Nichols hits reset button to focus on upcoming game against Stampeders

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This article was published 04/08/2019 (2226 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been just over two weeks, but it feels like forever ago when Blue Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols was given a standing ovation at IG Field.

It was near the end of the 31-1 stomping over the Ottawa Redblacks that pushed the Blue and Gold to a perfect 5-0 record. It was announced to the crowd Nichols broke a 38-year-old club record by completing 19 straight passes. After five games, Nichols had 12 touchdown tosses and only one interception, making him an early, very early, candidate for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award.

But oh how quickly that’s all been forgotten.

In the last two games, a 23-15 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and 28-27 defeat at the hands of a winless Toronto Argonauts squad, Nichols is a combined 50/79 with 430 yards, two touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Far from outstanding, to say the least.

Despite the terrific start to the season, all it took was one bad road trip for the armchair quarterbacks to call for Nichols’ head in the comment section and on social media. Running back Andrew Harris said it’s not fair.

“It’s next to impossible to go really, really that consistent and play perfect throughout a whole season,” Harris said after Sunday’s practice. “You’re going to have off games and off plays and you know, we got Matt’s back. It’s not saying that even all of the things he did that people are accusing him of are all his fault, right? There’s lots of different angles to it. But you know, we rally behind Matt and have tons of confidence in Matt and know there’s better games and better plays ahead.”

For Nichols, he said the critics — especially the keyboard warriors online — aren’t something he focuses on.

“I mean, I don’t care. As I’ve gotten older in my professional career and in life, I’m not on social media very often anymore,” said the 32-year-old quarterback. “It’s definitely one of those things you avoid it more after a loss, for sure.”

It didn’t help Nichols’ case that in most people’s eyes, both losses were avoidable. Hamilton star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli went down with an injury in the first quarter, but even with an ineffective Dane Evans taking over under centre the rest of the way, the Bombers offence wasn’t able to put enough points on the board to win the game. And then in Toronto, against an Argos team that entered the game having been outscored 214-75 on the year, the Bombers failed to slam the door shut despite having an early 20-0 lead. McLeod Bethel-Thompson outdueled Nichols on the night, as he finished with 343 yards and three touchdowns to end his 10-game losing streak as a starter. But Nichols said on Sunday people are putting way too much weight on the fact the Bombers lost to an 0-6 team.

“That’s just people who look at records and not what professional football is and the talented players that they have there,” he said. “They’re close to winning a lot of games up to that point so we knew we were going to play a good football team. And I felt we played pretty good, they just made a few more plays than us. I think other people probably turn it into things that it’s not. We lost a professional football game and we’re going to get better and play better this week.”

Nichols added the tough two-week stretch has already been flushed and the focus is now on the Calgary Stampeders. The Bombers host the Stampeders at IG Field on Thursday night in a battle of 5-2 teams for the first spot in the West Division.

“I’ve been playing professional football for 10 years. I’ve been through many highs and many lows. For me, it’s really easy to hit the reset button.”– Matt Nichols

“I’ve been playing professional football for 10 years. I’ve been through many highs and many lows. For me, it’s really easy to hit the reset button,” said Nichols, who now has 14 touchdowns, four interceptions and 1,580 passing yards on the season.

“Everyone else, like I said, I don’t know the feelings of anyone outside myself and for me, we’re sitting in first place and we get to play at home in front of our crowd. I don’t know what the issue is. We lost a professional football game and we’re going to be better this week.”

While the Bombers have been sliding, the Stamps have been climbing the ranks in the West as they’ve rattled off three straight victories. Thursday might be the toughest test yet for the Bombers, but Nichols isn’t calling it a statement game.

“We honestly don’t approach any week differently than any other. We understand that we need to play better than we did in the last two weeks. It’s really all it comes down to. We know we have a good football team and it just comes down to everyone getting back on board, putting in the work and making sure we come out and play better this week.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31