Lawler’s star shines brightest in Western Final

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This article was published 10/11/2024 (330 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Not even Zach Collaros believed it was just another day.

Kenny Lawler sat at the podium following the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 38-22 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL’s Western Final, nonchalant despite a dominant performance in which he paced all receivers with four catches for 177 yards and three touchdowns.

“It was just another game, to be honest,” the all-star receiver said of his career day. “I don’t go into any game thinking, ‘Tonight’s the night’ or, ‘This is the West Final.’ I’ve been playing this game since I was five years old so nothing fazes me. I got the best locker room, I got the best quarterback and we put in work, we prepare like no other.

“Today was just a regular night… doing what I love to do. I’ve been saying God put me on this earth to play football, and I’m going to do that to the best of my ability.”

Collaros interjected: “Did it really feel regular for you?”

“Regular,” Lawler replied, as the two stared at each other, grinning from ear to ear.

“I could just see it— your eyes were big,” said Collaros.

“I was turned up,” Lawler finally admitted. “When I know I’m in that mode, man”

Lawler was, indeed, in a groove from the get-go, as he hauled in two touchdowns in the first quarter alone — a 31-yard toss to the left side of the end zone and a 24-yard strike to the middle of the Roughriders’ defence.

Lawler was not targeted the entire second quarter, but came out of the locker room firing again after halftime, reeling in a 57-yard bomb up the left sideline that restored a two-score lead for Winnipeg and left the Riders’ secondary searching for answers.

“With what they’re able to do offensively with Brady, any play fakes, you got to respect it,” said Roughriders head coach Corey Mace. “They run good (run-pass options), so to speak, where the quick (throws) are coming out — you have to respect those, as well. Next thing you know, it’s not quick, it’s a play pass, and it’s up top.

“They do a good job of playing with defenders’ eyes, and then in a situation like tonight where they really had their way through the air and on the ground, it puts you in a jam.”

Lawler’s outing marked a season-high in receiving yards and touchdowns and even put him among some of the all-time single-game playoff performances, as his three touchdowns tied for second-most with nine others — the record of four receiving majors was set by Toronto Argonauts receiver Ron Morris in 1961.

A big performance in a big game is nothing new to the receiver who had been widely regarded as one of the best at his position over the last few seasons.

Lawler also led the Bombers in last year’s Western Final with six catches for 86 yards. Entering the night, he has 23 career receptions in the post-season for 376 yards and one touchdown, which also came against the Riders in the 2019 West Final.

“To the ultimate competitor, I feel like every game is a big game. Every game could be your last game, so why wait for a playoff game?” Lawler said.

“For me, this season has been a crazy ride. Missed the first eight games with a broken arm, come back, got to knock the rust off and get straight to work. It ain’t about the game, it’s about what we do within the week to prepare everything that we got to do for one another to really succeed, to really move the ball up and down the field. This week, the game, we were just locked in.”

It has become clear the Bombers’ offence is better when their star receiver is heavily involved.

The unit struggled during the first half of the regular season without Lawler in the lineup. Collaros struggled with turnovers as he tried to acclimate to a younger group of receivers, and points and explosive plays were tough to come by.

That has changed for the better recently, however, as Lawler has shaken off the cobwebs since his injury and is feeling like his usual self again.

Over the last five games, Lawler has tallied 33 receptions for 598 yards and five touchdowns, while the offence has scored at least 30 points in three of those contests.

“I look at the play sheet every week and I write on there, ‘Get Kenny going,’” said Collaros. “However we have to do it, get him the ball.”

Head coach Mike O’Shea said every coach would like to believe every player can show up when the lights are brightest, but oftentimes that is simply not the case.

Some guys have a knack for these moments.

“I think Kenny’s matured to the point too where he’s not worried about the numbers. He wants wins. He wants wins with a group of guys he’s laying it on the line for,” said O’Shea.

“I can vividly picture the play Kenny got hurt on (in Week 1), and I think what his teammates know is he was doing it the right way— he got a ball, turned up field and tried to punish a defender, and ends up breaking his arm dishing out a hit rather than taking one. They love that about him. We love that about him. He’s a hard-nosed, tough player who plays receiver.”

On the same night Lawler shredded the Roughriders secondary, the other horsemen of the Bombers offence were also rolling.

Nic Demski caught eight passes for 49 yards and a touchdown, while Brady Oliveira punished the Saskatchewan defence with 20 carries for 119 yards and one major.

When Winnipeg’s top three weapons are in a rhythm, Demski said the offence is tough to stop.

“It is dangerous,” Demski said. “Everybody under this roof knows what we can do as an offence, as a collective whole, but we feel that we’re leaders on this team and it’s on us to come out here and perform for these guys.

“We want to lead for the young guys, we want to lead for this team and it feels great to go out there and accomplish that and win games like this.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam