Game Day: 3 Keys to Victory

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/10/2009 (5840 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

1. A HOME-RUN THREAT RETURNS

CREDIT the new blood in the Bomber receiving corps, particularly Otis Amey, for stepping up and filling in while Terrence Edwards recovered from his concussion. It was Adarius Bowman who led the club during Edwards’ absence with 10 catches for 149 yards and two TDs, but Amey chipped in with eight receptions for 140 yards. All that said, Edwards — even though his numbers are down considerably from a year ago — is tied with Bowman with four receiving TDs and has been the team’s most consistent pass catcher. He drew praise this week for helping the receivers during his two-game stint on the DL, a testament to his maturity and leadership. That’s all well and good while wearing a hoody on the sideline, now they need to see that leadership and maturity back on the field. If Edwards can bounce back to his old form, the Bomber receiving corps — a crew that has cut Derick Armstrong and traded Romby Bryant and Arjei Franklin — might just have the pieces to develop into something that could scare opposition secondaries.

2. SOLVING THE MARSHALL PLAN

FOOTBALL fans in these parts saw flashes of it during his days here and Greg Marshall is doing the same thing in Steeltown — taking a defence that ranked second-last in the CFL and not only turning it into a respectable unit, but one that can actually dominate. Just ask Calgary QB Henry Burris, who was absolutely horrible against the Ticats last week in one of his worst games as a pro. The Ticats are now third in points allowed (23.8) and have significantly improved against the pass (shaving 70 yards passing per game off last year’s total). Hamilton’s defensive front, as they did here in Winnipeg, will show a variety of different looks and stunts in an effort to get after the passer. Their secondary is also vastly improved. But the Bombers have also been improving offensively over the last two games — they still rank dead-last with less than 180 yards passing per game — but we’re seeing more shotgun and more motion from the attack. Winnipeg needs that trending arrow to point upward while continuing to feed both Fred Reid and Yvenson Bernard to develop offensive balance.

3. STAND UP AND TAKE A BOW, GENTS

WE’VE lost track over the last few years the number of times the special-teams units were called out in the 3 Keys, either for poor kick coverage, shaky place-kicking or punting and — especially — the lack of a real threat in the return game. Funny, isn’t it, how that open wound appears to be healing itself? Assistant coach Rick Campbell deserves mounds of praise for his work with all of these units, as does head coach Mike Kelly for his patience with Alexis Serna. But with Serna now sporting the second-best field-goal percentage in the CFL (87.1, second to Toronto’s Jason Medlock at 87.9), Mike Renaud providing steady punting, the outstanding work of Derrick Doggett, Shawn Gallant and the other foot soldiers on the coverage units plus the emergence of Jovon Johnson as a dynamic return man, this crew has done a complete 180 from earlier in the season. In fact, with Nick Setta struggling a bit in Hamilton (73 per cent on his field-goal attempts), it could be said — wait for it — the Bombers actually hold an advantage in the special-teams department. That will be absolutely critical with the weather turning and the games becoming more and more important.