Blue ‘D’ must bail out atrocious offence

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This article was published 05/09/2015 (4017 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With yet another new starting quarterback — their third in the last four games — under centre, conventional wisdom says any chance the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have of beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Field Sunday has to begin with a big performance by the defence. And they know it.

“As a unit, we’ve got to put our best foot forward this weekend,” linebacker Chris Randle said Friday following the club’s last full practice before travelling to Regina today.

“We know our situation. We can’t go out there clueless to it. And we have to go out there and play accordingly. Everyone has to elevate their game.

“The offence has to do what they can, given their situation. But we want to be dominant as a defence.”

While the Bombers are riding a three-game losing streak heading into Regina, their defence actually hasn’t been terrible lately. A decent performance in a 27-20 loss to the Toronto Argos two games ago was followed up last week with arguably the best half of football it has played all year in the first half against Calgary.

Alas, a hopelessly sputtering offence last week simply left the defence on the field too long and by night’s end another loss was in the books as the Blue were ultimately trounced 36-8 by the Stamps.

O-LINE UNDER THE GUN: The first two starting quarterbacks the Bombers used this season — Drew Willy and Robert Marve — are both sidelined by injuries.

And that puts even more pressure on the embattled offensive line to keep the third one, Brohm, upright this weekend.

“We’ve got to block so he’s got all day to throw,” said centre Dominic Picard. “And establishing a running game will help too.

“If we do those things, good things will happen.”

DON’T COUNT OUT MARVE: While Marve was placed on the six-game injured list on Thursday, O’Shea said that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s expected to miss that many games.

“There’s still a way to go to figuring out what’s wrong with him. There’s still doctors to see and diagnostic tests to go through.

“But that six-game is standard operating procedure.”

QUOTABLE: Bob Dyce, the Winnipeg product, will make his CFL coaching debut Sunday, marking the next step in a long career that dates back to 2002 when he was a guest coach with the Bombers.

“I don’t think I’ve had time to get anxious about it,” Dyce told reporters this week. “Right now, it’s more a matter of preparing for the game-day scenarios. I think it was Levy (Adcock, an offensive tackle) who asked me today, ‘So, are you nervous yet?’ I said, ‘Not yet.’ I’ve just had to spend my time preparing.

“When that day comes, I’m human, so I think there will be some thought (about the magnitude of the event). But as I tell my son as he’s getting ready for a football game, ‘If you’re nervous, it’s probably because you’re not prepared well enough.’

“If you believe in what you’re doing and you believe you’ve done everything that you can to prepare properly, you should be fine. That’s how I feel I should be on the weekend.”

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THEY WROTE IT: This from Regina Leader-Post columnist Rob Vanstone this week: “Local reporters were given a tour of Regina’s new stadium, which is 54-per cent complete, on Wednesday. After 15 minutes, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were trailing 14-0.”

NOTES: Winnipeg released running back Tyler Thomas and QB Tyler Russell Friday… The Bombers announced they’re taking nominations for two upcoming vacancies on their board of directors. Nominations can be submitted via email to boardnomination@bluebombers.com until Oct. 1.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek