bombers finally secure first place? Or will a loss dash their first-place hopes?

Frame this one as you desire, but bigger regular season games don’t come by too often, so it’s an easy storyline today: Winnipeg seemingly wins the games they aren’t supposed to, but this is different. Things are on the line now and there are no more second chances. How the young, inconsistent, sometimes frustrating Bombers handle themselves today should go a long way in determining just how successful the club can be later this month.

2. In the blue corner…

Standing at 5-foot-8 and weighing in at 185-pounds, we have Chris Garrett. Simply put: If the Bombers running back had another month of playing time under his belt, he might have grabbed some Most Outstanding Player votes.

Here are the numbers after five games: 75 carries for 512 yards and three touchdowns. He’s averaging a very impressive 6.4 yards per carry, he doesn’t fumble it, and he has given Winnipeg a legitimate threat on the ground.

More than that, though, Garrett has taken pressure of a short-pass offence that has looked pretty stale in recent weeks.

3. And in the red corner…

We have Jon Cornish, the Calgary running back. Since taking over from Joffrey Reynolds, the 6-foot, 205-pound Canadian has quickly emerged as one of the top backs in the league. He’s rushed the ball 111 times for 825 yards and eight touchdowns, fumbling just one time during that workload.

Forget about Drew Tate and how to stop him: Winnipeg’s real challenge will be to make the Stamps offence a one-dimensional attack. It says here stopping Cornish and making Tate beat you through the air is the way to go.

4. Bye-bye Brown

Strange to point attention to a single interior defensive line player, but the Doug Brown watch is now down to the final minutes of a great career. The veteran Bomber started his CFL life with a game in Calgary back in 2001, so it’s fitting that his regular season finale takes place in the Foothills. No doubt there will be some extra attention on what No. 97 does in this game; an extra TSN camera on him as he rotates in and out of the defence.

5. Five and out

How much will the Bombers miss safety Ian Logan? Does Alex Brink have what it takes? When might Winnipeg snap this eight-year drought in Calgary? Will the chilly conditions play a factor? Paul LaPolice or John Hufnagel: Who wins the coaching battle?

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

Winnipeg’s secondary vs. Drew Tate’s generosity

Bombers defensive back Jovon Johnson spilled the beans on his former Iowa quarterback earlier this week, suggesting that defenders would be able to jump the routes on Tate’s primary target.

The question is: Who is Tate’s primary target?

The events of the game will tell us if Johnson’s scouting report is accurate or not, but what the Winnipeg secondary should be more concerned with regarding Tate is his knack of getting everyone in the Calgary offence involved.

In his two starts — both wins — Henry Burris’ former apprentice has thrown to nearly everyone wearing a Stamps jersey. Against Saskatchewan, he distributed the ball to 10 different targets. In Montreal last weekend, nine different receivers had a catch.

In those two games, none of the Stamps receivers has evolved into Tate’s go-to option. Johnny Forzani, Landan Talley (both with eight catches) and Nik Lewis (seven) seem to be his favourites, but Tate doesn’t seem to mind spreading the wealth around. Should make for an interesting battle between a good secondary and an up-and-coming CFL star.

Tate has thrown for three touchdowns and four interceptions since being named the Calgary starter.