Bombers’ playoff picture finally clear

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This article was published 06/11/2017 (2923 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a cloudy few weeks, the Canadian Football League playoff picture became clear over the final weekend of the regular season, beginning Friday night with a 23-5 win for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.

The victory clinched second place for the Bombers in the West Division — the Stampeders had already locked up first, finishing with a league-best record of 13-4-1 — and Winnipeg will now play host to the Edmonton Eskimos in the divisional semifinal on Sunday.

The Eskimos defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders on the road Saturday to lock up third spot in the West and a date against the Bombers. Saskatchewan, meanwhile, finished fourth and will cross over to the East to play the Ottawa Redblacks in the other semifinal game. Toronto defeated the B.C. Lions Saturday and, like the Stampeders, will have a bye straight to the division final Nov. 19.

But before we look too far ahead, here are five takeaways from the Bombers’ win over the Stampeders Friday night.

Nichols all the rage

He didn’t play a single snap Friday, out with an injured calf, but the absence of Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols against the Stampeders was all the talk leading into this one. The Bombers needed to win this game, so much so running back Andrew Harris was leaned on for a major role to ensure a victory.

Harris played despite leaving the game against B.C. the week before with what appeared to be a concussion. Harris required help off the field when his body failed him, reeling from a helmet-to-helmet collision with Lions linebacker Dyshawn Davis. The point, of course, is the Bombers were dressing the best and healthiest lineup they could, meaning Nichols’ absence might be more than just a cautionary move.

Nichols didn’t practise at all last week, leaving Dan LeFevour to take most of the first-team reps, as he was named the starter earlier in the week. Nichols also didn’t make the list of four players selected by the team for a press conference today at Investors Group Field. The fact he is unavailable to speak to reporters means Nichols is doubtful to practise when the team returns to the field Wednesday.

If Nichols doesn’t practise this week, that doesn’t mean he can’t play. The Bombers will do anything to preserve his health for game day, and if skipping additional workouts in favour of medical treatments serves him best, then that’s what the team will do. If Nichols can’t go, the Bombers will look to LeFevour for a second straight week.

LeFevour manages against Stamps

LeFevour guided the Bombers to the win over the Stampeders, completing 76.5 per cent of his passes. Granted, LeFevour, who was making just his eighth career CFL start since entering the league in 2012, attempted a mere 17 passes, gaining a measly 91 yards. He also didn’t register a single touchdown, instead settling for three field goals by Justin Medlock, all of which came in the first half.

In total, Winnipeg put up 186 yards of net offence — an average of four yards on 46 plays — and 10 total first downs.

It’s hard to assess just how effective LeFevour really was in the game. The conditions were less than ideal, with blowing snow lasting all game and the temperatures dropping to -23 C with the wind chill. LeFevour lamented the fact the offence struggled, but that said, given the conditions, he felt the offence executed the plays that were called.

Head coach Mike O’Shea also seemed content with his quarterback’s performance.

“I don’t want to say that Dan was just a game manager,” O’Shea said. “The weather conditions made it more important to do it that way. The game had to be played like that.”

Similar weather is expected for Sunday, the first playoff game at Investors Group Field since it opened in 2013. You have to think that whoever lines up at quarterback will have to do more than just manage the game if they plan to outduel Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly, the likely candidate to win the league’s most outstanding player award.

Defence wins championships

It’s a common mantra in professional sports that defence wins championships. That slogan, however, carries little water in the CFL, a league where rules are consistently reworked or created to benefit offence. In fact, after a number of rule changes in recent years, heading into the final week of the regular season, scoring was at its highest since 2008, with an average of 53.8 points per game.

But if the Bombers are to break what would be a 27-year Grey Cup drought, they will have to lean on a defence to make up for a struggling offence. Indeed, the offence has averaged near 15 points per game over the last five, about half of the 31.5 points they were scoring through the first 13 weeks.

Against the Stampeders, the defence forced seven sacks and seven turnovers, both season highs. Two turnovers resulted in touchdowns — a 55-yard interception by Brandon Alexander followed by a 51-yard scoop-and-run fumble recovery from Tristan Okpalaugo — with another pick from Kevin Fogg leading to a field goal.

Cornerback Chris Randle admitted the performance by the defence was long overdue and recognized the licks his group has taken throughout the season. The Bombers remain near the bottom in yards against and points surrendered per game, but the injection of confidence — and the resolve in cold weather — should bode well against an Edmonton club that has put up an average of 33 points in the last five games, all victories.

Harris hits historic mark

There was plenty of debate after individual team awards were announced early last week. Nichols was named the team’s most outstanding player, voted on by the local chapter members of the Football Reporters of Canada and O’Shea.

The decision to go with Nichols over Harris had some outsiders shaking their heads — the belief being Harris has had a more outstanding season, even if Nichols is considered to be the most valuable member of the offence (full disclosure: this reporter voted for Harris, with Nichols earning a second-place vote).

Nichols is an integral piece of the Bombers puzzle and had injuries not befallen him in recent weeks, he would have been a strong contender to win most outstanding player in the entire league. Harris, meanwhile, reached a number of marks against the Stampeders that will only continue to fuel his case as the surefire pick (he did get voted most outstanding Canadian).

Harris caught five passes — for 28 yards — to eclipse Craig Ellis for most receptions by a running back in a season, surpassing the mark of 103 set in 1985 by two catches. Harris’s 105 receptions is 38 more than he hadlast season — his first with the Bombers — and 30 more than his previous career best of 75, which he set in 2012 with the Lions.

Harris also rushed for 68 yards on eight carries to finish the season with 1,035 yards in the ground game. That put him in first place in the CFL in rushing yardage, with Lions running back Jeremiah Johnson needing 150 yards against the Argonauts on Saturday to steal the title. Predictably, Johnson wouldn’t get the job done — he posted 27 yards on five carries — and Harris earned his first rushing title in his nine-year career.

The decision for Nichols or Harris for MOP was truly a coin toss, but what is clear is that both will have to be at the top of their games if the Bombers are to make a real push in the playoffs.

Medlock a perfect 10

Any fear that Justin Medlock might not return to his usual form has been extinguished.

Medlock had put many at ease in Week 20 when he connected on all seven of his field-goal attempts against the Lions, rebounding from a four-game stretch where he missed six of 13. He was perfect once again Friday, nailing all three field goals to bring him to a perfect 10-for-10 over his last two games.

The first came from 52 yards out, which was his longest and perhaps the most impressive of his 56 all season when you consider the conditions. Medlock called the criticism of his game weeks ago “laughable,” and that may appear to be true now. But with his foot likely to play a big role for the Bombers in their playoff run, regaining any of that inconsistency would be anything but funny.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton