Bombers loss could cost dearly

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This article was published 06/10/2017 (2929 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will have to wait at least one more week before clinching a playoff spot. But it will be something much more important to the team’s long-term success that will plague their collective minds in the coming days.

A rejuvenated Hamilton Tiger-Cats team defeated the Bombers 30-13 at Investors Group Field Friday night. While the frustration of losing to one of the league’s worst teams will sting, what will linger for the Bombers is the possibility of losing much more than two points in the standings.

The Bombers’ ability to stay relatively healthy is a big reason for a strong season so far and why many have designated them legitimate Grey Cup contenders. That all seemingly came to a crashing halt Friday, with No. 1 quarterback Matt Nichols among three Bombers unable to finish the game, with running back Timothy Flanders and defensive end Trent Corney also forced to leave.

“That’s our guy — he’s our MOP,” said cornerback Chris Randle. “At the end of the day, if that’s the case we got to step up — everybody will. But we hope it’s not serious.”

Dominique Davis replaced Nichols to start the second half.

Nichols finished 14-for-18 passing for 158 yards, a touchdown and one interception, before appearing to injure the ring finger on his throwing hand. The injury occurred late in the first quarter after Nichols took a hit mid-throw from lineman Adrian Tracy that resulted in a fumble recovery for the Ticats.

Nichols was subjected to a number of crushing blows from an aggressive Hamilton front. His final throw was an interception to Richard Leonard with 13 seconds left in the half, a play that stalled a Bombers’ drive at Hamilton’s 37-yard line. Instead, the Bombers trailed 16-10 at the break.

“You never want to see your guy go down,” said Bombers linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox.

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was unable to offer an update on Nichols, nor would be speculate on what life might look like without his No. 1 pivot. At one point Nichols could be seen on the sidelines with the medical staff and later reports surfaced that he lost a nail. He tested it before the half but with each toss looked to be in serious discomfort. Corney left the game with an apparent ankle injury, while Flanders’ ailment remained a mystery.

The Bombers fell to 10-4 with the loss and remain in second place in the West Division, behind the 12-1-1 Calgary Stampeders.

The Bombers barely threatened to rally after the Ticats took a 12-point lead early in the third quarter with Alex Green’s one-yard run for a touchdown. The Bombers were outscored 14-3 in the final two quarters.

“They came out and punched us in the mouth,” said Randle. “Myself, I can definitely play better.”

Randle was the culprit early on, as Hamilton found the end zone on the third play of the game. Jeremiah Masoli, who made his sixth consecutive start at quarterback in favour of Zach Collaros, connected with Brandon Banks on a 60-yard touchdown. Banks beat Randle on the play up the left sideline.

Masoli finished the game 27-for-33 passing for 338 yards and two touchdowns, with his other strike coming on a three-yard pass to Luke Tasker late in the fourth quarter.

“He can extend plays — that’s one of his strengths,” said Santos-Knox about Masoli. “We saw it on film but he’s just good at what he does.”

The early touchdown seemed to set the tone for much of the game, as the Bombers looked equally flat on both sides of the ball. Masoli and the Ticats offence put up a total of 483 yards, exposing a Bombers defence that seemed to hit stride in victories over the Edmonton Eskimos last week and Ottawa Redblacks in recent weeks. Three times Hamilton started with the ball inside their own 10-yard line, only to end each drive with touchdowns.

Alex Green, who rushed for 140 yards on 13 carries two weeks ago in his CFL debut, and whose success made C.J. Gable trade bait this past week, finished with 90 of Hamilton’s 145 yards on the ground. He scored on a one-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to give Hamilton a 22-10 edge.

Winnipeg’s offence didn’t fare much better, made far worse by the absence of Nichols, who connected on a five-yard touchdown to Timothy Flanders to cut the lead to 13-7 late in the second quarter, set up by a nifty trick play on second-and-short. With backup Dan LeFevour in to drive the line for a first down, the snap was instead directed to Darvin Adams, who promptly delivered a pass downfield to Andrew Harris. Harris was eventually caught up by C. Brooks just short of the end zone. Flanders scored two plays later.

Justin Medlock rebounded from his dreadful night in Edmonton where he missed all three of his field-goal attempts and his first convert as a Bomber. Friday, he connected on two of three, missing from 52 yards in the fourth quarter.

Davis finished the game 9-for-14 passing for 84 of the Bombers’ 384 yards of offence. If Nichols can’t go, it will be Davis who is expected to take over when the Bombers return to IGF Saturday to take on the B.C. Lions.

“It’s my job to be the backup,” said Davis. “I know those guys are going to help me be a better player and we just got to stick together just like we’ve been doing all year.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton