Bombers Notebook: Takeaways from Friday’s loss to the Stampeders

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This article was published 26/09/2015 (3843 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While all the attention in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 25-23 loss to the Calgary Stampeders at Investors Group Field Friday has been on the CFL’s admission Saturday its officials blew a key illegal procedure call late in the game that cost the Bombers a critical first down, the Bombers made no shortage of mistakes of their own in the loss.

That begins with head coach Mike O’Shea’s failure to challenge a 47-yard catch by Stamps receiver Eric Rogers midway through the fourth quarter that set up a Calgary field goal that ultimately proved to be the game-winner.

TV replays clearly showed Rogers didn’t make the catch and O’Shea almost certainly would have won a challenge, but the field boss said after the game Friday he had no way of knowing that at the time because the coaching staff didn’t see a definitive replay until after Calgary had run another play.

“From where I saw it, I saw it as a catch. So I’m going to wait for the replay and we didn’t get the replay in time,” said O’Shea. “By the time we got it in the booth, they’d started another play.”

O’Shea was also asked why, when he won the pre-game coin-toss, he didn’t take the wind in the fourth quarter — a decision that some second-guessed after place kicker Lirim Hajrullahu missed a 50-yard field-goal try into the wind that would have tied the game with less than a minute to play.

O’Shea insisted the wind at field level was a non-issue on Hajrullahu’s kick — or at any other point during the game.

“On the field it was negligible. That’s why we took the ball.”

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Ian Wild marked his return Friday night, getting in a couple of snaps at middle linebacker but mostly serving as a special teams player.

Wild said he’s got some work to do, but the CFL game returned to him quickly after spending the summer at an NFL tryout.

“It’s definitely going to take a little time to get used to it again. But it wasn’t too bad.”

While Friday’s loss stung, Wild said there was consolation to be drawn from Winnipeg’s effort against the defending Grey Cup champions.

“Any loss stings, but the good thing for us is we proved we can play with any team out there.”

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Troy Stoudermire had a breakout game Friday, taking full advantage of a rare opportunity to play defence by intercepting Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell in the first quarter and capping his night with a 41-yard punt return late in the fourth quarter that set up a Bombers’ touchdown.

“I just tried to do whatever I could to help this team. I know I’ve struggled all season and it was time to show up. We were playing against the champs and I had to show up and help out,” said Stoudermire.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek