Bombers’ defence, Oliviera’s running takes down Elks

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This article was published 21/09/2024 (412 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

EDMONTON — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers took a major step forward in their pursuit of finishing atop the West Division with a 27-14 win over the Edmonton Elks at Commonwealth Stadium Saturday night.

Backed by another strong defensive effort and with the offence finding its groove right when it mattered most, the Bombers rallied late in the fourth quarter to break away from the Elks and secure the win on a brisk September evening in the Alberta capital.

“I thought it was a good game for our fans,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “They might not have liked the score in the first half, but I thought, overall, it was a pretty good game.”

To think only weeks ago the Bombers were barely able to keep their heads above water with a record of 2-6.

But with a sixth straight victory, the Bombers are now 8-6 and have some breathing room at the top of the division. The B.C. Lions are in second at 7-7, with the Bombers holding the tiebreaker after clinching the season series 2-1.

As for the Elks, the loss not only stalled what had been a stellar run of five victories in their last six game but it also put their hopes of earning a playoff berth in serious jeopardy.

Edmonton, which dropped to 5-9 with the loss, is attempting to do what no other club has achieved before, and that is punch their ticket to the playoffs after opening the season 0-7.

But with the Saskatchewan Roughriders beating the Calgary Stampeders Friday, the Elks find themselves once again in an uphill battle. Edmonton sits in fourth place in the West, with the Riders three points ahead and the Stamps just one point behind.

The Bombers and Elks won’t have to wait long to before the next meeting, with their home-and-home series wrapping up next week in Winnipeg. But before we look too far ahead, let’s dig deeper into Saturday’s victory.

BLUE PUT ON DEFENSIVE CLINIC: It would be an injustice not to start with the effort put forth by the Winnipeg defence.

The game pinned the league’s most prolific offence against its stingiest D. Indeed, the Elks entered the game leading the CFL in points and touchdowns, while the Bombers were first in most defensive statistics, including the fewest points allowed and yards against.

It’s safe to say the Bombers got the best of the Elks’ attack. Edmonton racked up 364 yards but was limited to just 14 points. Most impressive, though, were the six turnovers they forced, including a pair of interceptions, fumbles and turnovers on downs.

The Elks had allowed a CFL-best 17 turnovers prior to kickoff.

“It was just one of those games where we just had a knack for the ball,” said Bombers defensive back Deatrick Nichols, who had a fumble recovery. “The offence needed us and we just came through. It was just our time to have a game,”

There was a lot of hype around quarterback Tre Ford returning to full health and earning the start over McLeod Bethel-Thompson. But any excitement was soon extinguished after the young pivot was shut out through the first half.

Ford was pulled midway through the fourth quarter, ending his night 10-for-17 passing for 131 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while also fumbling once. Bethel-Thompson didn’t fare much better, completing five of his 10 pass attempts for 48 yards.

STEPPING UP, MAKING PLAYS: It’s the time of year where everyone needs to be chipping in and making the most of their opportunities. There were no better examples of that Saturday than the play of linebackers Tony Jones and Michael Ayers.

Jones has taken over at middle linebacker for Adam Bighill, who will miss the remainder of the season after having undergone surgery this past week to repair the knee he injured in the Labour Day Classic.

O’Shea noted last week that it was impossible to replace Bighill, but Jones is certainly making a case.

Jones was lights out against the Elks, forcing and recovering a fumble, while also adding an interception and a sack that stalled an Edmonton drive seemingly destined for the end zone. The performance was made even sweeter by the fact it came against an Elks team that had cut Jones in training camp before the Bombers picked him up.

“It felt really good,” Jones said. “Anytime you get released from a team and you get to go against them, you’re just amped up and fired up to the fullest. We’re clicking right now and playing as a unit. We all believe in each other that we’re going to make plays.”

Ayers might have had the play of the game, picking off Ford at Edmonton’s 53-yard line before returning it 17 yards to the 36. Two plays later, the Bombers scored a touchdown to go up 17-10 with fewer than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Ayers was put into duty at the last moment, told he was starting at weakside linebacker just as warm-up wrapped up. The spot was made vacant after Kyrie Wilson pulled up lame in what was supposed to be his return to action after a stint on the six-game injured list with a bum shoulder.

“We got a lot of vets in this locker room who are counting on young guys like me to step in and not miss a beat,” Ayers said. “They’re expecting a lot out of me and hopefully I can continue to do my best to fulfill that.”

BRADY BALL: Offence proved hard to come by through the first two quarters, with a 49-yard field goal by Sergio Castillo on the game’s opening series the only points scored in the first half.

But as good as the defence played, it was all for naught as the offence couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities they were gifted.

Winnipeg’s offensive results after the four first-half turnovers were as follows: missed 53-yard field goal; Zach Collaros interception; punt; and punt.

Collaros said both clubs seemed to be sizing each other up in the early going, but by halftime they had become familiar with what the Elks were trying to do and made the appropriate changes at the break. The plan worked, as Collaros led the Bombers on the first of three touchdown drives to start the second half, capping off a six-play, 83-yard series with a 20-yard TD pass to Ontaria Wilson.

“We’d obviously like to create more explosive plays, but I thought as the game went on,” Collaros said. “I thought we did a good job of figuring it out and lean on our O-line who was great all night. I was very clean the whole night.”

When the Elks climbed back with 10 unanswered points, the Bombers turned to their biggest weapon in running back Brady Oliveira. Oliveira went into beast mode down the stretch, finishing with 127 rushing yards on 18 carries — for an eye-popping average of 7.1 yards per run — and scored his first two touchdowns of the season.

The performance not only made Oliveira the CFL’s leading rusher, but it also put him over 1,000 rushing yards for a third straight year.

“I come in every single day with the right attitude, the right mindset, but I do that for my teammates,” Oliveira said. “They deserve my best. They deserve my all, this organization deserves my all.

“I try to put on for my city every single day I come to work and every single game, just trying to really make everyone proud around me. But it’s my teammates that motivate me every single day to come in and work my absolute hardest every single day and really pour my soul into this, man, because they deserve it.”

Oliveira’s biggest play of the night was a 30-yard run up the left sideline immediately after the Jones’ interception, which set up his own five-yard score. The Winnipeg native found the end zone a second time two drives later, with a similar five-yard score putting the game out of reach, 27-10.

UP NEXT: The stakes will be even higher for the Elks on Friday. A win would put them back in the playoff race, while a loss would all but end what’s been a magical run.

The Bombers can take a stronghold on first with another victory over the Elks, securing the season series and giving them the tiebreaker against the four of clubs in the West.

Winnipeg is 5-2 at home this season.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton