Yards not adding up to points

By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 11:40 PM CDT Wednesday, Sep. 6, 2017

The numbers aren’t flattering.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/09/2017 (2956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The numbers aren’t flattering.

Through 10 games, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers rank eighth out of nine CFL teams in points allowed by the defence (30.4 per game), pass defence (332.8 yards per game) and net offence against (398.4 yards per game).

“We don’t concern ourselves too much with that kind of stuff… whatever the stats are,” said Bombers middle linebacker Sam Hurl following practice Wednesday. “As long as we can hold their offence to as little a number of points as possible and we have more than them at the end of the game, that’s all we’re concerned about. Obviously, we want to play better, we don’t want to allow as many points as we’ve been allowing.”

JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Bombers linebacker Sam Hurl will be focusing on the game plan when the Banjo Bowl kicks off Saturday. — JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Bombers linebacker Sam Hurl will be focusing on the game plan when the Banjo Bowl kicks off Saturday.

On Saturday, the math did not add up for Hurl and his teammates.

The Blue Bombers spotted the Saskatchewan Roughriders a 34-16 lead at halftime and went on to lose 38-24 at Mosaic Stadium. You might say the visitors squandered any chance to win in the first half.

“We made some critical mistakes that cost us points,” Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea said. “We talked about this at the end of the game. We had a span of five minutes where we gave up some big plays that cost us 21 points and it was just hard to claw out of it.”

The Roughriders piled up 467 yards of offence, the vast majority of them in the first half.

“There’s four plays in that game that accounted for just under 200 yards and when you watch the film you just realize we didn’t pursue hard enough to the ball and we didn’t tackle and we need to communicate better,” O’Shea said.

Halfback T.J. Heath gave the defence a poor grade in the first half: “You know what, our execution was a D in that first half.”

“We came back and kinda regrouped. We executed well, held them to (four) points (in the second half) but we’ve gotta start like that every game. We can’t be inconsistent like that…

“We’re prepared for whatever this week. We’ve watched the game film and we’ve got a new game plan, so we’re ready.”

Saturday’s rematch at the Banjo Bowl will be a time for the Winnipeg defence to redeem itself. A major factor will be how effectively they deal with Kevin Glenn, Saskatchewan’s age-defying quarterback. The cagey 38-year-old sliced and diced the Blue Bombers with an expert short passing game, completing 26 of 36 passes for 386 yards on the Labour Day weekend. Glenn also avoided throwing an interception, which has been his fatal flaw in the past.

“He’s savvy,” Heath said. “I mean, he’s been in this league for years, so it’s not anything you haven’t seen but he is a smart guy. And really… I like to say, the mind runs everything, so you don’t have to be the fastest guy. All he has to do is use his mind and be able to throw the ball and that’s what he’s doing.”

Who’s louder?

Bragging rights over whether Regina or Winnipeg has a louder crowd could be settled this week. A sound meter recorded a high of 104 decibels at Mosaic Stadium last week. Now it’s the turn of Saturday’s sellout crowd at Investors Group Field, which will be bolstered by 300 fans who purchased standing-room tickets.

“I hope our fans take it as a challenge to be louder than 104, so it’s always a crazy atmosphere here when we play Saskatchewan,” Blue Bombers running back Andrew Harris said. “The fact that the game has been sold out for over a week now, it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere and I’m excited to play in it.”

Noteworthy

Winnipeg linebacker Kyle Knox, who left Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury after racking up a team-leading six tackles, did not practise Wednesday. O’Shea expects him to be ready for the Banjo Bowl. Meanwhle, rookie defensive back Brian Walker and safety Taylor Loffler (lower body), will be monitored this week before a decision is made on their availability… Canadian linebacker Frank Renaud, cut from Winnipeg’s practice roster on Tuesday, was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Wednesday.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14