Bombers expect Stampeders’ best

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This article was published 06/07/2023 (797 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s an added level of motivation that can come from a disappointing loss.

We saw it last week from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-1), who rallied following an embarrassing defeat to the B.C. Lions to earn a convincing 17-3 road win over the Montreal Alouettes. Will we see the same thing from the Calgary Stampeders (1-2) when they roll into town for a Week 5 matchup against the Blue and Gold at IG Field Friday night?

The Stampeders are fresh off the bye week but are surely still surly from a 29-26 double-overtime loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 3. That dropped Calgary to a game below .500, and while there’s still plenty of season remaining, the last thing you want to do is fall another game behind and have to play catchup in a wildly competitive West Division.

Simply put, the Bombers are expecting the Stampeders best effort as they look to get back on track.

“It’s going to be a tough game for us; they’ve got a lot of great players over there and they’re really well coached,” Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros said after Thursday’s walk-through. “It’s going to take a very high level of execution to win the football game, and for us to play physical and set the tone early.”

For the Bombers, it’s about returning to the win column at home, with an opportunity to move into sole possession of first in the West with a victory. The Bombers swept the three-game season-series against Calgary in 2022, though all three of those games were decided by one score and in the final three minutes.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of kickoff with the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

HOME SWEET HOME

As troubling as the loss was to the Lions, it was made even worse — or at least difficult to explain — because it happened on home turf. Fans have been treated/spoiled with some incredible three-down football at IG Field in recent years, with the B.C. game just the third defeat in the last 30 games.

In fact, it was Winnipeg’s first loss to a West opponent since falling to the Roughriders in the 2018 Banjo Bowl. For the record, the Bombers have won their last six games against the Stampeders at home; however, to echo an earlier point, those games have been true nail-biters, with Winnipeg’s average margin of victory fewer than four points, with four of those games decided by one or two points.

The point here is not that the Bombers are expecting a close affair necessarily, but they do expect to win when playing in their own backyard. Fans hold the same high expectations, evidenced by the chorus of boos that rained down during the loss to the Lions.

The Bombers aim to fix that relationship with another W. It will be made even sweeter for the fans coming against a rival such as the Stampeders.

ON THE OFFENSIVE

After putting up a combined 87 points through the first two weeks, the Bombers boast just 23 points over their last two games. While the offence was better against Montreal, it still wasn’t great, most notably its inability to convert defensive takeaways into points.

That’s unlike the Collaros-led attack we’re used to seeing and witnessed out of the gate to kick off the 2023 campaign. The Bombers know how dangerous they can be when they build up an early lead and force an opponent’s offence to be one-dimensional, making a quick start a focus this week.

It should help that receiver Nic Demski returns to the lineup after missing last week to attend the birth of his daughter. Running back Brady Oliveira has also been a wrecking ball this season, averaging 81.8 rushing yards per game — behind only the Stampeders’ Diedrick Mills (88). Calgary is averaging the third-most rushing yards against (108.7) this year, as well as allowing the second-most yards per run, at 5.3.

As effective as the ground game has been, Collaros needs to take command of the offence with his arm. For that to happen, he needs the offensive line to stand tall; in Winnipeg’s three wins this year, the Bombers have allowed a combined three sacks, while in their only loss they surrendered seven.

BATTERED & BRUISED

There’s getting bit by the injury bug, and then there’s dealing with what’s currently facing the Stampeders.

When Calgary revealed its depth chart Thursday there were 11 players on the six-game injured list and three on the one-game. There are a total of nine roster changes from the game against Saskatchewan.

Many of the Stampeders’ injuries are to key players on offence, including No. 1 running back in Ka’Deem Carey and top-receiver Malik Henry, who ruptured his Achilles tendon last game and has been ruled out for the season. Dynamic return man Peyton Logan, who also contributes to the run game, is another weapon out long-term.

Calgary gets some much-needed help with the return of veteran receiver Reggie Begelton, who was plucked off the six-game injured list early following a quick recovery from a rib issue. The Stampeders also went out and signed receiver Marken Michel, who returns to Calgary for the first time since 2018 after spending the last five years in the NFL.

That gives quarterback Jake Maier more weapons to work with. Meier has struggled early in his first season as the undisputed starter now that Bo Levi Mitchell is in Hamilton. Maier is averaging a modest 261 passing yards a game, completing around 58 per cent of his throws. His most troubling statistic, though, is his touchdown-to-interception ratio, with five picks compared to just two TDs this year.

A TALL TASK

The Stampeders might like the versatility they have in O-lineman Bryce Bell, but they appear to be asking their 2021 second-round pick to do a lot this week.

Bell, who has played in 31 CFL games, including 10 starts, will line up at left tackle. The 25-year-old has moved across the line, earning starts at guard and centre, but his task against the Bombers surely has to be his toughest yet.

The left tackle is an extremely important and difficult role to have, and it can be particularly daunting for someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience at the position. But don’t take it from me; here’s what Winnipeg’s Stanley Bryant, arguably the best left tackle ever to play in the CFL, had to say.

“It’s more of a mindset thing. Knowing that you’re protecting the quarterback’s blind spot, it can creep into your mind that you have to be on your (best behaviour) at all times,” Bryant said. “You’re one slip away and things could go wrong for your career, because your quarterback could get knocked out or anything could happen. A lot of guys tend to step up to the challenge, but coming into this environment, with these fans, it’s going to be hard.”

TIME TO FEAST

Trying to combat the crowd might just be enough of a challenge. Having to stop the likes of defensive ends Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat is a whole other story.

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There’s no coincidence that Jeffcoat’s return to the lineup last week helped light a fire under Jefferson, who didn’t have to deal with nearly as many double-teams, finishing the game with a pair of quarterback sacks, one pass knockdown and a forced fumble. Jefferson has been on fire to start the year, with his four sacks ranking second in the CFL, and his presence alone is enough to intimidate opposing QBs.

But as much credit as Jefferson and Jeffcoat rightfully get, the entire Bombers D-line has been feasting this year. Rookie Celestin Haba has three sacks, while defensive tackles Jake Thomas and Ricky Walker each have one, while plugging the run up the middle. Cameron Lawson was spectacular in his first game last week, registering two sacks and a fumble recovery.

Maier is a true pocket passer who loves to get rid of the ball quickly on short routes, resulting in just four sacks against this season. How quickly the Bombers can get to the Stampeders pivot could very well determine the outcome of the game. Just consider that of the 70 drives where teams have allowed a sack this year, none have resulted in a TD.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.