5 for the eye

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This article was published 29/06/2017 (3029 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers kick off the 2017 CFL season against the Saskatchewan Roughriders Saturday in Regina. After weeks of training camp and two pre-seasons games to prepare, the journey toward winning a Grey Cup officially begins.

Here are five storylines to keep in mind for Saturday’s game.

 

MORE THAN A STRONG START

The Riders will be riding high with the official opening of Mosaic stadium; so, too, will a fan base that constantly fills their building and doesn’t need another reason to wreak havoc on visiting teams. Perhaps the best indicator of just how loud the stadium will be is this: the Bombers have pumped in toxic levels of artificial noise at practice for weeks in preparation for the raucous crowd. Winnipeg, sure to take advantage of every avenue, also opted to close practice to the public Thursday to ensure there weren’t any “extra” eyes around.

No love will be lost between the rival prairie clubs, with the hatred already brewing for weeks as the Bombers had a Week 1 bye. Throw in the fact it’s Canada’s 150th birthday and it’s the perfect recipe for celebration and distraction.

“It’s a Saturday night game in Regina on Canada Day — it’s going to be nuts,” running back Andrew Harris said.

“I don’t think it’s something I worry about,” head coach Mike O’Shea said. “But I certainly try to get the pulse of the team and I thought the guys were pretty even-keeled right through (practice).”

No one game can determine an entire season but given the circumstances surrounding Saturday – a win against the Riders will mean more than just a strong start.

 

No. 1 NICHOLS

He was voted the Bombers’ most outstanding player for the 2016 season, taking over the offence in Week 6 before leading the Blue and Gold to seven consecutive wins and a playoff berth for the first time since 2011.

Now, Matt Nichols enters his first season in his seven-year CFL career as the undisputed No. 1 quarterback. He’s getting paid as a starter, signing a three-year deal in the off-season that will pay him north of $400,000 per.

Nichols had a less than impressive performance in his pre-season debut against the Riders, completing just five passes for a dismal 32 yards in a quarter-and-a-half of play. He seemed to find his groove the following week at home against the Edmonton Eskimos. Playing the entire first half, Nichols went 19-for-24 for 227 yards and threw for two touchdowns.

With the games now counting for real, and with all weapons at his disposal – including an offensive line intact from last year and an improved playbook under offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice — Saturday should provide a much truer test to for Nichols. He nailed the role as saviour last season but the team’s fate now rests squarely on his shoulders.

 

HARRIS HAS HIGH HOPES

If Nichols is the backbone of the Bombers offence, Harris is the heart and soul. The Winnipeg native begins his second season as a Bomber with high expectations, believing he can build off a strong 2016 ion which he totalled more than 1,600 combined yards. Harris, who turned 30 in April, rushed for 974 yards and added 631 more on 67 catches.

If there is a particular stat that best summed up Harris’ competitiveness, it’s the fact that of his 631 receiving yards, 523 were gained after the catch. Though still considered among the best players in the CFL — TSN listed him 12th in their recent top-50 list – one has to wonder how much he has left in the tank.

“I felt like a rookie in a lot of ways last year,” Harris said. “Coming to a new organization and not being familiar with the trainers, the equipment staff, the coaching staff and all of my teammates. It was a whole new thing, so I had to prove myself.”

Harris believes his greatest asset this season is the chemistry he’s built with the offensive line. Feeling more on the same page than ever, he sees no reason why he can’t have a career year.

“I feel a lot more comfortable,” Harris said. “I definitely think that for myself personally, it’s going to be a lot better season stats-wise because of that continuity.”

 

NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES

Though the Bombers offence remains mostly whole from last year, the defence features a number of new faces. Recognizing a weakness on the defensive line, general manager Kyle Walters released veteran tackles Euclid Cummings (signed with Edmonton) and Keith Shologan (Montreal).

Their absences made room for Drake Nevis, a former third-round pick in the NFL who spent last season in Hamilton, and defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo, a big body at 6-4 to 260 pounds, to play opposite Jamaal Westerman.

A combination of Jake Thomas and Faith Ekakitie, the first overall pick in May’s draft, were expected to fill the void left by Shologan. But with non-import in Sam Hurl returning to middle linebacker, where he started all 18 games in 2015 before being ousted last year by Khalil Bass, (Bass has since signed with Ottawa), the Bombers have opted to start import DT Cory “Poop” Johnson.

That makes three new pieces on the D-Line. With Roc Carmichael drawing in for an injured Bruce Johnson at halfback and rookie corner Brandon Alexander winning a starting role out of training camp, the number of moving parts could be an issue. They certainly were in the pre-season, with the first unit struggling to contain an Eskimos’ attack that had 10 of 12 starters on the sidelines.

With a lack of pressure on the quarterback last season, Winnipeg leaned on a secondary that feasted on turnovers. The Bombers feel they can repeat that performance – a league-leading 30 interceptions and a plus-29 turnover ratio – but talk and is cheap. We’ll see if they can cash in on a Riders club that won just five games in 2016, tied for worst in the CFL.

 

A NEW LOOK GREEN

Speaking of overhauling, a large chunk of the Riders roster is new, with as many as 20 players making their debut in green. The biggest turnover has come on offence, including the addition of veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn and a crop of new receiver talent. Saskatchewan signed the talented duo of Duron Carter and Bakari Grant to a receivers group that already included Naaman Roosevelt and Caleb Holley.

Glenn was strong in his Riders debut last week, finishing 31-for-44 for 298 yards and two touchdowns (and one interception) in a 17-16 road loss to the Montreal Alouettes. He connected with six different receivers, utilizing every area of the field. The Riders totalled 37 first downs in the game, with an average of 7.2 yards per first-down play.

The Bombers traded for Glenn midway through last season, acquiring him in a trade with the Montreal Alouettes. Though Winnipeg should benefit from having seen him in practice – he attempted just two passes for Winnipeg – the same can be said for Glenn, a 17-year veteran, and the Bombers offence.

“And that’s another reason why we have to be so precise: because he’s seen the coverages, he’s seen he blitzes,” Westerman said. “He was here last year so he’s been around the defence and probably has a bit better feel with what we do here than when he was with Montreal. We just have to make one more play than they do.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton

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