Bombers take time downing Elks

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This article was published 20/07/2023 (843 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — Facing a battered Edmonton Elks club desperate to get back on track, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took their sweet time to rev up the engines.

Stuck on idle in the first half, with both sides combining for 12 points, the Bombers finally hit the right gear, cruising to a 28-14 victory over the Elks in front of 28,512 on a warm Thursday night at IG Field.

“It’s always good to win at home and that’s what you’re supposed to do. Our crowd was amazing,” Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros said after the game. “For us to be able to pick ourselves up in the second half was huge. I thought we really set the tone there early on and with some big plays we were able to separate. The defence played extremely well all night long and we were able to take care of business there at the end.”

For Winnipeg, which improved to 5-2, the win turned the page on last week’s embarrassing breakdown against the Ottawa Redblacks, where the Bombers coughed up a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter. For Edmonton, it was more of the same, with the Elks extending their current losing streak to 11 games, including 0-7 this season.

The Bombers put up 423 yards of offence, while limiting the Elks to 309. Winnipeg won the turnover battle, 3-2, while also edging the Elks in quarterback sacks by the same margin.

“It was a game we knew we had to play better; the first half still wasn’t what we wanted to do, but we didn’t falter,” Bombers right guard Patrick Neufeld said. “We made some adjustments at halftime, and we were able to come back out in the second half and get back on track to where we want to go. We’re not there yet, but we’re on the way.”

Collaros went 20-for-24 passing for 308 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, with Nic Demski leading all receivers with 115 yards through the air and Brady Oliveira setting the pace in the ground game, totalling 110 yards on 17 carries.

Taylor Cornelius completed 17 of his 29 passes for 220 yards, but had just one touchdown compared to two interceptions. Cornelius also had a team-high 57 rushing yards.

“There was definitely a conversation at halftime, and it was kind of back to a couple plays in Ottawa where the quarterback was able to escape and it caused us some problems,” Bombers linebacker Adam Bighill said of limiting Cornelius’ rush threat as the game wore on. “We made sure were disciplined in our rush lanes and closed the pocket. The second half we did a much better job of that.”

The Bombers hoped to hit the ground running after the collapse against the Ottawa Redblacks in Week 6, but instead, it was a messy start for the Blue and Gold, with their first two series resulting in turnovers.

The Bombers began with the ball, earning solid field position on the opening drive following a 27-yard kickoff return by Greg McCrae, who was wrapped up in Edmonton territory. Winnipeg would get as far as the Elks’ 40-yard line, but a QB sneak attempt by Dakota Prukop on third-and-long was stopped short.

On the second drive, Collaros was intercepted by Marcus Lewis, giving the Elks the ball on Winnipeg’s 25. Edmonton threatened to find the end zone, moving the ball to the Bombers’ six-yard line, but the Bombers defence came up big on second down, as Cameron Lawson reeled in the interception to keep the game scoreless.

That was enough to light a fire under the offence, with Collaros & Co. responding with a 12-play, 96-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a two-yard plunge into the end zone from Prukop.

Collaros completed all six passes on the series, totalling 88 yards, including a highlight reel catch by Kenny Lawler for a 28-yard gain. A missed one-point convert by Sergio Castillo made it 6-0 after the first quarter.

The Bombers short-yardage struggles continued into the second frame, with Prukop fumbling the ball on third-and-short at midfield. The Elks, who added a 28-yard field goal earlier in the quarter to cut the Bombers lead to 6-3, took over and threatened to even the game.

“The first half was tighter than we would have liked for a multitude of reasons, but those are things we can improve on.”–Adam Bighill

Winnipeg’s defence was once again up to the challenge. Defensive tackle Ricky Walker sacked Cornelius, pushing Edmonton out of field goal range, leaving it to punt.

The Elks pinned the Bombers deep on the ensuing drive, and then forced a two-and-out, getting the ball back at midfield. This time they would make it count, tying the game at 6-6 with a 30-yard field goal from Dean Faithfull.

Castillo sailed a 45-yard field-goal attempt wide-right as time expired in the second quarter to make it a tie game at halftime. The miss snapped a streak of 23 consecutive field goals for Castillo, including 13 straight this season.

The Bombers went into the break trailing the Elks in yards (158 to 135), including just 34 rushing yards compared to Edmonton’s 80, while both clubs had eight first downs.

“The first half was tighter than we would have liked for a multitude of reasons, but those are things we can improve on,” said Bighill. “The second half we did a good job closing out the game and finishing, which was good. Minus the explosion play we gave up, I thought we played really well on defence and had Cornelius running for his life a bit. There are things we can build upon.”

After forcing a two-and-out to start the third quarter, the Bombers regained the lead, 9-6, with a 46-yard field goal from Castillo. A rouge on the Elks’ next series made it 9-7.

The Bombers would finally create some breathing room midway through the third quarter, when Collaros found a wide-open Demski in the middle of the field. Demski caught the ball at the 30-yard line of the Elks and walked into the end zone untouched for the score, putting Winnipeg up 16-7.

That comfort would be short-lived, however, as the Elks wasted little time making up ground. Starting at their own 14, Cornelius moved the ball to Edmonton’s 30 with a pair of passes, setting up an 80-yard touchdown to Dillon Mitchell, who snuck behind Demerio Houston to pull the Elks to within two points, 16-14.

“That play to Nic is a big play, but they come back with their own bomb,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said. “We didn’t defend properly and it’s the CFL, where I don’t know if you ever feel like the game’s in hand.”

Just when the Bombers needed a spark, they got one, with no surprise that it came from the defence.

Walker, who had the Bombers lone sack in the first half, pressured Cornelius in the end zone, forcing the Elks pivot to throw the ball away. With Cornelius still in the pocket and no one anywhere near his pass, Edmonton was flagged for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety and a 18-14 Winnipeg lead.

The Bombers would take over at their own 53 after a solid kickoff return by Johnny Augustine, then move the ball into scoring position with a 34-yard pass to Demski. The series would stall at Edmonton’s 13, with Castillo putting the Bombers up a touchdown, 21-14, with a 21-yard field goal to wrap up the scoring in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was not kind to the Bombers against Ottawa, with the offence stalling drive after drive. That wouldn’t be the case in this one, though, as the Bombers attack came to life in the final 15 minutes.

In what was the offence’s most impressive series of the night, the Bombers opened the frame with a nine-play, 89-yard touchdown drive to take a commanding 28-14 lead. Winnipeg exposed Edmonton’s league-worst rush defence, with Brady Oliveira racking up 54 yards on six carries, and Collaros completing all three of his passes, including a six-yard strike to Rasheed Bailey in the end zone.

The defence took over from there, making the Elks turn over the ball on their final two drives. Winnipeg forced a turnover on downs, and then iced the game with an interception by Houston, who now has a league-leading five picks.

“We do the dirty work,” said Walker. “We come in and if you need us to finish the game, we’ll do it. No matter what’s going on, no matter how the offence is playing, or special teams, whenever the defence gets called on, we always answer.”

The Bombers are now off on the bye week, returning in Week 9 to play the B.C. Lions at home on Thursday, Aug. 3. The Lions won the first matchup, embarrassing the Bombers at home, 30-6, in Week 3.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton