Dominant D, awesome Oliveira lash Lions

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This article was published 12/11/2023 (931 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers took one step closer to cementing themselves as a dynasty with a 24-13 win over the B.C. Lions in the Western Final at IG Field Saturday night.

The victory crowned the Blue and Gold West Division champions for a fourth straight season, after the Bombers finished atop the division with a 14-4 regular-season record. It’s the first time in the Bombers’ 93-year history they’ve won the division and reached the Grey Cup in four consecutive years, winning twice before falling last year to the Toronto Argonauts.

Playing in front of a raucous sold-out crowd of 32,343, the Bombers were led by a herculean effort from the defence, a unit that stifled the Lions from the very beginning and almost completely shut down their offence in the second half. It was a welcome development, as Winnipeg’s attack struggled for stretches after a stellar opening drive that ended with their only offensive touchdown.

The Bombers now get ready to face the Montreal Alouettes, who surprised the 16-2 Argos in the East Final, in the 110th Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field on Sunday. It will mark the first time in CFL history Winnipeg and Montreal will play in the championship game.

Let’s take a look back at the big win over the Lions in the latest edition of 5 Takeaways.

1) Bombers defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall doesn’t often get his due despite being the architect of one of the CFL’s best defences over the last few years. Well, Hall was up to his old tricks against the Lions, drawing up a near perfect plan against an offence that feasted on the Calgary Stampeders a week earlier.

The Bombers knew they had to get pressure on Lions QB Vernon Adams Jr. and they made it their mission to keep him contained. The execution was exactly what Hall had hoped for, the Bombers sacking Adams nine times to tie a CFL record for most QB takedowns in a playoff game.

Adams was limited to 13-of-26 passing for 221 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. The lone TD came on the final play of the first half, when Adams, with zeroes on the clock, tossed up a Hail Mary pass that turned into a 45-yard score to Justin McInnis.

The Bombers defence answered back by limiting the Lions to just three points in the second half and none in the fourth quarter. After B.C. kicked a field goal to cut Winnipeg’s lead to 18-13 late in the third frame, the Lions’ final four possessions ended with a two-and-out punt, a turnover on downs and a pair of interceptions, including an Evan Holm pick that ultimately sealed the game.

2) It wasn’t all good news for the Bombers defence. Middle linebacker Adam Bighill appeared to suffer a serious injury in the final minutes of the first half.

Bighill was in considerable pain and required on-field attention by the club’s medical staff. Once he managed to get to his feet, there was an attempt to put pressure on his right foot, only for Bighill to wince in pain.

Bighill was carted off the field and didn’t return. You could see the disappointment in his teammates eyes when asked about Bighill’s status.

Mike O’Shea has never been one to discuss injuries, with the Bombers head coach only saying he wouldn’t rule him out just yet. But that felt more like wishful thinking and perhaps even a bit of gamesmanship, rather than the reality of the situation, especially given it was a non-contact injury, creating the fear it might have been an Achilles. B.C. had receiver Keon Hatcher and defensive back TJ Lee suffered Achilles injuries earlier in the game.

If Bighill can’t play, that would make room for Malik Clements to take over the middle. Clements might actually be a more athletic player, but there’s no way he or anyone can replace the leadership and presence Bighill brings on game day.

3) The Lions were limited to just 189 net offensive yards, a season-low for B.C. and fewer than half the 482 yards they posted against the Stamps in the West Semi-final.

By comparison, the Bombers put up 263 net offensive yards, which isn’t all that much better, especially when you consider 70 yards of that was picked up on their first series. What isn’t calculated into those total yards, though, are a pair of defensive pass interference calls, totalling 51 yards, both drawn by Kenny Lawler, who also led all Winnipeg receivers with 83 yards on six targets.

The Bombers needed Lawler to step up with Nic Demski (ankle) and Rasheed Bailey (knee) game-time decisions. The Bombers assumed Bailey would be good to go but were unsure about Demski, clearing him to play only after warmup.

The knock against the Bombers offence wasn’t that they had a hard time getting into scoring position, they just couldn’t finish when they got close, settling for field goals rather than TDs. It’s incredible how much a team can outplay another, but if they aren’t finishing drives with TDs, the game will remain close.

4) Brady Oliveira continues to write an incredible story in 2023. The West nominee for most outstanding player and most outstanding Canadian looked every bit like the league’s best running back to start the game, accounting for all 70 yards, spread across eight rushes and one catch, in Winnipeg’s opening-series score.

Oliveira finished the night with 109 rushing yards on 21 carries – his league-leading eighth game of at least 100 yards on the ground – and two catches for 15 more through the air. He helped set the tone of the game and forced the Lions defence to adjust, making him a bigger focus as the night wore on.

The Lions began loading the box in the second half to prevent Oliveira from chewing up yards and keeping the clock running. The move seemed to work, with Oliveira rushing seven times for eight yards in the final two quarters.

No idea if that will be the blueprint for Montreal in the Grey Cup, but you have to think Oliveira will once again be leaned on heavily in the rush game and might even factor more into the pass attack depending on the health of the receivers group. Oliveira has been waiting for his shot at redeeming last year’s loss, and will be motivated to put an exclamation point on his stellar season against an Alouettes defence that ranks middle of the pack against the run, sitting fifth at 110 rushing yards against per game.

5) The Bombers pride themselves on playing complementary football. When one area of the team is treading water, another will find a way to get them back on track.

That came in the form of an incredible play by special teams. Nick Hallett blocked a punt deep in B.C. territory and then scooped up the ball and returned it 15 yards for a TD, putting the Bombers ahead, 15-3, minutes into the second quarter.

These are the type of plays that can inject a lot of energy into a team and are required to carve out victories in big games. Special teams haven’t been as impactful this season compared to recent years, but they’re a proud group that understands their role and importance.

It should be noted Sergio Castillo missed two field goals, from 46 and 34 yards, leading to five points left off the scoreboard. It was a rare off-night for the kicker, who should have no problem returning to form at Tim Hortons Field this week, where he went five-for-five on field goals to help secure a 33-25 overtime win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 2021 Grey Cup.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton