Bombers secure thrilling 34-26 victory in OT over the Lions

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This article was published 07/10/2023 (766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For weeks, even months, it was being billed as the must-watch game of the 2023 CFL season. And when the dust finally settled on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions pivotal Week 18 matchup at BC Place Friday night, the game had more than lived up to the hype.

The Bombers and Lions entered the night tied atop the West Division with identical 11-4 records. With the season series tied one game apiece, and with just three regular-season games remaining for each club, the winner would earn the first tiebreaker and have the inside track to clinch the West.

It was a back-and-forth affair the entire night and not even four quarters were enough to decide a winner. Playing behind all game, the Bombers would take their first lead off a Brady Oliveira nine-yard touchdown in overtime, securing a thrilling 34-26 victory in enemy territory.

“Seems like a good win,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea told the 680 CJOB post-game show, his tongue firmly in cheek. “That (finish) was fantastic. There were some plays that you’d like back, obviously, some plays that could have guys duck their heads a little bit. But our group didn’t; they just stuck with it, and they knew they had to chip away at it. We just sort of kept chipping away and got to it, got to overtime.”

The game also pitted two worthy Most Outstanding Player candidates against each other, with Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros and Lions pivot Vernon Adams Jr. both in the midst of stellar seasons. And while it looked like Adams had the early edge, it was Collaros who prevailed down the stretch.

Collaros finished the night 31-for-41 passing for 389 yards and two touchdowns. He also had an interception and lost two fumbles in the red zone. That looked like it would prove costly until a late-game surge, when Collaros helped erase a 10-point deficit in the final minutes with a 13-yard TD to Drew Wolitarsky followed by a 28-yard field goal by Castillo with seconds remaining, forcing extra time.

Adams was on fire early, registering 252 of his 352 passing yards in the opening two quarters, while also leading the Lions to a pair of TD drives. But the Lions QB was nearly invisible in the third and fourth quarters, save for a couple of late plays.

One of those moments — a 65-yard pass to Dominique Rhymes — occurred on the final play of the fourth quarter and could have led to a chance for the Lions to pull out the victory. But rather than falling to the turf to salvage a last-second field goal attempt tied 26-26, Rhymes tried to take it to the end zone but was tackled by Jamal Parker on Winnipeg’s five-yard line with zeroes left on the clock.

The win improved the Bombers to 12-4, while the Lions dropped to 11-5. Winnipeg needs to win one of its final two games, or for B.C. to lose one of its final two games, to clinch the West for a third consecutive season.

“We really showed what we’re about — toughness, belief in each other, grit and whatever adjectives you want to use,” Collaros told 680 CJOB. “We know what we’re about already, but we just proved it again tonight.”

The Bombers led the way with 487 yards of offence, with the Lions racking up 356 yards. Winnipeg’s defence forced two turnovers and sacked Adams six times.

Never mind Collaros; Oliveira continued to make his case as the league’s top player, combining 73 rushing yards with 85 receiving yards to give the second-year starter 158 all-purpose yards on the night. Kenny Lawler paced all Bombers receivers with 97 yards, with Dalton Schoen racking up 86 yards through the air.

“Brady does everything for us,” O’Shea said.

The Lions got off to a quick start, earning a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. B.C. scored points on both its drives in the frame, settling for a 36-yard field goal from Sean Whyte before No. 3 quarterback Dominique Davis punched in a one-yard sneak with fewer than two minutes remaining.

The Lions touchdown had a bit of controversy attached to it, as it was aided by a defensive pass interference call on Redha Kramdi, who was flagged for questionable contact on Lions receiver Keon Hatcher in the end zone. The Bombers challenged the penalty but there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn, leaving the play to stand, while Davis scored on a QB sneak on the very next play.

The Bombers would break their goose egg in the second quarter. Castillo had missed a 48-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter but was able to split the uprights on a 32-yarder to make it a 10-3 Lions lead.

A one-touchdown edge turned into a two-touchdown lead for the Lions after Adams found Jevon Cottoy up the left sideline for a 70-yard major, putting the home side up 17-3. Cottoy beat out Bombers veteran cornerback Winston Rose, who was shifted from the field side to the boundary corner for an injured Demerio Houston. Houston was added to the one-game injured list after suffering a knee injury in last week’s win over Toronto.

Just when it looked like the Lions might run away with the game, Collaros, on the very next series, orchestrated a three-play, 60-yard touchdown drive capped off with an 11-yard pass to Janarion Grant. Grant had just returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a banged-up knee.

The Lions made one final dent before the break, capitalizing on a weak punt by Jamieson Sheahan and some clever clock management. Terry Williams returned the 43-yard boot 19 yards to Winnipeg’s 37, leaving two seconds on the clock for Whyte to nail a 44-yard field goal, giving the Lions a 20-10 lead at halftime.

After a heavy-scoring first half, both offences struggled to find points for much of the third, swapping field goals to keep the Lions up 10 points, 23-13. Castillo would add another field goal, this time from 23 yards, to put the Bombers back within a TD, 23-16, heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bombers had a glorious chance to tie the game early in the final frame but Collaros coughed up the ball deep in B.C. territory.

Collaros was pressured in the pocket and was forced to scramble, but in his attempts to free himself, he drove headfirst into Lions defensive end Mathieu Betts. Betts registered his league-leading 16th sack on the play and stripped Collaros of the ball, allowing for Lions defensive lineman Sione Teuhema to scoop it up and give the Lions possession.

The Bombers forced another quick Lions punt and, like their previous drive, marched the ball upfield and into a prime scoring position. But just like the last series broke down, this one ended in a similar fashion, with Woody Barron forcing the fumble and Teuhema recording his second fumble recovery.

Teuhema returned the ball back 51 yards, to Winnipeg’s 32-yard line, before he was tackled by Bombers running back Brady Oliveira. B.C. settled for a Sean Whyte 40-yard FG to put the Lions up 26-16 with fewer than six minutes remaining.

“We’ve been in that situation before. We’ve also been on the other end of it,” O’Shea said. “There’s lots that we can learn from this. It’s an excellent lesson and great coaching.”

That’s when the Bombers offence went to work, tying the game before finishing it off in overtime. Winnipeg heads out on its third and final bye week, before returning to welcome the Edmonton Elks for a Week 20 matchup at IG Field on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton