O’Shea defends TD-deprived Bombers offence

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This article was published 16/09/2016 (3304 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here’s a tip: Don’t suggest to Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea that his end zone-deprived offence isn’t helping the team win games.

The third-year field general shot down that notion on Friday following the team’s pregame walkthrough at Investors Group Field. The Bombers play the Toronto Argonauts Saturday at 1 p.m. at IGF.

The Bombers sit tied for second last in the league with only 23 touchdowns — only the hapless 1-10 Saskatchewan Roughriders trailing behind with 18.

Touchdowns be damned, there’s more to a successful offence than just majors, according to O’Shea.

“Our turnover ratio is the best in the league and it’s allowing us to win games,” he said. “So ball security, moving the ball when the defence turns it over for us. Justin Medlock has been kicking at a tremendous clip. The offence has been moving us off our goal-line the last few games.

“We’ve had some mistakes on special teams but our offence has moved us off our goal-line. Those are very valuable yards that the offence is putting up. I think they’re heavily involved, just as involved as the other two favourites.”

The Bombers are a healthy 7-1 when winning the turnover battle this season — 0-3 when they don’t. Quarterback Matt Nichols has made ball security a priority, with his seven-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio the envy of the league’s starting pivots.

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Sure, O’Shea wants his offence to improve — every coach wants more points. But…

“I don’t think that’s the right way to look at it if all you’re looking at is how many times you’re hitting the end zone,” he said. “You’ve got to look at the entire game and see where they’ve really helped change the field for us. It’s not easy.

“I think recent history would suggest that it wasn’t easy for us to come off our goal-line, and we’ve done that quite regularly this year. It’s unfortunate we’ve put ourselves in that position. It pisses you off, but (the offence is playing) just as big a part of winning games as any other phase.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @scottbilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.