Bombers clinch playoff berth with 29-21 win over Stampeders in foggy Friday nighter

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This article was published 26/10/2018 (2510 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are headed to the playoffs.

Needing at least a point in their final two games to punch their ticket to the post-season party, the Bombers secured their spot with a 29-21 win over the Calgary Stampeders at Investors Group Field Friday night.

The Bombers scored three touchdowns and added three field goals on offence, and the defence came up big when they needed to, including a key stop at the end that ultimately secured the game and the Bombers fifth straight victory.

The victory ensured the Bombers a spot in the playoffs for a third straight season. Winnipeg will wrap up the regular season in Edmonton next week against the Eskimos in what could decide where they finish in the standings. The Bombers are  out of contention to earn a home playoff game, and will finish either third or fourth place in the West, with the latter meaning a crossover through the East division.

Calgary, which entered the game 12-4 and in first place in the West, has now lost three straight and is in danger of losing the first-round bye to the Saskatchewan Roughriders The Roughriders (11-6) need to beat the B.C. Lions today to keep that hope alive, coupled with a Stampeders’ loss to B.C. next week.

It was the first win for Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols over the Stampeders in his career. Nichols, who finished 24-for-33 passing for 358 yards for his first 300-yard passing game of the season, entered the game 0-8 against the Stampeders.

“We put ourselves in a position for a win-and-in game in a playoff atmosphere and to come out and perform the way we did as a team is very encouraging moving forward,” Nichols said. “To be able to go out and handle business like that under those circumstances just shows where this team’s at and we’re ready to keep working and try to get to that ultimate goal.”

The win also snapped a nine-game winning streak for Calgary at IGF. Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell, who was 22-for-35 passing for 274 yards and a touchdown, snapped his 6-0 record against the Bombers.

Calgary opened the scoring on the game’s first drive with a Rene Parades’ field goal from 43 yards out. With the Stampeders pressing to add to their lead, Bombers linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox stripped the ball from Calgary receiver — and former Bomber — Chris Matthews on Winnipeg’s five-yard line.

On the ensuing drive, Nichols connected on back-to-back passes to Andrew Harris and then Kenbrell Thompkins to create some breathing room. Three plays later, Nichols rolled out of the pocket before hitting a wide-open Nic Demski, who caught the ball near the sidelines, beat a defender and then cut to the middle for a 16-yard gain to mark the end of the first quarter.

A horse-collar penalty on Micah Johnson extended the drive on second-and-10. Bombers backup quarterback Chris Streveler then rushed twice — once for a first down — before Nichols was brought back in to convert a second-and-eight on the Calgary 20-yard line.

The Stampeders blitzed and got to to Nichols but just when it seemed like a sure sack, Nichols dished the ball to Harris, who turned upfield and after shedding four tacklers and dove for the first down. Harris was in visible pain after he emerged from the pile of bodies, and holding his left hand he rushed to the sideline.

While Harris had his dislocated finger reset and taped up, the Bombers took a sack and then a pass to Demski fell short. Justin Medlock made it a 3-3 game with a 13-yard chip shot with 10:41 left in the second quarter.

It didn’t take long for the Stampeders — and Matthews — to respond.

Taking over at their 35-yard line, Mitchell dialed up a 65-yard pass to Matthews, who shook off coverage from Kevin Fogg before being taken down at Winnipeg’s 10. Then Jeff Hecht — making his first start, replacing safety Taylor Loffler after he was deemed a last-minute scratch following an injury at practice Wednesday — was flagged for unnecessary roughness after his helmet collided with Lemar Durant on a tackle.

The penalty set the Stampeders up at the one-yard line, where backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle punched it in for in touchdown on a quarterback sneak to put the visitors up 9-3. The two-point convert attempt failed.

Demski fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Bombers’ 25. The Stampeders gained just one yard on the next two plays, settling for a 31-yard field goal to push their lead to 12-3.

The Bombers regained some momentum late in the second quarter. After the defence forced a punt with a pair of sacks, Winnipeg opened their fifth series by giving the ball to Harris, who scampered 29 yards.

Darvin Adams moved the chains with a 16-yard reception and Nichols went back to him on the next play, this time with a toss deep into the end zone. But the ball seemed to get lost in the fog that had started to roll in minutes earlier and Adams lost track of it as his hit the ground.

Nichols took another strike at the end zone but he overthrew Demski and the Bombers capped the drive with 35-yard field goal, cutting the Stampeders lead to 12-6 at the half.

With a chance to start the third quarter on a high, the Bombers opened the second half with a quick two-and-out to give possession back to Calgary. Calgary returned the favour with a quick punt back, setting up what would be a pivotal moment in the game for the Blue and Gold.

Undeterred by the thickening fog, Nichols went to the air again, tossing a 50-yard bomb to Adams. Adams had crept behind broken coverage by the Stampeders for his ninth touchdown of the season to give the Bombers their first lead of the game, 13-12.

That lead was shortlived, however, as the Stampeders orchestrated a seven-play, 67-yard touchdown drive that ended with a hard-fought battle at the goal-line. A 43-yard pass to Lemar Durant helped set up the score but it was the fight at the one-yard line that required the most work.

After the Bombers stuffed two running attempts, pushing the ball back to the two-yard line for third down, the Stampeders opted to gamble, lining up Mitchell in a shotgun formation. It paid, with Mitchell throwing to his right to Markeith Ambles to regain the lead. Another failed two-point convert left the visitors up 18-13.

Not to be outdone, Winnipeg put together a second straight touchdown drive. Harris started the series with a short run and reeled in a pass to move the chains. Nichols connected with Weston Dressler to move the ball to Winnipeg’s 45-yard line, before going back to the deep pass — a 60-yard strike to a wide-open Drew Wolitarsky. Suddenly, the Bombers, who failed on a two-point convert of their own, were back on top 19-18.

The Bombers have leaned on Adam Bighill in a number of critical situations this year, and the middle linebacker delivered again in a big way.

On the Stampeders’ ensuing series after the Wolitarsky touchdown, Bighill forced a fumble on Calgary running back Don Jackson. Defensive lineman Jackson Jeffcoat recovered and the Bombers took over at the Stampeders’ 19.

“The mood is confidence building,” said Bighill. “And that confidence comes from the preparation we put in. Nothing’s given to you in this league and there’s a lot of good teams and players. It just shows when we come together and put the work in, things are possible.”

Harris rushed 17 yards on two plays to put the Bombers on the two-yard line and Streveler punched it in to extend the lead to 26-18. Medlock made it 29-18 with a short field goal midway through the fourth quarter.

More drama would ensue after Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea decided to gamble deep in his own end. Facing a third-and-one on the 28-yard line, Winnipeg brought in Streveler to push for a new set of downs but it wouldn’t work, the ball going back to Calgary on a turnover of downs. Winnipeg’s defence wouldn’t crumble, though, stopping Calgary this time on the five-yard line after a failed third-down throw to Eric Rogers that required another look from the replay booth to confirm it was a completed catch.

The Stampeders added a late 51-yard field goal with seconds remaining and a failed onside kick, recovered by Adams, sealed the win.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton