Bombers show a preseason game can still hold surprises

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/06/2015 (3751 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO — They can be as dull and tedious as the parliamentary channel and mistake-filled and uneven from the moment the curtain comes up to the final gun.

And so with expectation levels that low, sometimes a Canadian Football League preseason game can still surprise and serve up just enough entertainment to keep the patrons from drifting into a deep slumber. That was certainly the case Tuesday night in downtown Toronto, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers knocked off the Argonauts 34-27 in the first dress rehearsal for both clubs at picturesque Varsity Stadium.

Some thoughts on what we saw from the Bombers… 

THE QUARTERBACKS

1. Drew Willy took the first snap from centre for the Bombers, but was gone long before the end of the first quarter after running just six offensive plays. He finished 3-for-3 for 29 yards, including a 30-yard strike to James Logan (two passes to Paris Cotton totalled -1 yards). But this was a night simply for him to get his feet wet again and get in and out without being injured. Consider that, then, as mission: accomplished.
2. Brian Brohm, who has had a solid camp, was next out of the bullpen and finished 6-of-8 for 52 yards while moving the Bombers into position for three field-goal attempts, two of which were hammered through by Anthony Santella. As camp has progressed Brohm has quietly re-established his place as the Bombers No. 2 QB, making the battle for the third spot that much more intriguing.
3. Robert Marve entered the game with thee minutes left in the first half and moved the offence, setting up the game’s first TD on an 11-yard strike to Lavasier Tuinei. But with Marve making no secret of his desire to chase an NFL opportunity next winter it leaves the Bombers in an awkward spot with him and Josh Portis, whom the club traded a late draft pick to the Argos to bring out west. Marve did what he does best, bringing an energy to the huddle and a dynamic-slahwild athleticism to the position that Willy and Brohm simply don’t provide. Marve’s numbers — 4-for-9 for 42 yards with one TD strike and one brilliant 21-yard scamper up the middle for another score.
4. Portis took his first snap with five minutes left in the third and, in his first action as a Bomber, flashed the skills that match his physical tools — 6-4, 205 pounds. There’s a smoothness to his game and he was able to make things happen with his arm and with his legs when the protection in front of him broke down. His numbers weren’t gaudy — 3-for-7 for 37 yards passing and three carries for 16 yards — but he moved the club and looked comfy at the controls after more than a year without action.

THAT TAILBACK IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR IS CLOSER THAN HE MAY APPEAR…

Bomber training camp opened with Paris Cotton’s name atop the depth chart but, as much as he has had a good training camp, he had to wonder about his job security when the club brought all four running backs listed behind him to the Big Smoke in Cameron Marshall, Bradley Randle, Da’Rel Scott and Carlos Anderson.

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And with Cotton struggling — he had three carries for zero yards, caught two passes for -1 yards and a fumble — no one popped off the page more with the opportunity than Anderson, who easily had the game’s most electrifying play with a 93-yard punt return TD that showcased his lickedy-split. A former three-time 60-metre dash champion while playing football at Northern Iowa, Anderson exploded away from would-be tacklers on the score and also had one run out of the backfield for 20 yards. And so with Troy Stoudermire injured, the Bombers may have not only found their new running back, but a kick-returning alternative to the incumbent.

FYI

Defensive end Thaddeus Gibson was a late scratch from the lineup for what the club called ‘personal reasons’… D-lineman Louie Richardson pulled up lame after making a tackle on the first play of the second quarter and did not return. His loss meant Tommy Griffiths, a guard on the Bomber depth chart, took some turns at defensive tackle. Griffiths was a D-linemen at Wilfrid Laurier before switching to the other side of the ball for the 2013 season… The Bombers other score, aside from Tuinei, Marve and Anderson, came on a one-yard run by Marshall… Jordan Reaves saw action at wideout in the second half, catching one pass for … Deantre Harlan may have saved a TD on a missed field-goal return when the big D-lineman flashed some speed to bring down the returner… Kicker Anthony Santella was just two of four in his field-goal attempts, but was solid as punter, including placing a kickon the Argos six yard line with six seconds left… Cornerback Patrick Hall struggled, giving up a pair of TDs, including a 72-yard bomb by Tori Gurley… Teague Sherman, who made all of his starts last year as a linebacker, looked solid back at safety with a fumble recovery and an interception.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait