Bombers keep playoff hopes alive with dramatic victory at BC Place
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/10/2015 (3883 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
VANCOUVER — All week long, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea told anyone who’d listen his team was treating their game Saturday night against the B.C. Lions as “do or die.”
Well, the Bombers did. And while they’re not exactly alive at 5-10, they’re not dead either. It ain’t much, but it’s a pulse.
And it extends to the lingering hopes this team has of turning things around in the final month of the season and playing their way into a Grey Cup game that will be held on the final Sunday of November at Investors Group Field, with them or without them.
A Bombers’ season that has been like a bad dream all year long featured a miracle finish at BC Place as the Bombers spotted the Lions a 23-9 lead but battled back in the second half, completing the comeback with a 44-yard Sergio Castillo field goal as time expired to win 29-26.
At 5-10, as improbable as it may sound, Winnipeg moves into a tie with the 5-9 Lions for the third and final playoff spot in the West Division, although it bears noting the Lions do hold a game in hand.
What’s more, the Bombers also now own the tiebreaker having defeated B.C. both times the teams played each other this season.
The Bombers next play Friday in Ottawa against the Redblacks, then return home the following week to host Ottawa.
The Bombers then have a bye week before playing in Toronto against the Argos in the final week of the season.
How’d they do that?
Two words: special teams.
O’Shea’s decision late in the week to replace Lirim Hajrullahu with Castillo as place-kicker came up cherries all the way around.
Not only was Castillo perfect — going 5-for-5 on field goals and nailing both his convert attempts — but Hajrullahu also had arguably his best game of the season as a punter.
With the roof closed at BC Place and the wind a non-factor, Hajrullahu launched some absolute bombs and finished the night with a 48.6-yard average on seven punts.
On top of that, the Bombers punt cover team forced a fumble in the first quarter that led to a field goal, and they also blocked a punt in the third quarter that led to a 20-yard Ian Wild return for a TD and got Winnipeg back into the game.
On top of all that, the Bombers also successfully pulled off two fake punts, including one late in the fourth quarter that set up a game-tying touchdown by Clarence Denmark with under two minutes to play.
The much-maligned Bombers special teams units had, by far, its best game of the season. And at exactly the right time.
About that B.C. Quarterback
B.C. Lions QB Jonathon Jennings is the real deal.
Making just his third CFL start, he proved a history-making performance a week ago in a Lions rout of the Saskatchewan Roughriders was no fluke.
After missing on his first pass attempt of the game, Jennings torched the Bombers for 16 straight completions and finished the first half — get this — 16-of-18 for 307 yards, three TDs and one meaningless interception late in the half.
Jennings slowed in the second half, but still finished the night 24-of-31 for 372 yards, three TDs and two interceptions.
His favourite target, SB Manny Arcenaux, also had a monster night, hauling in eight passes for 151 yards and two TDs.
What About Matt Nichols?
The Bombers QB looked uncomfortable all night long, struggling to find receivers open downfield and, even when he did, missing his targets.
Nichols was just 8-of-17 for 86 yards in an ineffective first half and his numbers never did improve much — he finished the night 19-of-34 for 179 yards and one TD. But he completed the one pass he most needed — finding Denmark for a 15-yard TD with under two minutes remaining to tie game.
Tally it up and the Bombers registered just 248 yards offence on a night the Lions had 361 yards.
But the only statistic that mattered on this night was the final score.
paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @PaulWiecek
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