Grey Cup talk now a pipe dream for Bombers

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This article was published 27/09/2019 (2183 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Grey Cup preview, you say?

That’s how Friday’s clash at IG Field between a pair of division leaders was being hyped in some quarters. By the end of the night, only one team showed they belong in the championship conversation.

That would be the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who repeatedly flexed their muscles with a dominant 33-13 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, improving their CFL-leading record to 11-3 in the process.

As for the reeling Bombers, now 9-5, where to even start? After a heartbreaking, late-game collapse in Montreal last week, the Bombers spent all week talking about flushing it out of their system, learning a few valuable lessons and coming out with a renewed focus.

They no doubt fooled some of us into believing that, especially after forcing a quick two-and-out on Hamilton’s first possession and responding with an 11-play, 73-yard opening drive of their own, which was capped off with an eight-yard touchdown strike from Chris Streveler to Andrew Harris.

That was as solid a start as they could hope for. The Winnipeg-born Harris, playing before a hometown crowd for the first time since finishing his two-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, certainly milked the moment by jumping into the crowd to celebrate.

Unfortunately for the Blue & Gold and their fans, that would end up being the highlight of the night, not counting legendary punter Bob Cameron’s induction into the team’s Ring of Honour at halftime.

Hamilton shrugged it off and scored 24 straight points before that ceremony was held, shredding Winnipeg’s defensive secondary in the process and turning this into a laugher.

Consider this: Tiger-Cats quarterback Dane Evans passed for 308 yards in the first two quarters, leading four straight scoring drives the Bombers were simply powerless to stop. I repeat: THREE-HUNDRED-AND-EIGHT YARDS. From the backup quarterback, no less, pressed into duty earlier this year when starter Jeremiah Masoli went down with a season-ending injury.

That’s inexcusable from Winnipeg’s perspective. What started as a bend-but-don’t-break defence earlier in the year, when the wins were piling up, has turned into a bent-and-broken defence.

It’s not a good look for the much-maligned Richie Hall, with calls for Winnipeg’s defensive co-ordinator to be replaced seemingly growing louder with every easy pass completion. Nor was it a good seeing players looking dazed and confused, barking at each other over blown coverages and missed assignments.

Some food for thought: Whose defence is in worse shape right now, the Bombers, or the Jets?

Whether they want to admit it or not, last week’s meltdown clearly left a mark and exposed flaws that can’t easily be fixed. The Ticats took full advantage, devising a game plan Hall and the Bombers had no answers for.

All these defensive liabilities are now spilling over to the offence, which was unable to muster much of an attack beyond the first drive. A couple of field goals, one at the end of the second quarter and one early in the third, provided a glimmer of optimism, but it was too little, too late by that point as Hamilton was content to sit back and nurse a big lead.

Thursday’s news that Winnipeg’s No. 1 pivot, Matt Nichols, had season-ending shoulder surgery means it’s Streveler’s show now, and it seems like other teams are catching on to his style after he initially caught some opponents by surprise.

Streveler was mostly held in check Friday, both through the air and on the ground, aside from some late-game garbage yards. He tossed an interception early in the fourth quarter, with the Bombers down 14 but in the middle of a promising drive. The Tiger-Cats returned it 80 yards and turned it into a touchdown two plays later.

For good measure, Streveler threw a second pick in the Hamilton end zone a few minutes later, then came up limping following a short run that turned the ball over on downs on the next offensive possession.

Game, set, match, as the Bombers’ six-game home winning streak ended with a thud on “Retro Night,” which is rather ironic since the team is likely wishing they could turn back the clock to that glorious 5-0 start to the season — before the Harris suspension, the Nichols injury and a very lacklustre 4-5 run since, including 1-3 in the last four.

While it may appear that the sky is falling, it’s worth noting the Bombers still control their own fate — even if their recent play doesn’t inspire much confidence they’ll do much with it.

Four games remain, including a crucial meeting with the Roughriders next week in Regina and a home-and-home series with Calgary to finish the regular season. Those games, along with a home date with Montreal, will ultimately decide whether Winnipeg finishes first, second or third in the West. Even fourth place and a crossover playoff berth isn’t out of the question if the Bombers can’t right the ship and Edmonton gets its act together and goes on a run.

No, it’s not too late, but the kind of performance we saw Friday night simply won’t cut it. Barring some drastic changes, all this Grey Cup talk, at least around these parts, is nothing more than a pipe dream.

 

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg