Today’s tilt big test for Bombers

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This article was published 07/10/2016 (3290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers kick off the first game of a home-and-home series against the B.C. Lions at Investors Group Field this afternoon with more than points on the line.

Though it’s just one of four games remaining on the schedule, the result should begin to tell the greater story of who the Bombers are — or hope to be — down the final stretch of the season. A win could be a huge confidence builder, but a third consecutive loss could be soul-crushing.

Missing out on a chance to clinch a playoff berth last week with a win over the Edmonton Eskimos, the Bombers still have the opportunity to determine their own destiny, beginning with a win over the Lions (9-4), a team they’re chasing for second spot in the West Division.

“This is the time of year where you want to be peaking and it starts with this week for us,” said Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols. “We have a lot to play for and we’re going to see kind of what we’re made of.”

With that, here are five storylines to keep an eye on today:

1With Toronto losing last week, a Bombers win over the Eskimos would have punched their ticket into the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Winnipeg will get another shot this weekend, with a little more needed to finalize the berth.

The magic formula: the Bombers need to beat the Lions, and Montreal (vs. Edmonton) and Toronto (vs. Calgary) both need to lose.

Neither team seems to be at a clear advantage since they’ve yet to meet in 2016 — the latest meeting in a season between the two clubs since 2005. Momentum appears to favour the Lions, as they’ve won four of their last five games, while the Bombers have lost two straight after reeling off seven consecutive wins.

Winnipeg has won the last two games against the Lions, with the most recent bout — a 29-26 Bombers win — ending on a 41-yard field goal from Sergio Castillo in the dying seconds.

“We’re playing good football. The B.C. Lions are playing good football,” said Bombers coach Mike O’Shea. “I think the matchup is good and it’s going to be a tough game.”

The Lions seem to understand the importance of getting the job done late in the season. With a win or a tie, B.C. will clinch a playoff spot for the 20th consecutive year… for real.

2Andrew Harris will make his return to the lineup after missing the last three games with an ankle injury. His timing couldn’t be better as the Bombers No. 1 back returns in time to play against his former team. He played six seasons with the Lions before joining Winnipeg as a free agent at the start of this year.

Harris maintains there’s no animosity toward the Lions despite an inability to agree to terms on an extension last season, a dispute that hit a boiling point the day after the Lions were eliminated from the playoffs in 35-9 loss to Calgary and ultimately led to him testing free agency.

“After a playoff loss there shouldn’t be media allowed in the locker room the next day,” joked Harris. “You’re emotional. You’re frustrated. Sometimes you say things and they come out the wrong way.”

Either way, the Bombers will need Harris to regain some of that magic he had before his injury. He averaged close to 90 yards rushing and scored four touchdowns in his previous five games before injuring himself in the first half against Saskatchewan Sept. 10. He’ll be in tough against a Lions defence, led by linebackers Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill — ranked first and third in tackles this season with 100 and 89, respectively — that has allowed the fewest rushing yards this season.

3T.J. Heath gets his first start at halfback since being acquired in an early September trade with the Toronto Argonauts that sent quarterback Drew Willy the other way. It’s the Bombers’ ninth different combination in the secondary this season, with Heath taking over for Bruce Johnson, who was issued a two-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance Friday afternoon.

Heath joins a unit that has allowed the most passing yards this season — but also leads the CFL in takeaways — with opposing quarterbacks averaging 341 yards through the air. Though Heath, who is tied for second in the league with five interceptions, is new to the starting rotation, he has the most experience of the group against a Lions’ offence he’s played twice this year while with the Argos.

He’s expected to play a shutdown role against Lions top receiver, Emmanuel Arceneaux, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark (third time in his career) last week and has four touchdowns in his last three games. Heath said he’s up to the task, having successfully covered the 6-2, 210-pound receiver twice. In his first CFL start at halfback earlier this year, Heath intercepted a pass intended for Areceneaux to seal the win for the Argos.

“I’m looking forward to the matchup,” said Heath. “I came out on top both times before so I’m hoping to do the same this week.”

4As much as the Bombers will, and have, relied on their ball hawks this season, containing the Lions offence, led by quarterback Jonathon Jennings, will take an effort beyond a solid performance by the secondary.

Jennings, who turned 24 in July, has developed into one of the best young quarterbacks in the CFL. He needs just 344 yards to reach 4,000 passing yards and ranks second since 2015 in producing touchdown drives, scoring TDs on nearly 20 per cent of his drives (54 in 271 possessions).

Asked to identify his strengths, a number of Bombers defenders listed his ability to throw the deep ball and his elusiveness in the pocket that allows him to extend plays and hit receivers downfield. The Lions also have the best running game in the CFL, averaging 107 yards per game on the ground.

As good as Winnipeg’s defence will need to be, perhaps the best defence will be a good offence. Under Nichols the Bombers have averaged 31.6 points per game, but have stumbled out of the gate in recent weeks. In the last three games, the Bombers have been outscored 49-26 in the second quarter and 63-36 in the first half.

The defence will need all the energy it has to battle the Lions attack, and it starts with some help from the offence.

5It was a major sore spot in last week’s loss to the Eskimos. Of the 15 penalties totalling 166 yards called against the Bombers, six were on the special teams, including an illegal block by Garrett Waggoner that negated a punt-return touchdown by Kevin Fogg — the fourth time that’s happened this year.

A strong special-teams effort has been a point of pride for the Bombers this season — it’s a group that doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. The unit will look to get into the good books again this week when they face a B.C. unit that ranks — you guessed it — first in the CFL in field position, with their average possession starting on their own 40-yard line.

Most of the credit belongs to returner Chris Rainey, whose average of 15.6 yards per punt — and two touchdowns — is tops in the CFL.

“You don’t want him breaking a tackle, because if you miss that tackle and he gets going you’re in trouble,” said linebacker Tony Burnett, who leads the Bombers in special teams tackles with 14. “If we can stop him before he starts, we’ll be fine.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jeffkhamilton

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Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

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