Blue win back believers

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This article was published 01/07/2023 (826 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONTREAL — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won’t call it a statement game — that kind of stuff is just not in their DNA — but the Blue and Gold nevertheless delivered a message to their critics with a convincing road win over the Montreal Alouettes.

Faced with questions all week about their age and effort after falling to the B.C. Lions 30-6 in Week 3, the Bombers quietly went about their business at practice all week, their singular focus on getting back into the win column. But you knew they were reeling deep down inside, as fans across the league debated whether Winnipeg’s dominant run in recent years might be coming to an end.

Those conversations should ease after the win over the Alouettes, with the Bombers returning to complimentary football, coming up just short of a shutout victory with a 17-3 decision in front of a rain-soaked 15,088 fans at Molson Stadium Friday night.

“It definitely feels good to get back into the win column. All of them are important,” said Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, who went 15-for-23 passing for 193 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. “It’s always tough to win, so we’re just really happy about the way we rebounded from last week’s performance. We gutted it out in the not greatest circumstances, but it’s a testament to our guys staying focused for the (weather) delay and then going out there and getting the job done.”

Indeed, Mother Nature did her best to mess with the night, as heavy rain and lightning delayed kickoff by an hour and 41 minutes. It was nothing new to the Bombers, who have had their share of weather delays in recent years and possess a strong leadership group that kept everyone else on track.

So, when things finally cleared, it was no surprise to see the Bombers rise to the occasion. And when the rain started to pour again early in the third quarter, lasting the rest of the game, it was Winnipeg that was able to persevere.

“You’re on the road anyway, but it feels like you got a bunch of guys sitting around in cars taking a two-hour road trip, because they’re getting delayed and delayed,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said about the weather delay. “A lot of guys have been through a bunch of delays before… I think we’ve had about three or four now in our time together. That’s a big one tonight. They handled it very, very well.”

With the victory, the Bombers improved to 3-1 and are now tied in points with the Lions, who can take over sole possession of first place in the West Division with a win over the Toronto Argonauts Sunday night. The loss was the first of the season for the Alouettes, who dropped to 2-1, with Toronto now able to move into first in the East if they can defeat the Lions to cap off the weekend’s slate of games.

The Bombers offence was efficient, with Collaros orchestrating a pair of touchdown drives, including strikes to Drew Wolitarsky and Dalton Schoen. Running back Brady Oliveira bounced back from an early fumble to finish with 12 carries for 112 yards, as the offence totalled a modest 328 net yards.

Oliveira was especially tough to take down late in the game. Of his total rushing yards, 70 came in the second half when the Bombers needed to run the ball, not just to run protect the ball in the pouring rain but also to run out the clock.

“The people in this locker room, the people in the huddle, the belief that they have in me and the support, it’s just incredible. Stuff happens in a game and my teammates had my back,” Oliveira, who also had two catches totalling 19 yards, said. “Having that support and knowing they have my back really means a lot to me.”

Special teams also did their part, with returner Janarion Grant giving the Bombers strong field position throughout the night and kicker Sergio Castillo making his lone field-goal attempt – a 48-yarder that put Winnipeg up 10-0 at halftime. There was one blemish – a botched hold on another field goal attempt; one of four turnovers by the Bombers on the night – but the mess up didn’t mess with Castillo’s streak, which currently sits at 8-for-8 on field goals this season and 17 straight dating back to last year.

But it was the defence that shined brightest on this night. The Bombers forced four turnovers in the game, sacked Alouettes quarterback Cody Farjardo four times, limiting Montreal to just 328 yards of net offence. They came up big when they needed to, including forcing turnovers of two of Montreal’s first three drives of the second half.

It was the second one, however, that turned the tide of the game.

With the Alouettes first-and-10 on Winnipeg’s 14-yard line late in the third quarter, Bombers safety Brandon Alexander stepped into Fajardo’s pass and returned it 69 yards to Montreal’s 46. Six plays later, Collaros found Schoen in the end zone for the score, putting Winnipeg up 17-0.

The Alouettes would finally hit the scoreboard in the fourth frame, with a 27-yard field goal, but the defence countered with back-to-back forced fumbles to keep it at three points and seal the victory. There were big nights for a few individuals, including defensive lineman Cameron Lawson, who registered a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery; defensive end Willie Jefferson, who also had a pair of sacks and a forced fumble; and defensive back Demerio Houston, who had a pair of fumble recoveries after missing last week to see the birth of his twins.

“The defence was unbelievable all night long,” said Collaros. “They gave us another one later in the game, maybe two, and we need to do a better job of capitalizing and scoring.”

It was a sleepy start to the game, at least on offence, with the Bombers leading just 7-0 after the first quarter. Collaros connected with Wolitarsky in the back-right corner of the end zone for a 12-yard score. Wolitarsky now has three touchdowns in four games in 2023, after having combing for just two in his last two seasons.

It was also the first touchdown allowed by the Alouettes this season, after they surrendered just four field goals each in wins over the Ottawa Redblacks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Bombers O-line, which surrendered seven sacks to B.C., kept Collaros upright most of the game, giving up just two sacks against the Alouettes.

“I think both groups did their job up front. We were certainly going to go as they go,” said O’Shea. “We had very timely stops on defence, and we were able to run the ball pretty well. It was exciting for both groups. I think they wanted to have that feeling after the game.”

The Bombers added to their lead in the second, a 47-yard field goal making it 10-0 for the visitors. With the successful kick, Castillo remained perfect on the season, at 8-for-8, and has connected on 17 straight field goal attempts.

Both clubs had a botched field-goal attempt in the first half. David Cote missed a 45-yard kick wide-right, while the Bombers lost control of the hold on an attempt with no time remaining in the first half, resulting in an incomplete pass by punter Jamieson Sheahan and a turnover on downs.

The Bombers return to practice next week for a Week 5 matchup at home against the Calgary Stampeders. The Stamps have a 1-2 record to start the year and are coming off the bye week.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton