Stuck in quicksand

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This article was published 30/09/2019 (2200 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers didn’t have to manufacture any added motivation for their game against the CFL-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats Friday night.

They had just been embarrassed by the Montreal Alouettes a week before, dropping a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead to fall 38-37 at Molson Stadium. The loss had put their grip on first place in the West Division in serious jeopardy, and being back at home against Hamilton, where the Bombers had won their previous nine games at IG Field, provided the perfect setting for a bounce-back effort.

It was also a chance to set the record straight on who was really the league’s powerhouse. Well, we definitely figured that one out, as Winnipeg stumbled to a 33-13 loss to a superior Tiger-Cats team.

It doesn’t get any easier, either. Winnipeg wraps up the regular-season schedule with a road game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-4) this week; then a home date versus the Alouettes (7-6); followed by a home-and-home series with the Calgary Stampeders (9-4) to finish the year.

But before we look too far ahead, here are five takeaways from Friday’s loss to Hamilton.

1) Simply put, the Bombers looked uninspired for much of the night. It was the kind of dismal effort this deep into the season that should have fans concerned about the immediate future of the club and its pursuit for a Grey Cup. For a moment, it looked like the Bombers actually wanted to win.

They opened the game with an 11-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that was capped off with an 8-yard pass to Andrew Harris, who ignited an already raucous crowd by jumping into the stands to celebrate.

Opening drive score + party with the fans… Welcome to the ‘Peg.#CFLGameday #Bombers pic.twitter.com/vNfwcASVwj

— CFL (@CFL) September 28, 2019

What followed, however, was mostly ugly football.

The Bombers went on to score just six more points — a pair of field goals from Justin Medlock, who also missed a third attempt — and none in the final 27:15 of the game.

This is the time of year teams should be hitting their groove. Harris told me in the locker room afterwards that the night provided an example of the increased level of intensity the Bombers can expect the rest of the year. Some were dubbing the game, including myself, as a possible Grey Cup preview. But while the Tiger-Cats continue to roll, winning six of their last seven games, the Bombers look to be stuck in quicksand. Winnipeg has now lost three of their last four games and are 4-5 in their last nine.

While the Bombers still control their own destiny, what we’ve seen in recent weeks hardly suggests they’ll take advantage of it.

2) Everything against the Bombers secondary looked so easy. Winnipeg’s last line of defence hasn’t just been bad, they’ve been the laughing stock of the CFL. Once a group that would come up with big plays at big moments and deliver hard hits on receivers, has transformed over the last month into easy-pickings for opposing quarterbacks. How else would you explain an eye-popping 847 passing yards against over the past two games? Against the Tiger-Cats, Dane Evans completed 78 per cent of his passes (25-for-32) for 359 yards and three touchdowns – strikes to Bralon Addison, Brandon Banks and Tyrell Sutton – while adding another on a rushing score.

On fire might be an understatement for @BralonAddison2

Sheesh. #CFLGameday #Ticats pic.twitter.com/hFUqWy2Efm

— CFL (@CFL) September 28, 2019

 

A little �� to a ��. #CFLGameday #Ticats pic.twitter.com/0dnPcTWkY4

— CFL (@CFL) September 28, 2019

Whether it’s a lack of communication, evident by a number of verbal squabbles seen on the field between defensive backs, or the play-calling of defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall, something is a mess.

It’s unclear when exactly Brandon Alexander will be back from a lower-body injury, but it can’t come anytime sooner. Alexander was proclaimed as the new leader of the secondary by head coach Mike O’Shea after the departures of Chris Randle and Taylor Loffler in the offseason, and besides his talent they could certainly use his on-field leadership. Either way, something needs to get figure out quick.

3) Everything on the Bombers offence looked so difficult. Chris Streveler became the first Winnipeg quarterback to throw for 300 passing yards this season, totalling 304 by night’s end, but that did little to tell the full story. Of those yards, more than half (155) were racked up in the final 10:30 of the game, with the Bombers trailing by 20 points and Hamilton playing preventative defence. Even when Streveler was completing passes, most of them looked like highlight reel catches because the ball was either slightly overthrown or underthrown. Streveler’s inaccurate arm was exposed even more so late in the game, while he was racking up yards in garbage time. With the Bombers desperately needing a spark off a big play, the second-year pivot delivered two costly interceptions in the fourth quarter. The first came shortly after an Adam Bighill pick early in the frame and the second was near the 9-minute mark on a desperate Hail Mary strike to the end zone.

Looks like MLB are trading picks.@Takeover_Tuggle with the INT for the #Ticats #CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/SCbXzL11Yr

— CFL (@CFL) September 28, 2019

Another INT for the #Ticats

5:58 remains for the #Ticats to notch their 11th W. #CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/mfXmQreDbq

— CFL (@CFL) September 28, 2019

It’s also become clear that the Bombers’ decision to release veteran Chris Matthews was a mistake. But perhaps offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice knows something we don’t, because Winnipeg has the worst crew of receivers, statistically, in the CFL despite this group being the most talented in years.

Consider this: after an impressive 10-catch performance for 144 yards, Kenny Lawler became the Bombers leading receiver with 499. Second is a running back, with Harris totalling 483. That’s good enough for 23rd and 24th, respectively, in the league.

For those that will direct attention to the Bombers rushing totals, so what? If teams didn’t realize it before, the recipe to defeat the Bombers has become blatantly obvious: rack up a lead by attacking through the air and force Winnipeg’s offence to beat you with their arm.

4) Count me in the group who finds it absolutely ludicrous that one day after news broke about No. 1 quarterback Matt Nichols undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder and was ruled out for the rest of the season, O’Shea went on a radio station before the game and declared the Bombers wouldn’t go out and get another experienced pivot. Seriously? Not even entertain the option? Perhaps Friday’s game changed his mind but my guess is it didn’t. Let’s paint a scenario, shall we… 

This is the Bombers year to win a Grey Cup and snap a 28-year drought – we know it and so does everyone on this team knows it, from the front office to the players. With that in mind, general manager Kyle Walters – where is Walters anyways? – and O’Shea have decided to put their season and possibly their jobs on a guy with nine career starts?

That’s not saying Streveler can’t be a solid quarterback one day, and he’s certainly respected by his teammates. But he isn’t good enough at the moment to lead this team to a championship based on what we’ve seen so far.

There’s also reason to believe he may never. If this season has taught us anything it’s that guys who truly got the "it" factor tend to show it right away after a series of starts. There’s a long list of examples in 2019 alone, including Hamilton’s Evans, Saskatchewan’s Cody Fajardo, Montreal’s Vernon Adams Jr., and Calgary’s Nick Arbuckle.

Streveler has been too hit or miss to factor into this group. And another thing: if O’Shea really believes Streveler is the guy, what is he doing playing him late in the fourth quarter with the Bombers having no chance to win? Wouldn’t game reps for Sean McGuire, who has thrown exactly zero throws in a CFL regular season game, be important?

Streveler could be seen limping at numerous occasions Friday and, like any player, is just one hit away from being sidelined. Does O’Shea need him being carried off the field to realize that?

5) Enough negativity. Let’s end on a positive note and for that we go to Friday’s halftime festivities. What a class act former Bombers punter Bob Cameron is. Cameron became the 12th inductee into the club’s Ring of Honour at IG Field after a remarkable career that spanned 23 years, from 1980 to 2003, and included 394 regular-season games and three Grey Cups rings before retiring at the age of 48.

You’ve never seen a ‘Ring of Honour’ induction like this!

Congratulations # 6 Bob Cameron of your @Wpg_BlueBombers pic.twitter.com/pw0haluuxk

— CFL (@CFL) September 28, 2019

Legendary. He’s still got it.#CFLGameday #Bombers pic.twitter.com/3aCPk3P8JY

— CFL (@CFL) September 28, 2019

To celebrate Friday’s honour, Cameron balanced himself horizontally with his two arms on the hood of a yellow pickup truck and then did a lap around the field punting balls into the stands. During the initial ceremony, he was his typical humble self, honoured just to be there and the moment was made extra special by a number of former teammates, including the legendary receiver, Joe Poplawski, being by his side.

 

Thanks, Mr. Cameron, for at least one memorable moment on the night and congratulations.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton