Riders have something to prove

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/09/2021 (1460 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The table is set for what should be an exciting rematch between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Bombers (4-1) enter Saturday’s Banjo Bowl atop the West Division after beating the Roughriders (3-1), 23-8, in the annual Labour Day classic at Mosaic Stadium last weekend. The game was a physical affair, with the score remaining close until the Bombers finally found their scoring touch late, leading to 16 unanswered points in the second half.

It was a sour ending for the Roughriders, especially in front of a sold-out crowd, and after a week of stewing over what could have been, Saskatchewan arrives in Winnipeg under similar conditions. The Bombers announced IG Field has been sold out, meaning 33,000-plus fans donning blue and gold will have their presence felt.

“Saskatchewan is a very scrappy team and it starts with their coach and their mentality, and I fully expect them to come out, guns blazing, and play with a certain attitude and certain swagger,” running back Andrew Harris said after the Bombers walkthrough Friday. “We’re fully expecting that and ready for that and hoping that comes. We’re looking for another dogfight. We’re that kind of team as well and we love those types of games.”

With that, here are five storylines to keep an eye on before Saturday’s 3 p.m. kickoff.

THE RESPONSE

It was just the second time in 17 years that the Bombers marched into Mosaic Stadium during the September long weekend and left with two points. And they did it against a team that was unbeaten, feeling good about themselves and fuelled by a raucous crowd.

It’s been hard to gauge who exactly the Roughriders are this season – or could be. None of their victories this year – including wins over B.C., Hamilton and Ottawa – have been overly impressive, and when they finally played a formidable team such as the Bombers, they weren’t very impressive. Not to mention all four of their games this season have been at Mosaic.

Considering they were punched in the mouth in their own home, what response might we see from Saskatchewan on the road? They’ll be without a few starters, particularly on defence, only adding to the adversity. A victory would go a long way to flipping the current script of who’s the team to beat in the CFL.

“I see this as an opportunity to go over there and maybe prove some people wrong, see what we’re made of,” Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson said. “This going to be, I believe, a character game for us. This will show a lot about the type of team we have and I hope we play hard, I hope we play well and, in the words of (former college football and NFL coach) Bill Walsh, ‘let the score take care of itself.'”

GREEN FEELING BLACK AND BLUE

After losing four players to season-ending Achilles injuries prior to training camp, the Roughriders have once again been bit by the injury bug. And in another big way.

Ed Gainey (foot) and Loucheiz Purifoy (neck) have both been ruled out this week after suffering injuries in last week’s game, meaning the Roughriders will be without their two starting defensive halfbacks. Receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert is also a no-go, as he works through a non-football related issue, joining all-star receiver Shaq Evans (broken foot) on the sideline.

Nick Marshall will move from the corner on the boundary side to halfback to replace Gainey, and A.J. Hendy will shift from strong-side linebacker to the other halfback spot on the field side left vacant by the absence of Purifoy. Christian Campbell has been promoted from the practice roster to fill in for Marshall at corner, while Godfrey Onyeka gets the start at strong-side linebacker. Kian Schaffer-Baker draws in for Williams-Lambert.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Roughriders will also be without defensive end A.C. Leonard, who was given a two-game suspension for failing to provide a sample for drug testing, as outlined in the joint CFL-CFLPA drug policy. That’s a head scratcher, if there ever was one.

Needless to say, that’s a lot of moving pieces to contend with, the biggest issue being communication in the defensive secondary. Might Zach Collaros hit the 300-yard passing mark for the first time this season?

FINDING CONSISTENCY

Despite a number of dangerous weapons at their disposal, and the emergence of quarterback Zach Collaros and return of Harris from injury, the Bombers offence continues to be a work in progress.

Winnipeg excels in some areas, including accounting for the second most offensive touchdowns, with 10, but they also lead the league in two-and-outs, with 33. Mostly, though, they’re in the middle of the pack in many of the statistical categories, meaning they’re far too inconsistent.

Harris said finding that consistency begins with improving mentally, adding there needs to be a collective maturity among the offence to move past disappointing plays, whether that be dropped balls or stalled drives. The Bombers running back said once the mental hurdles are cleared, the physical part comes easily.

“We’re all in good shape, we’re all professional athletes but mentally if we’re not in tune, with all 12 guys on a unit, special teams, offence or defence, everybody’s got to be clued in for that full 60 minutes,” he said.

Look for a strong start right out of the gate. The offence doesn’t want to wait for the second half to come alive.

THE DARK SIDE

Willie Jefferson donned a Swaggerville t-shirt at his media availability Friday, which he received from an adoring fan that felt this year’s defence resembled many of the same characteristics of that dominating Swaggerville D from a decade ago.

But Jefferson, the Bombers all-star defensive end, made it clear what’s brewing in Winnipeg is a different beast. The 2021 defence is going by a different tag name, Dark Side, and this is how Jefferson best summed up its identity.

“Swaggerville had a lot of swag, there were a lot of players on there that made a lot of plays, made a lot of noise,” he said. “We have something similar to that, but we play angry, we play mad, and we play on the Dark Side of the ball. So that’s what we are.”

Call them whatever you want, but the Bombers defence has been the lifeblood of the team this season. They embarrassed Cody Fajardo and the Roughriders offence last week, limiting them to 258 offensive yards and eight points – none of which came in the second half.

Another strong performance this week will only further solidify their reputation of being the best defence in the CFL. And maybe even mark the start of a new era of defensive dominance.

ON HIS LAST LEGS

That’s a far more dramatic subtitle than necessary at this point, but I still can’t get over the fact special teams remains a constant issue for a Mike O’Shea-led club weeks into the season.

Marc Liegghio is a great guy, but the Bombers need to find out if he’s a great kicker capable of handling field goals full time, along with his regular punting duties. Liegghio has said all the right things this week and is likely going to be a solid kicker in the CFL one day. But the clock is ticking and after missing twice – albeit one was from 56 yards out – last week, it’s back to wondering if that’ll be this year.

Another area to keep an eye on is the return game. Charles Nelson will once again get a shot to prove his worth, and you must wonder how many more opportunities he’ll get to show he can do the job. The good news is nothing will endear you more to fans than running over Saskatchewan. The ball, quite literally, is in his hands.

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