Bombers looking to bounce back

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This article was published 24/08/2018 (2621 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — Whatever unfolds this afternoon at McMahon Stadium could prove to be a pivotal moment for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, even though there’s still plenty of football to be played this season.

Now halfway through the 2018 campaign and possessing a modest 5-4 record, the Bombers face the Stampeders as clear underdogs. Calgary has once again established its dominance in the CFL — leading the league with a 7-1 record — and is primed to finish atop the West Division again.

The Bombers are coming off their most disappointing effort of the season, losing to the visiting Ottawa Redblacks 44-21 last Friday to snap a three-game winning streak. Another loss drops them to .500, in danger of sliding below that mark with a heated Labour Day Classic against the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Sept. 2 in Regina) next up on the schedule.

A victory today has the power to completely flip the script and ease some of the discomfort currently present among the fan base.

But Winnipeg’s de facto leader maintains things aren’t nearly as dire as they seem and the afternoon tilt in Calgary is just another of many big tests during the CFL season.

“For everyone else it would probably feel that way. We’re not going to make it any bigger than it is,” quarterback Matt Nichols said. “It’s never as good as it seems and never as bad as it seems, even though people outside of the building want to make it seem that way. For us, it’s a tough game — a Western opponent — and we just want to try and get a win this week.”

With that, here are five storylines to keep in mind for today’s game:

THE CALGARY CURSE

If Saskatchewan showed anything in its game against Calgary last week, it’s that you’ll need the help of all three phases to walk away with a victory. The Roughriders shocked the league when they edged the Stampeders 40-27, and their blueprint for success was dotted with efforts from every aspect of the game.

“It’s not a secret. To beat a good team like this, the teams that have beaten Calgary the last couple of years are the teams that don’t make the big mistakes and don’t allow them to get that momentum,” Nichols said. “They’re a team that kind of seems to steamroll once they get something that goes their way, so it’s about making sure you don’t give them anything and string together some drives. Just try and take the fight to them a little bit.”

What was most surprising about Saskatchewan’s win was the number of uncharacteristic mistakes made by Calgary. The Stamps limited the Riders’ offence to just one touchdown and six field goals, but shot themselves in the foot with an interception returned for a touchdown and another score coming off a blocked punt. Calgary committed five turnovers for just the second time in four years.

Winnipeg will need to do much of the same, including getting off to a strong start. They entered last week’s game outscoring their opponents by 98 points in the first half, but were badly outplayed by the Redblacks early on and were forced to play from behind for much of the night. The Roughriders hit early and often, never allowing the Stampeders to gain momentum, or the lead.

Dictating the game on enemy turf certainly won’t be easy, though. Dating back to the 2003 season, the Stampeders are 25-8 against the Bombers, and 14-2 since 2011. Winnipeg has won just twice in Calgary dating back to 2002.

NICHOLS’ TIME TO SHINE

Nichols ignited a buzz among Bombers faithful following the Ottawa game when he took exception to fans booing his return from injury late in the fourth quarter. Many have speculated those jeers were actually aimed at head coach Mike O’Shea for inserting Nichols back into a match that had just minutes left and the Bombers trailing by more than 20 points.

Either way, Nichols will be under the spotlight for his remarks, and it just might be the best thing for the veteran pivot. In 11 games following a loss with the Bombers, Nichols is 9-2, for a winning percentage of 81.8 per cent. That said, he has yet to register a win over the Stampeders in his career.

Nichols seems to play his best when the pressure is on, and there’s no bigger test than a Calgary defence that leads in almost every statistical category. They will, however, be without defensive co-ordinator DeVone Claybrooks, who remains in hospital after being admitted for tests earlier this week.

“You know, I don’t know if they’re that dangerous. They’re only first in 19 out of 21 defensive categories,” Bombers offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice joked earlier this week. “They’re an amazing unit. I’ve been in the league a long time and they do a great job of running to the football, they’re multi-dimensional, they don’t give up big plays… they’re a tremendous group and we’ve got to be ready to play a good team on the road.”

Perhaps now is a good time to mention that Calgary doesn’t exactly do back-to-back losses. In fact, the last time they lost consecutive games prior to already clinching a playoff berth was in July 2012, losing to the Montreal Alouettes by a single point, 33-32, after falling to the Toronto Argonauts the week before.

NEW GUY UP FRONT

The Bombers will be without the larger-than-life personality of right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick, who was added to the six-game injured list this week after injuring a knee against Ottawa.

Many have downplayed the loss, mostly because of Hardrick’s replacement, Manase Foketi, who has been waiting patiently for years to get his shot. Speaking with the other offensive linemen this week, the belief is Foketi is more than capable of filling in, and the fact this is his third season with the Blue and Gold — a stretch where he has played just three games, all in 2016 — is a testament to his chemistry with the group and his comfort with the playbook.

“Me and Foketi, we’ve been in the same room for three years now and I know it’s a new guy stepping in and he doesn’t have as much game reps, but he’s no stranger to the system and how we like to block things up front,” right guard Sukh Chungh said. “For him, it’s just going to be some game-speed reps to get used to everything, but we’re definitely on the same page.”

Still, for a unit that has stayed mostly intact for the better part of the last two years, it’s a bit concerning that a new body might mess with what’s been a very good thing. The Bombers are also coming off a game where they allowed four sacks; they had just nine in eight games before that.

FLAG ON THE PLAY

Up until recently, the Bombers were the least-penalized team in the CFL. They currently sit in third spot, with 62 penalties over nine games.

In the five wins for the Bombers this season, in four of them they have committed six or fewer penalties. In the four losses, Winnipeg has been flagged at least seven times in three of them. It’s easy to see the pattern here.

Against Ottawa, the penalties — 11 for 80 yards — played a big role in why the Bombers lost. Defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall said earlier this week he counted six penalties by his defence that extended drives and those led to 19 points for the Redblacks. O’Shea downplayed the lack of discipline, calling it a one-off to what he’s seen from his defence this season.

Penalties aside, the Redblacks torched the Bombers’ defence for nearly 500 net yards of offence, stealing whatever momentum that had been built up over the previous month. Facing Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell, among the elite quarterbacks in the league, won’t make for an easy bounce-back game.

“I just know that we can’t be satisfied and we have to develop more consistency,” said Hall, adding he liked the progress his defence has made this year. “Because we’ve proved that we can be a very, very good defence but we’ve also proven we can be a very average defence.”

The Bombers’ secondary is sure to be tested again this week, making the job of the front-seven to get pressure on Mitchell a must. The Stampeders have the second most plays of at least 20 yards or more, with 10, only one behind the Edmonton Eskimos, who have played one more game this year. Mitchell also has his most 300-yard passing games against Winnipeg, with seven — three more than any other team.

HEATING UP

Two players to keep an eye on in this one are receivers Kamar Jorden and Darvin Adams.

Jorden has been one of the Stampeders’ most consistent targets this season. He enters the game with at least five catches in each of the last seven games — the longest of any such stretch this year — and is sixth amongst receivers in the CFL with 646 yards, to go with five touchdowns.

Adams had a breakout game in the loss to Ottawa, reeling in eight catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

It’s clear the Bombers are leaning on Adams right now — he had three or fewer passes in six other games — with the loss of receiver Weston Dressler. Dressler is expected to return as early as next week, but with the veteran still out, look for No. 1 to continue to carry the load.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton