Intrigue plentiful in Bombers-Stamps tilt

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This article was published 24/08/2022 (1109 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are fresh off the bye week and will welcome the Calgary Stampeders for a CFL matchup at IG Field on Thursday night.

The Bombers (9-1) suffered their first loss of the season — falling 20-17 in overtime to the Montreal Alouettes — before heading off on the weeklong break, The Stampeders (6-3) are coming off a 22-19 victory over the Toronto Argonauts, rebounding from a crushing 41-40 defeat to the B.C. Lions the week before.

It’s the third and final clash between the two West Division clubs, with Winnipeg earning wins in both games, edging Calgary by a single score in each. Much has happened since the most recent game on July 30, creating plenty of intrigue for their last regular-season matchup.

Here are five storylines to keep an eye on:

HIGH STAKES IN THE WEST

The Bombers have a chance at their first three-game sweep of Calgary since 1987. Far more crucial is what a Winnipeg victory would mean in the West standings. Despite being 8-1, it’s hard to envision the B.C. Lions securing the top spot in the West as star quarterback Nathan Rourke is done for the regular season after getting foot surgery. That leaves Calgary as the next big threat to the Bombers, but the Blue and Gold already own the tiebreaker after winning the first two meetings. That doesn’t mean this game isn’t important, though. Barring an epic collapse down the stretch, the Bombers can take the Stampeders out of the picture for the No. 1 seed with another win against their foes on Thursday.

Leaving IG Field with two points is a tall task for the Stamps as Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros hasn’t lost consecutive starts since Aug. 2, 2018 which is a streak that stretches across 36 games. The Bombers are also 9-2 since 2016 when coming off a bye.

PROTECT ZACH AT ALL COSTS

The Bombers were reminded last week of the importance of protecting the quarterback after the Lions were dealt the devastating news about Rourke. The Canadian pivot has been the best story in the CFL this year, responsible for turning around B.C. after a couple of down years, until a sack had him reaching for his right leg.

Collaros has become the gold standard at quarterback in the CFL, and without him the Bombers wouldn’t have won back-to-back Grey Cups and be fighting for a third straight this season. Protecting him at all costs is top priority.

Winnipeg has surrendered eight sacks over the last two games, nearly half of the 20 it has given up all season. That’s certainly not the standard set by the Bombers offensive line, a group considered among the best in the league the last several years.

For a unit that’s faced some rare criticism in recent weeks, there’s some pride on the line here. The Stampeders aren’t world beaters when it comes to generating sacks, ranked fifth in the league with 22, but don’t sleep on a group that has the likes of Mike Rose and Shawn Lemon, a duo that has combined for nine sacks this year, including four last week in Toronto.

MAIER GETS THE START

After a week of speculation about who would get the nod at quarterback, the Stampeders are going with Jake Maier. That means future Hall of Famer Bo Levi Mitchell will be a backup in a “meaningful” game for the first time since taking over the No. 1 job.

Maier has started just three games in his two-year CFL career, all of which came last season while Mitchell was recovering from a broken fibula suffered in Week 1. Last week, the 25-year-old replaced Mitchell in the second half and, down by nine points, led the Stampeders to victory.

Maier is not your typical No. 2; he’s the first-ever CFL player to throw for 300 passing yards in each of his first three starts, one of those coming against the Bombers. In that game – an 18-16 Winnipeg victory – Maier was a perfect 16-for-16 passing in the first half, en route to throwing for 307 yards.

Not often do we see a torch passed mid-season, but if Maier can prove capable of beating the best team in the league, on the road no less, it’s tough to imagine the Stampeders making a change anytime soon.

ALL EYES ON LIEGGHIO

After Week 10’s debacle, everything Marc Liegghio does in Week 12 will be under the microscope.

Liegghio’s teammates and coaches said all the right things after the Canadian kicker botched not one,but two field goals against the Alouettes on Aug. 11 to stick the Bombers with their first loss. But it’ll be hard for anyone in Bomberland to stay positive about Liegghio if he costs them another contest.

After spending a few days in cottage country, Liegghio said he was at the facility for most of the bye week working on his craft. Perhaps a reunion with Maier and the Stampeders will bring out the best in him, as he had one of the best games in his young career nearly a year ago (Aug. 29, 2021) at home. Liegghio, who was making his first start at kicker at the time, spoiled Maier’s second career start by going four-for-four on field goals, including a game-winning 45-yarder. Liegghio also hit a 50-yard kick in the game, which remains his career best.

Liegghio started 2022 strong, but he now has an 82.6 field-goal percentage which puts him in seventh place in the league. His four missed extra points are also the most in the CFL.

The 25-year-old out of Western University needs a bounce-back performance before this turns into a problem that can no longer be ignored.

BOMBERS MISSING KEY PLAYMAKERS

Star receiver Greg Ellingson pulled up lame on a route at Monday’s practice and limped off the field.

It turns out it isn’t something the veteran can just shake off as the Bombers placed Ellingson on the six-game injured list Wednesday.

That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll miss six weeks of action, but it’s obviously a cause for concern as Ellingson already missed three games this season with a hip issue. He made his return before the bye against Montreal where he made three catches for 54 yards and now his QB’s favourite target finds himself sidelined again. Collaros had his best game of the season in Calgary in Week 8 without Ellingson as he completed 22-of-30 passes for 270 yards and four touchdowns. But in the other two games without his trusty sidekick, Collaros looked average at best, connecting on 22-of-42 throws for 398 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions.

Ellingson isn’t the only important piece out of action for the home side as kick returner Janarion Grant is on the one-game injured list.

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Rookie defensive back Jamal Parker, a product of Kent State University who was second in the Mid-American Conference in kickoff return average (29.6 yards) as a senior in 2019, will handle kick returns while experienced defensive back Nick Taylor has been asked to handle punt-return duties. It’ll be interesting to see what Taylor can do as he returned a few punts early on in his pro career but hasn’t done so since joining the CFL in 2016.

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