Popgun offence won’t do

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/08/2011 (5557 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Adequate. Mild-mannered. Lukewarm.

Nice things to say about your postal carrier or neighbour, but not what you want to hear about your football team’s offence.

To this point, however, it’s been difficult to get excited about the way the Winnipeg Blue Bombers operate when they have possession of the football.

No one can argue they’ve done enough to win games, as the club’s 4-1 record will attest, but there’s no snap in this rubber band.

The big question is whether the Bomber attack can make the progression from popgun to Uzi. They rank first in the league in field goals with 15, but last in touchdowns with nine. Are the Bombers for real? Maybe, but a little more juice from the offence would make it a lot easier to answer that question in the affirmative.

And sooner or later, if the offence can’t break out, it’s going to catch up with the Bombers.

There are satisfactory elements to this group and running back Fred Reid can be singled out as one of the league’s best, but one has a difficult time picking out a game-changing artist in Winnipeg colours.

The visiting Edmonton Eskimos have quarterback Ricky Ray and receiver Fred Stamps, the Calgary Stampeders have Henry Burris and Nik Lewis while the Montreal Alouettes have Anthony Calvillo and S.J. Green or Jamel Richardson.

The Bombers, however, can’t really boast a dominating pass and catch combo. It’s tough to identify what’s known as a playmaker with the Winnipeg crew.

Quarterback Buck Pierce has found some synergy with receivers Cory Watson, Terrence Edwards and Terence Jeffers-Harris, but it’s been mostly nickle and dime stuff with the odd big heist.

Winnipeg’s offence just doesn’t light it up on a regular basis and one has to question whether they have the talent to be more than just OK.

Or, as Watson suggests, they’re just taking their time finding their stride.

“It’s unfair to say we have no playmakers. We want to be more consistent and score more points. But we have talented players on our offence,” said Watson, who leads the Bombers with 24 catches for 287 yards after five games. “There have been some injuries in the receiving corps and we’re looking for our groove. Once we find it I think we’ll be OK.”

Sure, the defence can prop the offence up and keep them limping along. But wouldn’t it be nice to see the offence operate at full gallop?

“We always aim to play at our highest level,” said Watson. “It is what is. The defence is playing very well right now and that’s given us the luxury to come along and grow. But we realize we have to grow and progress in order to be where we want to be as a team later on. That’s the goal. To keep growing and getting better and be at our best in November and into the playoffs.”

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The Bombers offence is going to be needed for more than field goals if this team is going to push into contender status.

A championship-calibre defence has fans thinking playoffs around here after an abysmal 4-14 record a year ago. That’s quite a turnaround and most would be satisfied with a return to the post-season after being on the outside looking in for a few years.

But maybe there’s even more in the well if the offence can figure out how to dip the bucket.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

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