Veteran mindset helping Bowman

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This article was published 03/07/2018 (2624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Looking over game film from the past three weeks, Adarius Bowman understands he needs to be better.

But Bowman, who signed a two-year deal in the off-season to rejoin the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after seven seasons in Edmonton, is experienced enough not to let a small sample size get to him. The receiver said you don’t play in this league for 11 seasons and not suffer your share of ups and downs, adding he trusts it’s only a matter of time before he finds his groove.

“I’ve had years where you can almost have six or seven hundred yards in six weeks,” Bowman said following Tuesday’s closed practice at Investors Group Field. “So just staying locked in, you know what I mean? It’s what, Week 3? So 15 more of them and I feel good about that.”

Through three games this year, Bowman has eight receptions for 70 yards and no touchdowns. The 32-year-old’s best performance came in a 56-10 drubbing of the Montreal Alouettes in Week 2 — a game where everyone looked good. That night, Bowman reeled in five catches for 38 yards, making him the fifth-highest in total yardage among Winnipeg’s receivers.

Bowman went without a reception in a 33-30 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos in the regular-season opener and last week, in a 31-17 defeat to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on the road, had three catches for 32 yards. For a player who was brought in to be a viable deep threat, the longest reception Bowman has registered in 2018 is for 14 yards.

“Team-wise I feel like we’re in the right place,” he said. “I do expect more out of myself and I’m going in every night critiquing myself. As much coverages as I’m drawing, and as much as I want more targets, I’m making mistakes at times, so that’s where I’m really beating myself up.

“With me, I just got to stay locked in, stayed tuned in. You all don’t know, but I had a few mistakes and I’ve been beating myself up about that. You eliminate that mistake and it might get you another ball. I expect a lot out of myself, so I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was less critical of Bowman.

“He’s walking into a different system and different terminology. I know he’s been with LaPo (Bombers offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice) before, but it’s still fairly different,” O’Shea said. “I don’t ask guys to give more and give more and give more. The assumption is these guys are giving everything they can. What we ask them to do is check and make sure if there’s something they could be doing differently that’s going to make them more productive, then let’s focus some resources on that. The output these guys give their teammates is pretty high.”

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NICHOLS ON THE MEND: the Bombers held a closed practice Tuesday, sparking rumours that perhaps quarterback Matt Nichols might have been practising and therefore closer to returning to action. Nichols suffered a right-knee injury in the final week of training camp and was projected to be out four to six weeks. It’s been a month since that diagnosis.

O’Shea was coy about why the Bombers closed practice — per CFL rules, teams are allowed to close one practice per week — but did provide an update on Nichols.

“He does a little bit more every single day,” he said.

But when pressed if Nichols might be able to play Saturday at home against the B.C. Lions, O’Shea coach said, “I’m not sure, yet, no.”

Shortly after practice, however, the team announced Nichols had been removed from the six-game injury list.

If Nichols can’t go, it will once again be Chris Streveler behind centre. Through three games, the rookie pivot is 1-2, tied for the most passing touchdowns (six) and fourth in passing yards (570). Streveler is coming off his worst game of the season in Hamilton, where he finished 17-for-30 passing for 146 yards.

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BOMBERS TAKE A SHOT AT JOHNSTONE: the Montreal Alouettes used their first-round selection in the 2019 CFL draft to acquire offensive lineman Tyler Johnstone in Monday’s supplemental draft. A first-team All Pac-12 and second-team All American in his final season at Oregon in 2015, Johnstone signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Rams in 2016.

But injuries led to a frustrating NFL career and a wanting to come to the CFL, making him eligible before next year’s selections. The Bombers were one of six teams willing to give up a first-round pick to take the 25-year-old offensive tackle, who comes in at a beastly 6-6 and 275 pounds. But because Montreal finished in last place in 2017, they were to outbid all others suitors looking to forfeit a pick in the opening round.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

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