Jeffcoat honoured for big game

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This article was published 01/08/2017 (2968 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, a Week 4 replacement for an injured Tristan Okpalaugo, has been making the most of his chance to play.

The 25-year-old University of Texas product was named one of the CFL’s top performers of the week Tuesday after collecting two sacks, two tackles and one interception in the Bombers’ 41-40 victory over the Montreal Alouettes in Week 6.

Jeffcoat, who father Jim was a long-time defensive lineman with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, can still count on guidance from his dad.

“He gives me X’s and O’s every once in a while,” said Jeffcoat, who is in his first CFL season after a year away from football in 2016. “He’ll go, ‘I don’t think you used your hands well on this,’ or ‘I don’t think you did this well,’ but he’s not going to overwhelm me with them. He’ll see little things. His big thing is effort because that was his thing, that was his big positive. He flew around the field.”

The league also honoured receivers Duron Carter of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Marken Michel of the Calgary Stampeders. Carter had nine catches for 131 yards and two TDs in a win over the Toronto Argonauts while Michel, a replacement for injured Calgary star Kamar Jordan, had six catches for 190 yards and one major in a triumph over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Piling up the points

The Blue Bombers are averaging a league-leading 31.4 offensive points per game while managing only 295.2 passing yards per contest, good for seventh in the nine-team loop. Winnipeg is also eighth in time of possession (28:22) and net offence (358.4 yards per game).

So, what does Winnipeg offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice credit for his team’s success in the red zone?

“It’s a boring answer, but execution, I think,” LaPolice said.

“Certainly earlier in the season we had some misses in certain games but we try to do what the players are comfortable with and we try to prepare them from that area of the field and they’re certainly making their plays.

“We’ve been opportunistic and we’ve been able to (make) five-play drives and a touchdown, right, instead of the 13-play drives?” LaPolice added. “And we’ve made some big plays for touchdowns. Last week we hit a 50-yard pass play and two plays later we score. That’s only, technically, four plays and 65 yards. We certainly want to move the ball as much as we can offensively but the most important thing is how many points you put on the board.”

As the league has evolved into one where teams are more conscious of protecting the ball with shorter passes, quarterbacks have naturally become more accurate.

In fact, of the CFL’s current No. 1 quarterbacks, only Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell (63.9 per cent) and Hamilton’s Zach Collaros (62.4 per cent) have a lower completion percentage than Winnipeg’s Matt Nichols (69.1 per cent).

Injury update

Strongside linebacker Mo Leggett looks like a good bet to return to the Blue Bombers’ lineup on Friday in Ottawa after missing the last two games with injury.

“Mo practised — starting to look really good out there,” said Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea, who added that defensive back/linebacker Brandon Alexander, slotback Weston Dressler and T.J. Heath could still play against the Redblacks despite being spectators for the second consecutive day at practice.

Heath is expected to be ready.

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Ryan Lankford is filling in at slotback for Dressler while backup receiver Matt Coates has assumed the holding duties on the field goal team.

Ottawa adds McDuffie

Former Blue Bombers kick returner Quincy McDuffie, a key member of the club’s special teams a year ago, signed with the Redblacks Tuesday after a failed tryout with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

O’Shea indicated he discussed the possibility of McDuffie’s return with GM Kyle Walters.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sawa14