Voracious Blue D should feast on Redblacks

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This article was published 14/07/2023 (810 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to make it three consecutive victories when they travel to Ottawa to take on the Redblacks in a Week 6 matchup at TD Place Saturday.

A victory would move the Bombers (4-1) into sole possession of first place in the West Division, jumping over the B.C. Lions (4-1), who are on the bye week. Winnipeg is coming off victories against the Montreal Alouettes and, most recently, the Calgary Stampeders last week.

Meanwhile, the Redblacks (1-3) are off to another rough start, with their one victory so far coming against the lowly Edmonton Elks in Week 4. Injuries haven’t helped, including navigating through a QB carousel the likes of which has never been seen in the CFL.

That sets the stage for what is expected to be a lopsided affair. But crazier things have happened, and I wouldn’t rule out a desperate Redblacks club playing in front of their own fans.

Let’s dig deeper into the game with the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

DISGRACE AT TD PLACE

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was asked Thursday whether he ever has to remind his players not to take an opponent lightly. It’s a good question, given the Bombers dominance in recent years, albeit one O’Shea would usually bristle at.

But the Bombers bench boss actually took it in stride, calmly reinforcing his club’s commitment to respecting every opponent no matter what their record is. While I’m sure that’s the case, there’s no doubting the Bombers’ recent rampant run over the Redblacks.

Winnipeg has won eight of the last nine games, including four straight at TD Place, which is the Bombers’ longest active road winning streak. The last time the Redblacks beat the Bombers on home turf was back on Oct. 29, 2016.

The Redblacks haven’t just struggled at home against the Bombers, either; they’ve had it rough across the entire CFL. After all, it was only a couple weeks ago that they snapped a 13-game losing streak at TD Place with their victory over the Elks, who lost again on Thursday to fall to 0-6.

The Bombers have won both their road games this season by at least 14 points, and are 13-4 in their last 17 games away from IG Field dating back to the 2021 season.

MCCRAE TURNING HEADS

Greg McCrae has been a popular man all week, as his time in front of cameras and microphones continued to climb following his stellar performance against the Calgary Stampeders in Week 5.

McCrae, playing in just his second game after being activated from the practice roster, accounted for 182 all-purpose yards, chipping in at running back, receiver and returner. He had a 68-yard catch-and-run TD in the first half, then dazzled with a 102-yard return on a missed field goal in the fourth frame that set up a chip shot three-pointer the other way.

It will be interesting to see how the Bombers choose to use McCrae now that the dynamic Janarion Grant has been added to the 6-game injured list with a bum ankle. It’s a lot to ask a player to contribute on both offence and special teams, but with McCrae being as good as he’s been in the attack, I wouldn’t be surprised if Winnipeg opted to share the return duties.

Either way, McCrae enters this week as a much-watch player as we wait to see what he can do for an encore.

AGUDOSI BACK IN THE MIX

One man’s misfortune can be another’s blessing, and that’s the case for third-year receiver Carlton Agudosi.

The injury to Grant has cleared a spot on the 45-man gameday roster, with Agudosi the beneficiary of his teammate’s bad luck. Agudosi returns to the lineup after being listed as a healthy scratch, placed on the one-game injured list for wins over Montreal and Calgary, a move that ensured he still got paid his full salary even though he wasn’t playing.

It’s an interesting position the 29-year-old finds himself in, caught up in the numbers game. Had Grant not been injured, coupled with the dazzling performance by McCrae, it would have been much of the same for Agudosi this week.

The situation only gets more complicated once things get figured out with Kenny Lawler, who is missing a sixth straight game as he continues to work with Canadian immigration officers. Given that, this could be considered an audition for Agudosi, who has nine catches for 120 yards in three games this year, to prove himself and his value as a reliable option week in and week out.

CRUM TO START

Spend enough time covering the CFL and few things will surprise you. But what’s going on with Ottawa’s QBs right now is definitely a shocker.

Indeed, it’s starting to feel like if the Redblacks didn’t have bad luck they’d have no luck at all, as they get ready to start their fourth different QB in five games. Yes, you read that correctly, with Dustin Crum jumping from fourth on the depth chart to one, owing to mostly injury.

The Redblacks have lost two starters in their last two games. Tyrie Adams, who replaced a struggling Nick Arbuckle, tore his ACL in Week 4, while No. 1 QB Jeremiah Masoli, in his first game back from a season-ending knee injury suffered last July, tore his Achilles last week, putting his career now in question.

Crum took over for Masoli and for coming in cold he fared pretty well. The 24-year-old did some damage with his arm and feet, throwing for 149 yards and running for 91 more on six carries for an average of 15.2 yards per play.

Crum’s inexperience was also palpable, as he rushed for a TD but also threw two interceptions. Speaking with him after the Redblacks walkthrough on Friday, he said he felt a lot more comfortable after working a full week with the No. 1 offence and he’s looking forward to the challenge that comes with playing the vaunted Bombers defence.

D HEATING UP

It almost seems unfair that Crum has to play Winnipeg in his first start, given how hot the defence has been since getting blown out by the B.C. Lions in Week 3.

The Bombers D has rebounded nicely in the two games since, allowing a combined 14 points, including zero in five of those eight quarters. The D-line, led by ends Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat, has been a lot to handle, with Winnipeg registering six sacks and forcing six turnovers the past two weeks.

The secondary seems to be only getting better, with standout performances from Demerio Houston and Evan Holm complementing the consistent efforts of veterans Deatrick Nichols and Brandon Alexander. With Adam Bighill, who continues to play with a heavy heart after the sudden death of his father a couple weeks back, among the best middle linebackers in the league and Malik Clements continuing to come into his own playing weakside, the defence has another chance to set the tone in this one.

Where the Bombers offence needs to improve is finishing drives with touchdowns rather than field goals, especially following big plays by the defence and special teams. It’s always good to be able to rely on your kicker — Sergio Castillo has connected on all 11 of his field goals this year and has an active streak of 21 straight dating back to last season – but six points is better than three and finishing in the end zone is often the difference in games.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton