Bombers blow it in Banjo Bowl

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 2:04 PM CDT Sunday, Sep. 7, 2014 Last Modified: 9:03 PM CDT Sunday, Sep. 7, 2014 | Updates

Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea insisted repeatedly last week he wasn’t worried — not about his team's porous run defence, not about key injuries on special teams, and especially not about the fact his team had lost three of four games coming into Sunday’s Banjo Bowl at Investors Group Field.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/09/2014 (4076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea insisted repeatedly last week he wasn’t worried — not about his team’s porous run defence, not about key injuries on special teams, and especially not about the fact his team had lost three of four games coming into Sunday’s Banjo Bowl at Investors Group Field.

Well, if O’Shea wasn’t worried, he should have been. Because when the smoke settled on a 30-24 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday, O’Shea’s team had given up a season-worst 196 yards rushing, his special teams yielded 16 points, and the Bombers are now last in the CFL’s West Division with a 6-5 record. This from a team that opened the season at 5-1 is now 1-4 in their last five.

So, coach, are you worried now?

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea holds a challenge flag during the second half of the Banjo Bowl game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Investors Group Field Sunday. — JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea holds a challenge flag during the second half of the Banjo Bowl game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Investors Group Field Sunday.

“No, I don’t think so,” O’Shea insisted. “I don’t look at it that way, I don’t. Being a first-year head coach is good like that, isn’t it?”

Perhaps. But even O’Shea can’t ignore the West Division standings, which are speaking loud and clear about a Bombers team that has gone from the penthouse to the cellar in the last five weeks thanks to three losses to the Riders and another to the Toronto Argonauts.

What now? Good question, said Bombers offensive tackle Glenn January.

“This will be a good test for us. And I do think we have guys in this locker-room who can pull us out of this drought. There’s a lot of football left to be played and our destiny is still in our hands.”

Unfortunately, Winnipeg will have to meet that destiny in the West Division, where the Bombers are a division-worst 1-4 this season. Winnipeg will face West Division teams in five of their final seven games, Saturday in Vancouver against the Lions.

Special teams? Not so special.

With regular long-snapper Ian Wild out with an injury, the Bombers gave up a safety in the second quarter when replacement snapper Kyle Jones fired a snap over Bombers punter Lirim Hajrullahu’s head and the kicker was forced to boot the ball out the back of the Winnipeg end zone.

As bad as that was, it was actually the least of the damage the Bombers special teams inflicted on their team’s chances during the first half. They also had a field goal blocked and returned 60 yards for a TD by Saskatchewan DB Rod Williams and a punt returned 75 yards for a TD by slotback Weston Dressler.

Break the rules much?

A sellout Investors Group Field crowd of 33,234 was all over the officials for most of the game — and there were a couple marginal calls and non-calls that went against the Bombers, especially a hold that wasn’t called on Dressler’s punt return TD.

Perhaps the Bombers were too jacked up playing at home. They took 13 penalties for 158 yards, including six unnecessary roughness or roughing the passer penalties.

Three of those major penalties were called on linebacker E.J. Kuale.

“I’m emotional. They call it the Banjo Bowl for a reason,” said Kuale. “Coach O’Shea brought me here because I’m an emotional leader. I’m not going to stand for no foulness or no crazy stuff on the field.
“As a vet, I shouldn’t have taken those penalties. But it’s all a part of the game.”

Got the runs

For the third consecutive game against the Riders, the Bombers run defence looked a lot like France, circa 1940.

The Riders ran at will all afternoon, racking up 196 yards on the ground to bring their three-game rushing total against Winnipeg to 542 yards.

That’s an average of 181 yards per game. But Kuale — like his head coach — continued to insist the run defence wasn’t the problem in a game where the Riders scored just one offensive TD.

“It doesn’t mean nothing to me,” said Kuale. “Who cares about yards? That’s just a stat. It’s a vanity stat. Our defence did what we needed to do, we just came up short. Football is the ultimate team sport and there’s three phases to the game. And Saskatchewan was the better team in all three phases.”

Up next

The Bombers (6-5) play the B.C. Lions (6-4) at BC Place next Saturday in what will be a battle for fourth place in the West Division.

Winnipeg beat B.C. the last time the two teams played at BC Place in late July. The Lions are expected to once again be without starting QB Travis Lulay, who reinjured his shoulder Friday night in what was his first start in almost a year.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @PaulWiecek