Turnaround on turnovers?

It’s not like Cam Lawson was an unwilling participant in the impromptu game of hot potato, he just wasn’t expecting Davis Alexander to toss the ball in his general direction.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive lineman was chasing down the Montreal Alouettes quarterback early in the third quarter of Friday’s 44-28 victory and was locked in on throwing a thunderous hit as Alexander scrambled outside the pocket.

“I wanted to light him up, but he (threw) it right at me and I was like ‘Oh my God,’” Lawson said after the Bombers returned to the practice field on Tuesday. “I almost had it, but it slid off my arm as I turned. It was really weird. I’ve watched (the replay) 100 times.”

Lawson remains in disbelief over the sequence of events that followed, which included multiple players and multiple body parts making contact with the football before Bombers linebacker Tony Jones finally scooped it up for a fumble recovery.

“I thought it was about to be incomplete,” said Lawson. “Then I saw the running back behind me and he got it and I was like ‘What the hell?’ And then he tossed it up (in the air). I was like ‘what is happening right now?

“We got it somehow and it was a turnover. At least we got the ball.”

Bombers linebacker Kyrie Wilson secured the ball momentarily after Alouettes running back Travis Theis lost the handle, only to see it slip through his own hands.

“It was the weirdest thing, with how it happened,” said Wilson. “I’m just glad that we came up with it at the end. Even though it would have been better if I’d gotten the interception, we still got the ball.”

Jones ended up with the final touch.

“It slipped out of Kyrie’s hands at the last minute and I saw all the bobbling, so I’m like ‘I’m diving on it,’” said Jones. “We thrive off turnovers. Whenever you’re getting turnovers on the defensive side of the ball, we’re giving our offence more opportunities to score and put points on the board. Every defence wants to force turnovers and get the ball to your offence as much as possible.”

“I’m just glad that we came up with it at the end. Even though it would have been better if I’d gotten the interception, we still got the ball.”

The Bombers still sit last in the CFL in interceptions with four, but they’re second in the nine-team loop in fumble recoveries with 10.

“We’ve been close on a lot of takeaways. We’ve had a lot of them come to us but we just didn’t finish the play,” said Wilson. “You’re starting to see it coming together. Yes, we’ve still left some out there but you’re seeing everybody buying in and we’re getting more chances to get those takeaways from the work we’re putting in.

“Now we’ve just got to be ready for when those opportunities come and make those plays when it’s time.”

Winning the turnover battle again would be one way for the Bombers to build on Friday’s win as they prepare for the Labour Day Classic at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Sunday.

The Bombers had three takeaways against the Alouettes, including a critical blocked punt on the opening drive of the second half and a late turnover on downs.

“One of the stats that generally leads to victories, is winning the turnover margin,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea.

The lone turnover for the Bombers was a fumble by receiver Tommy Nield, who hauled in a reception on second-and-10 from the Alouettes 15-yard line and was on the verge of getting into the end zone for his first major of the season when defensive back Nate Beauchemin met his at the goal line and punched out the ball on a solid hit. The play was reviewed to determine if Nield had crossed the threshold for a touchdown ahead of the fumble, but the turnover stood.

Instead of that missed opportunity serving as a rallying point for the Alouettes, the Bombers got a blocked punt from Tanner Cadwallader on the first series of the second half that was recovered on the one-yard line by rookie defensive lineman David Reese.

“I’m just happy I was able to be at the right place at the right time and do my part.”

“I’m just happy I was able to be at the right place at the right time and do my part,” said Reese. “I’m just tracking the ball. I saw him block it and after that part, I just wanted to get the ball and secure it as best as I could. The offence ended up punching it in.”

In that change in momentum, the Bombers were also quick to pick up their teammate Nield, who had a strong outing, with five catches for 62 yards (his most productive day since Week 2 when he had seven catches for 111 yards).

“One play doesn’t define the game. We’ve all taken turns turning the football over at some time in our career,” said Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, who was named one of the CFL stars of the week Tuesday. “There’s not really much to be said. Obviously, when something like that happens to you specifically, you feel down about it but it’s a next-play mentality and Tommy was able to flush that and (move) on.

“He really brought it on the outside, on the edge, from a blocking standpoint. And then, when the ball was thrown his way, he did a great job of catching it and making the play, extending drives for us and he had a good scramble drill there. He played a great game.”

O’Shea agreed with the assessment.

“Obviously, (Nield) wanted that one play back on the goal line, but … that was a tremendous play defensively that was made on the goal line to punch the ball out right there,” said O’Shea. “Yeah, we’d like to score, sure. Maybe with a different angle, maybe it’s a score, I don’t know. Once again, that’s why it’s the greatest team sport going. Teammates have his back.

“Everybody understands that there’s going to be plays that are made by the opposition. I don’t think there was anything that Tommy was doing there that needed big correction. It just was a great play by their guy.”

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