Gadgets, tricks won’t cut it

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/10/2015 (3880 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

To win their second game in a row — for the first time this season — all the Winnipeg Blue Bombers need to do is replicate their keys to victory in their upcoming games against the Ottawa Redblacks. They need to block another punt for a touchdown, pull off two fake punts at critical times to extend drives, and pitch a near shutout in the second half defensively. Nothing more, nothing less, which therein lies the crux of the matter.

If you have an idea of how difficult that will be to duplicate in Ottawa, you understand this team needs another recipe for success when they travel to the nation’s capital, because it’s highly improbable they will be able to play this same hand again.

Last Saturday we were treated to a “playoff-mode” performance from a team that had its back squarely up against the wall. After an uninspired first half, the light went on for this squad they were on borrowed time, and two out of their three phases played ultra-aggressive, risk-taking football for the duration of the game. But is the way they played, and the manner in which they pulled this game out, something that is sustainable on a week-by-week basis? I wish I had better news for you.

Call it a coincidence if you will, but the first time head coach Mike O’Shea declared the game a do-or-die scenario was the first time this season we saw how O’Shea made his name as a special-teams co-ordinator in the CFL. When they were set to receive punts, they went for the block instead. When they were in a position to punt the ball away, they went out and got the first down for good measure. It reminded me of the days when I would be stuck in meetings with the Blue and Gold special-teams units and our own coaches would be in a bit of a panic and frenzy over how and when O’Shea would turn the game on its head with some sort of trickery or fake.

Yet, when you win primarily with defence and taking huge gambles on special teams, it’s hard to sustain for more than a game or two, and especially against a higher-calibre opponent. You may not have to worry about having your own punts blocked or defending against fakes — because your opponents will be obsessed with defending against yours — but for the lack of a better word, a degree of your success came from playing “gimmick” football. Tricks and fakes and blocks can augment your special-teams play, but they are rarely a week-by-week staple, the way a consistent running game or a passing attack should be. You can win a couple of games a season with some high-risk gimmick plays and gadgetry on special teams or offence, but it’s fundamental play that better carry you over the long haul.

In 1998 in Washington, at our first joined practice against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I learned the difference between a gimmick pass-rush move and one I could rely on consistently. The previous year in Buffalo, I had received a tip from NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith about how to counter a strong set from an offensive lineman, with a double hand swipe. When you get jumped on the line of scrimmage, a guard or centre will usually fire his hands with his first forward step. With a double hand swipe, even if you miss with one hand, you are likely to catch a hand with the other and slip your opponent untouched, as long as you have the right timing. When we were practising one-on-ones against the Steelers, I noticed their centre was strong-setting everyone quite regularly, so when it came to my two turns against him, I used my hand swipe one way for a clean win, and then the other way the next rep, to win them both.

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Needless to say, after the Steelers watched film of that pass-rush drill that night, my gimmick move never worked against them again. The next day my opponent simply flashed his hands as he strong-set me, and changed his timing, and I missed on both rushes. My defensive line coach at the time, the late Earl Leggett, summed it up best for me. He said, “you have a nice little finesse move there, but you’re a power rusher. You’re not going to succeed as a defensive lineman long-term until you develop a primary rush and a counter, because good linemen will take that hand swipe away from you once they see it on film, and then what are you going to do?”

The Bombers have had some pretty good coverage and returns on special teams of late, whichwere enhanced last week with some aggressive fakes and blocks. Yet if they are going to win two games in a row, they are going to need an offence to complement their defence and specialty play, because you can’t count on just guts and gadgetry to win you football games on a regular basis.

Doug Brown, once a hard-hitting defensive lineman and frequently a hard-hitting columnist, appears Tuesdays in the Free Press.

Twitter: @DougBrown97