Bombers know what’s coming
Roughriders' defence will present formidable challenge in Labour Day Classic
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/08/2018 (2611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
In what’s been an up-and-down season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the one constant has been a steady defence. That’s not exactly great news for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who have struggled in recent weeks to get much going on offence, as they, too, navigate through their own roller-coaster type of year.
The matchup is just one of the juicy storylines between the two Prairie rivals heading into Sunday’s Labour Day Classic game in Regina, but is one that could very well prove to be the biggest. As has been the case with any team led by Chris Jones, general manager and head coach of the Roughriders, as well as one of the league’s greatest defensive minds, the only thing predictable about his defences is just how unpredictable they are.
“Jones does a great job of putting athletes out there that run around and move, so it’s kind of hard to really grasp what he’s trying to do. He kind of gives you different looks each down — first down, second down, whatever down it is,” Bombers left tackle Stanley Bryant said following Thursday’s practice. “I praise Jones for that because he has always been one of those guys that’s just willing to stand up and do whatever to get the job done.”

While the Roughriders’ season has certainly produced mixed results, with Saskatchewan boasting a 5-4 record, their defence has been a stable force. Under Jones, the defence has allowed the fewest rushing yards per carry (4.6 yards), and is second in rushing touchdowns against (5), average rush yards per game (78.3) and quarterback sacks (23). What’s most impressive is that despite playing one fewer game than half the teams in the league, they lead the CFL in forcing the most two-and-outs, with 62 — six more than the second-place Calgary Stampeders.
“He’s a smart coach who analyzes offences and what may seem like a risk to the viewer in his mind isn’t, because he’s already looked at it a ton of times,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said of Jones. “I don’t know if he sleeps. He’s always working. He’s obviously been in the league a long time and draws on that experience all the time. He’s obviously very smart and very calculated.”
But as gifted as Jones might be at devising defensive schemes, the talent on the roster has also played a big role in why the team has been so dominant on that side of the ball. That includes a defensive line, led by arguably the best 1-2 punch in defensive ends Charleston Hughes and Willie Jefferson, that has quickly become the envy of the league.
“Charleston is on a tear again, and he’s got so much experience and understanding of what teams are trying to do,” O’Shea said of Hughes, who leads the CFL in sacks with 12. “Couple that with just his raw abilities, he’s a good player. They get a lot of production out of their D-line, no matter who’s in. They’re having a good year.”
Bryant played five seasons with Hughes in Calgary, winning a Grey Cup together in 2014. The two used to go head-to-head at practice, so Bryant isn’t all that surprised that even at the age of 34, and in his 11th CFL season, Hughes continues to excel.
But Bryant said it’s Jefferson who can cause the biggest fits, creating nightmares for opposing tackles tasked with containing his 6-6, 245-pound frame. The 27-year-old has just four sacks this season, but that’s likely because of the added protection required in order to limit his seemingly constant motor.
“I feel like Charleston never lost a step last year, so it’s kind of unfortunate that he got traded from Calgary, but he’s been doing great,” Bryant said. “And Jefferson, he’s athletic and fast; he’s always been a great guy to go against. It’s a good test for tackles when you go against him. He kind of shows you where you’re at.”
On offence, the 5-5 Bombers can be best described as a work in progress. They still average the most points in the CFL but have struggled the past two weeks, in losses to the Ottawa Redblacks and Calgary, moving the ball downfield. The most pressing issue right now is production on first down, with Winnipeg averaging a CFL-worst six yards per play.
“The last couple of defences we’ve played have been really good and played really tight. Saskatchewan is obviously no different,” Bombers left guard Patrick Neufeld said. “They’re a team that flies around, they show you a lot of different things and bring a lot of different guys into different gaps. Top that with the crowd noise and we need to be on top of what we have to communicate as best as we can with how loud it’s going to be.”
The challenge of navigating an offence through the jarring cheers at Mosaic Stadium is just one of the reasons the Roughriders force the most two-and-outs in the CFL.
“They also do a great job of pressuring you with different looks. Lots of people know the CFL is a passing game, so any chance you get an opportunity to get a team in second-and-long, and especially in a hostile environment like that, where the crowd noise is an effective measure, you know that’s going to be a win for them,” Neufeld said. “We’re anticipating them trying to get us in second-and-long and then drop nine guys into coverage or play hard in man coverage. We just got to stay really consistent, really physical on first down and stay on the field but also move the chains as best we can.”
jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer
Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.
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