Nichols brings hope in season debut

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/07/2018 (2671 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers put forth their most complete effort of the season Saturday in a dismantling of the B.C. Lions, 41-19, at Investors Group Field.

Sparked by the return of quarterback Matt Nichols, who was back after missing the first three weeks of the regular season with a knee injury he suffered late in training camp, the Blue and Gold evened their record to 2-2 to stay in the thick of a tight West Division race.

Winnipeg won’t have to wait long to double-down against the Lions, who fell to 1-2 with the loss, as the two teams meet again Saturday at BC Place for the back end of a home-and-home series.

But before we look too far ahead, here are five takeaways from the Bombers win over the Lions.

1. NICHOLS OPENS UP THE OFFENCE

Nichols didn’t shoot out the lights in his 2018 debut, finishing the night 16-for-29 (55 per cent) for 162 yards and one touchdown – a 20-yard strike to Darvin Adams late in the first quarter. He also started off slow, overthrowing a number of passes through the first two series, both of which ended in two-and-outs.

But he didn’t need to be dominant in his first game of the season; his presence alone gave the Bombers’ offence an emotional boost that seemed to take form midway through the first quarter and all the way through to the final whistle. And once he settled in, Nichols moved the ball down field with ease. His throws were accurate and his poise in the pocket was obvious. Even his mobility seemed to be fine, despite wearing a brace on his knee, evident by his comfort in escaping the pocket to make tough throws on the move.

But what was most obvious in Nichols’ return was just how dangerous this offence can be when everyone is in the lineup. For the first time this season Winnipeg was able to use their entire playbook, which wasn’t available under rookie Chris Streveler through the first three weeks. The expectation is it will only grow from here.

The Bombers enter Week 5 leading the CFL in points scored, passing and rushing touchdowns, rushing yards and their four turnovers are the fewest in the league.

2. STREVELER MORE THAN SERVICEABLE

Streveler might have been relegated to backup with the return of Nichols, but if Saturday suggested anything it’s that the rookie pivot will remain very much part of the plans moving forward.

Much like Dan LeFevour did all last season, Streveler excelled in short-yardage packages against the Lions, using his feet and arm to move the chains (he has a much better arm than LeFevour). On his first attempt, facing second down and needing just one yard, Streveler took the snap and instead of driving through the middle he used his speed to find the outside edge, scrambling for 26 yards.

Shortly after, facing a similar situation, he faked a run and dished a pass to rookie receiver Daniel Petermann. Not that Streveler, who is 6-1 and 211 pounds, had any trouble breaking through the heart of the line of scrimmage. He scored twice on one-yard plunges, giving him four rushing touchdowns on the year.

You have to think the plan is to continue to develop Streveler any way possible. With Nichols’ contract up at the end of the 2019 season, it would only make sense Winnipeg gives their No. 2 the best chance to fight for a starting role when that time comes.

3. HARRIS HITS GROUND RUNNING

The Bombers entered the game leading the CFL in rushing with an eye-popping average of 172 yards per game. That number, however, was inflated by a 245-yard performance on the ground in a 56-10 Week 2 win over the lowly Montreal Alouettes.

Harris finished with 58 rushing yards against the Als, and was only slightly better in the two other games before playing the Lions — posting 14 carries for 66 yards against Edmonton in the season-opener, and another 14 rushes, this time for 77 yards, against Hamilton last week.

On Saturday, with the playbook in full operation, Harris ended the night with 12 carries for 109 yards – an average of 9.1 yards per rush – and one touchdown. Perhaps most impressive is almost all of that production came in the first half, with Harris rushing 11 times for 101 yards through two quarters. It seemed like the safe move to limit his touches in the second half as the Bombers already had a commanding 28-10 lead.

But the takeaway isn’t how many touches Harris got but how the Bombers utilized those opportunities. Of particular note were the multiple direct snaps Harris had. On his first attempt in the wildcat formation, he barrelled his way four yards for a touchdown. Later in the game, with the ball in Winnipeg’s end, Harris rumbled up the middle for a 43-yard gain that set up a Streveler touchdown.

Harris ended the 2017 season as the league’s top rusher. With what we saw Saturday, there’s little reason to think he can’t do it again. With 310 rushing yards through four games he’s on pace to hit nearly 1,400 this year — a total notably higher than last year’s 1,035.

4. BOUNCE-BACK GAME FOR D

A strong effort by the defence, which included limiting the Lions to just 280 yards of total offence, should help ease some of the criticism that has been heaped on the unit this year.

The defence put forth a solid first half, keeping Lions quarterback Jonathon Jennings to just 11 completed passes for 77 yards. In the final two quarters, they allowed just nine points – B.C. scored a touchdown with less than a minute left on the clock – and thwarted two drives with interceptions.

It was in stark contrast from what fans witnessed against Edmonton and Hamilton, games where the defence surrendered at least 480 yards of offence to their opponent.

Middle linebacker Adam Bighill had been the Bombers best player on defence this season, but he was especially dominant against his former team Saturday. Bighill played six seasons with the Lions before jetting to the NFL’s New Orleans Saints last year.

He signed with Winnipeg at the beginning of training camp and has been the team’s most consistent tackler (he’s on pace for 121).

Against B.C., he showed his high football IQ, sniffing out two interceptions in the game, and on both displayed his shifty feet and speed, including returning one 55 yards for a touchdown.

It would be premature to suggest the Bombers defence is “fixed” – the Lions are among the worst teams in the league right now – but Saturday was certainly a step in the right direction.

5. WILD, WILD WEST

The West Division is shaping out to be another tight race this season, making any win against a divisional opponent of upmost importance. Both teams spoke in length about how even they expected the division to be this year after witnessing a fierce battle right to the end in 2017.

Last season, four of five teams in the West finished with double-digits, with Calgary setting the pace at 13-4-1 and Winnipeg and Edmonton not far behind at 12-6.

This year, Calgary once again leads the group with a perfect 3-0 record, while Edmonton, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan are all 2-2. B.C. can keep pace with a win over the Bombers in this week’s rematch.

Every game is important but divisional matches only mean that much more when it comes to creating space in the standings and jockeying for a home playoff game.

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