OK buddy, let’s see some ID

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/08/2009 (6190 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Play along, Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans, and fill in the blank:

The Bomber offence is ______.

(And, please, no curse words or smart-alec responses).

We ask this today because here we are a third of the way through the 2009 Canadian Football League season and the attack, such as it is, is still searching for something, anything, it can hold up as its identity.

What is even more perplexing is head coach Mike Kelly — the same man who was in charge when the Bombers set 29 offensive club records from 1992-96 — was hailed as an offensive guru upon his arrival last December. His attack, everyone was led to believe, would be innovative, exciting and throw up so many points they’d be changing the scoreboard lights at the end of each quarter.

Well, ummm, yeah… about that…

Let’s take a peek at the key offensive stats here… last in touchdowns, last in first downs and average passing yards per game and second-last in scoring and time of possession. What the Bombers can do well is pound the ball along the ground — a league best 132.5 yards per contest — and if it is going to find any kind of offensive consistency it has to begin with Fred Reid, Yvenson Bernard and the big eaters up front.

That, combined with the fear of Michael Bishop’s arm strength, may be enough to keep defences on its heels for the final 12 games of the regular season.

At least, that’s Kelly’s master plan.

"I want our identity to be as a team and I don’t think you can be a finesse offence and try to be a tough-guy defence," Kelly began Wednesday. "I’ve tried to set that tone, that we play with a chip on our shoulder in all facets of the game. Right now we can be a pretty physical offensive team. Everything we do comes off the run and I don’t think that’s a secret for anybody. If you run the football well and play good defence, normally you’re going to win football games. I haven’t lost sight of the fact you must throw the football effectively in our league, but I like the identity our team is taking on in that when you come in here to play us it’s going to be physical in all facets of the game.

"One of our new coaches said the way we are right now reminds him a lot of the culture that’s around the Pittsburgh Steelers… and that’s not a bad thing to be compared to," Kelly continued. "That’s how we were in the ’80s and ’90s and I think that’s reflective of our city and it’s how we have to play when the weather turns here."

Hey, aspiring to be like the Steelers on any side of the ball is never a bad plan. (Big difference, it’s worth noting here, is the Steelers seldom open a season 2-4. And they have won two championships in the last four years — but we digress).

All that said, here’s why the second half in last week’s loss to Calgary was so critical in developing a personality on offence. The Bombers pounded Reid and Bernard as part of a final 30 minutes that saw the offence crank out 212 yards and 20 first downs. Funny thing, too, while hammering home that identity: The establishment of the ground game made the pass game more productive, especially play action.

"Calgary respected Bishop’s arm because they know he can throw the ball down the field, plus it had the linebackers backing up a little on me and that gave me some seams," said Reid, who finished with 167 yards rushing and two TDs, 150 of that in the second half. "Running the ball, that’s who we are. That’s our identity. The pass game will work itself out eventually… it has to seeing as we’re going on Week 7 now."

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It’s not exactly a new concept — establishing the run to make the pass game more effective — but it might just be the blueprint the Bomber offence needs to strictly follow with the meat of the schedule approaching.

"Fred is one of the best, if not THE best, running backs in the league in my opinion," said right tackle Glen January. "And, hey, it’s a pretty good thing for us guys up front to look across at the defensive linemen and see they’re not having fun. It’s all about being the hammer and not the nail."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca