Big Blue’s defence strutting its stuff
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/07/2018 (2635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
TORONTO — It was the kind of response the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were looking for, and preached about over and over again in the week leading up their 38-20 win over the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday.
Coming off a demoralizing 20-17 loss to the B.C. Lions, many outside the Bombers locker room began to doubt if they would become the powerhouse their roster, at least on paper, seemed to suggest. And while one game against a team that has struggled to earn wins this year doesn’t exactly give Winnipeg that juggernaut status just yet, the victory over the Argonauts does give reason to believe the Bombers just might be turning a corner.
“We talked about it all week, that you’ve got to respond after an awful collapse last week,” quarterback Matt Nichols said after the game. “You go one of two ways after a game like that, and it would have been easy for everyone to feel sorry for themselves. I think we have veteran guys here that understood that this was an urgency game for us, and we came out and played like it in all three phases.”
The Bombers are now 3-3, and are in good position to jump above .500 for the first time this season when they close out the home-and-home series with Toronto on Friday night at Investors Group Field. The Argonauts, who fell to 1-4, should be better prepared for next week, though their issues appear much deeper than simply making a few adjustments.
But, before we get too far ahead, let’s take a look at five takeaways from Saturday’s win at BMO Field.
BOMBERS D FINDING THEIR STRIDE
It’s often said it takes a defence around five to six weeks to start realizing its potential and carving out an identity. Winnipeg’s group appears to be right on schedule.
“I see guys not making the same mistakes; I see us playing extremely fast, extremely physical,” linebacker Adam Bighill said. “We’re starting to hit our stride, and here’s the thing, too: we’ve still got guys in the back end that are hurt and we’ve still got young guys in there playing, and playing well. For guys to come in and play that well, and be young in this league, it speaks lots to their preparation and our coaches getting guys ready to play.”
The Bombers defensive dozen was without all-star corner Chris Randle, who was a last-second scratch, and strong-side linebacker Chandler Fenner, who missed a second straight game with a lower-body injury. Second-year defensive back Brandon Alexander returned after missing the past three games, joining a secondary that had two rookies in Marcus Sayles, at halfback, and Tyneil Cooper playing the corner.
James Franklin, the supposed “next-big-thing” at quarterback, didn’t look comfortable — or good — all game, ending his night with a 58 per cent completion rate and 151 yards passing yards. S.J. Green, who connected with Franklin on 10 catches in a one-point loss to Edmonton the week before, had three catches that combined would earn a first down (fun fact: Toronto had just 12 first downs all game).
Winnipeg dominated in the trenches, limiting last year’s rookie of the year, running back James Wilder Jr., to just three carries for — gulp — minus-two yards. Toronto finished with just 22 rushing yards and 165 total yards of net offence.
“I’ve been telling you, we hunt!” Bombers defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo said. “We are probably one of the better D-lines out there, hands down. We’ve got to cut down on penalties and little mental mistakes, and then we’ll be great.”
NICHOLS BACK TO BUSINESS
Nichols has been defensive at times over the past two weeks when asked about his need to have a breakout performance since returning from a knee injury in Week 4.
After posting middling results in back-to-back games against the Lions, the questions about his game were simply a by-product of the fact he had yet to hit the level many expect from him. It’s safe to say he won’t face the same queries this week, not after what he was able to do against the Argonauts.
Nichols finished the game 19-for-27 (70 per cent) passing for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Harris was the clear star in this one (more on that below), but Nichols’ ability to get through his reads quickly meant moving the ball around to his receivers in a way we haven’t seen this year.
While it will still be at least another week before we witness the first Bomber receiver to record a 100-yard game, the numbers are certainly there. Darvin Adams led the way with six catches for 82 yards, and Weston Dressler (five receptions for 72 yards) and Nic Demski (five for 62 yards) also had productive nights.
“I thought Matt did a great job,” Dressler said. “I thought he spread the ball around, made a lot of great throws and put us in spots to make plays. That’s what we expect of him and that’s what he’s going to do more times than not.”
One receiver that continues to struggle, though, is Adarius Bowman. Bowman has now gone three games without a catch. He was targeted three times in the game, one of which was a clear drop. The pressure is on Bowman to produce…if he doesn’t deliver soon he might just be on his way out.
HARRIS IS “A BEAST”
Andrew Harris is the best player in the CFL right now, and I’d argue it’s not even close.
Yes, there are others — including Edmonton’s D’haquille Williams, who has 556 yards receiving through five games; and, of course, Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who has the Stampeders once again atop the league standings at 5-0 — but there is a serious case for why Harris is at a whole other level.
On Saturday, Harris rushed for 161 yards — his third consecutive 100-plus-yard rushing game — on 27 carries and one touchdown. He added another 16 yards on three receptions, including a five-yard jaunt for another score.
After the game, head coach Mike O’Shea — who spent 16 years in the CFL as a middle linebacker, game-planning against players like Harris — said he wished the two could have been teammates. Nichols called the 31-year-old Winnipegger “an absolute beast” and a “freak” forhis ability to withstand punishment for 60 minutes.
“I don’t think there’s many running backs in the world like him,” Nichols said of Harris, who has five rushing and two receiving touchdowns in six games. “I’m pretty sure if I took the hits he’s taking, I’d be laying in bed for a couple of days, but the guy’s just something different.”
Harris leads the CFL in rushing, with 610 yards, running at career-high 6.42 yards per carry. Though it’s unlikely his current pace of 1,830 rushing yards by season’s end will hold up through 18 games, it feels just as crazy to completely rule it out.
What separates Harris from the pack, though, is it’s never a secret to opposing teams that the offence runs through him. Every week, when talking to clubs about their preparation for the Bombers, the conversation always focuses on No. 33. Add to the fact he suffered a knee injury in Week 1, and then re-injured it in Week 3 in Montreal and was sidelined for the second half, it’s hard to believe anything can stop him at this point.
LIVING ON THE EDGE
Given just how important Harris is to the Bombers, and the fact he has been banged up all year, it was hard to understand why he was still taking punishment late in the game. The same goes for Nichols, who remained under centre despite Winnipeg holding a commanding 35-20 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Knowing I’m not qualified to give coaching advice, I asked for some clarity from the experts. Here were the responses:
From Nichols: “We won a game last year down 15 (Week 6 vs. Montreal)…with 1:30 left. Also, what’s the difference? We’re handing the ball off anyways at the end. There’s no extra-added danger. There’s probably more danger during the course of the game than at the end of the game.”
Two issues here: the ball is being handed off to Harris, and did Nichols forget he suffered his knee injury at practice, during a non-contact drill?
From O’Shea: “They put 11 (points) on us in a very short time at the end of the half… I don’t think you can give any team — especially a Marc Trestman team — an inch. Further to that, Chris Streveler has taken a lot of meaningful snaps… let’s finish a game.”
Sure, the Bombers gave up 19 points on turnovers in the game and, uh-huh, Streveler has had a lot of time under centre for a rookie QB. But the defence was playing lights out, and if either of those players go down, it will be more than just a game this team will have trouble finishing.
I would have asked Harris this question, but since I already did in our debut episode of the The Handoff podcast we do together, I already knew he would tell me he’s willing to do anything the coaches ask of him.
Again, they’re the experts, and perhaps I could take a lesson from them, too. Maybe I’ll rip the plastic off my couches at home and start living life a little more dangerously.
BIGGEST MARKET, SMALLEST CROWD
It’s beating a dead horse at this point, but Toronto, the CFL’s biggest market, continues to draw the smallest crowds across the league.
A total of 10,844 people showed up for what was supposed to be “Family Day” at the football park. That number seemed to flatter the real total, seeing as one side of the stadium — the biggest side — looked mostly empty, including an entire upper-deck that wasn’t being used.
Attendance has been an issue in this market for years, but the thought was that moving to BMO Field would somehow turn the tide. It seemed to start well, with people attending tailgate parties outside the stadium, but now under the leadership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the pre-game fun has been scrapped.
Talking with some people around town, there just doesn’t seem to be an appetite for the three-down game. In fact, the Argonauts seem to be dropping down the totem poll, behind hockey, basketball, baseball, soccer, lacrosse and, believe it or not, rugby.
Here’s hoping they figure something out soon. The league needs this market to at least tread water, even if the feeling is it will never thrive.
jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca
twitter: @jeffkhamilton


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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History
Updated on Sunday, July 22, 2018 10:53 PM CDT: Edited