Trouble with a capital ‘T’

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/10/2011 (5149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On a night that was supposed to be all about celebrating the past, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers instead gave their fans serious reason to be concerned about the immediate future.

Hosting one of the two worst teams in the CFL on a night with historic undertones — and serious playoff implications — for the home team, the Bombers spotted the Toronto Argonauts a 21-point lead in the first half and then came up short in a second-half comeback attempt, falling 27-22 at Canad Inns Stadium Friday night.

The loss was nothing short of a debacle, costing the Bombers control of their own destiny as they attempt to win an East Division title. It also cost them their starting quarterback Buck Pierce, whose status for next week’s final regular-season game in Calgary was still in doubt late last night after Pierce was knocked out of the game in the second quarter.

“He hurt his leg,” said Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice. “We’ll have better information (today).”

The listless outing — the Argos took control in the second quarter on a 24-0 run — was made all the more inexplicable by the fact it played out before the seventh consecutive sellout of the season and on a night when team management had assembled alumni from 50 years of glorious franchise history to celebrate the final regular-season game at Canad Inns Stadium.

But it was also in keeping with a pattern that has seen Winnipeg unable to win two consecutive games since August and to fail, in particular, to beat the league’s two worst teams.

With last night’s win, Toronto now has five victories in total this season, two of them coming at the hands of Winnipeg. And Saskatchewan has Winnipeg to thank for two of their four wins this season.

“That’s the frustrating thing,” said Bombers defensive lineman Doug Brown. “Sometimes you’d rather be a C-plus student than to get an A one week and an F the next.”

Put it all together and the Bombers drop to 10-7 and now need at least one loss by the Montreal Alouettes in their final two games if Winnipeg is going to have any chance to claim first place in the East Division and host the East final. Montreal, 10-6, hosts the Calgary Stampeders this Sunday and then travels to Vancouver next Saturday to play the B.C. Lions.

“It’s the same old sob story,” said Bombers defensive back Jovon Johnson. “I’m kind of getting tired of it.”

And then there’s Pierce, who was injured in the second quarter when he was tackled in the Bombers backfield by the Argos Lin-J Shell, just as Pierce was throwing an interception to Byron Parker that the Argos defensive back promptly returned 50 yards for a touchdown.

Pierce was examined by the team’s medical staff and never did return, although he did watch the balance of the game from the Bombers sideline. Pierce left the game having completed just 5 of 11 passes for 50 yards and the interception.

Backup QB Alex Brink did a credible job in relief of Pierce — he was 16-27 for 219 yards and a touchdown — but the offensive star of this night for the Bombers was running back Chris Garrett, who rambled for 159 yards on 20 carries.

And that was the most confounding thing of this night: The Bombers got a 159-yard performance from their running back — and 464 yards net offence to just 254 for Toronto — and still somehow lost as they settled for five field goals on the night.

A nine-play, 76-yard Bombers drive to open the second half was typical of a maddening evening for the Bombers offence.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

With the Bombers first and 10 at the Argos 3-yard line, a pair of ill advised Brink pass attempts — including a low percentage number to the back of the end zone intended for Aaron Hargreaves — stalled the Bombers drive and LaPolice elected a 10-yard field goal by placekicker Justin Palardy.

Another Bombers drive that stalled in the first half saw Winnipeg run out of gas on the Argos 5-yard line and Palardy kick a 12-yard field goal.

The lone Bombers touchdown of the night came at 10:51 of the third quarter when Brink hooked up with receiver Greg Carr on a 45-yard touchdown strike.

This game ultimately turned on a span of 7:04 in the second quarter when Toronto went on a 24-0 run as, in rapid succession, Winnipeg gave up a 43-yard touchdown bomb, fumbled a kickoff, gave up the interception return for the touchdown to Parker and then finally gave up a 68-yard punt return that set up the third Argos touchdown.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca