Bombers seek big returns on special teams

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This article was published 13/06/2019 (2278 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a completely new look for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ return game, one filled with plenty of intrigue — and speed — that could end up being the missing piece to an elusive Grey Cup title.

If that sounds a little hyperbolic, perhaps that’s because it is. But for a team many have picked to contend for the league championship, it’s an area that has flown mostly under the radar as the 2019 CFL season opens for the Bombers in Vancouver Saturday against the B.C. Lions.

Indeed, much attention has gone to quarterback Matt Nichols and the improved weapons around him on an offence that led the league in scoring last year, and to a defence the Bombers insist is better than the stingy group from the 2018 campaign.

It’s understandable that special teams would receive less recognition, but with a pair of new bodies in Lucky Whitehead and Charles Nelson slotted to take over return duties this season, the spotlight could soon be shifting in that direction.

“Special teams have the ability to change games, and we have a well-coached group in the special-team room,” Nichols said following a closed practice at IG Field on Thursday. “We’ve got a lot of veteran guys that provide a lot of excitement for our team in that area. Our return game looks exciting after the pre-season, and obviously, that part of is it huge. I look forward to getting some good field position.”

Since head coach Mike O’Shea took over prior to the 2014 season, the Bombers have always placed a strong focus on special teams, as much or more than any other team in the league. Still, the return game struggled for much of 2018, ranking second from the bottom in both average punt-return yards (8.7) and kickoff-return yards (19.7). Only the Edmonton Eskimos were worse in both categories.

Winnipeg finished with just one return touchdown last year, and it came during the regular-season opener, when Kevin Fogg ran back a missed field-goal attempt in an opening-week loss at home to the Eskimos. Fogg, who has since signed with the Toronto Argonauts after the Bombers let him test free agency, accounted for 80 of the Bombers’ 93 punt returns in 2018.

The Bombers had five players other than Fogg return at least five kickoffs, with two more returning at least three. Inconsistent performances proved to be a constant battle when tinkering with the roster each week, trying to decide from a pack that didn’t have a standout performer.

“I think we rolled through eight or nine returners. That’s hard to get continuity. It’s hard for the guys up front blocking to have a real good understanding of how their returner is going to move and set things up,” O’Shea said. “The more consistent you can be in terms of the group you trot out there, the better off you’re going to be. It doesn’t have to always be that way, but if you ran through two, or three, or four, it’s different than running through eight or nine. That’s a lot of returners to cycle through our units.”

Whitehead, who is generously listed at 5-10 and 177 pounds, is perhaps the greatest threat for the Bombers. While he didn’t flash great yardage in the return game during the pre-season, he did show off his speed, jetting up the middle for an 86-yard touchdown — 75 yards coming after the catch — in a win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Had Whitehead not run into some issues off the field, many believe he’d still be in the NFL.

Nelson, who is listed at 5-8 and 174 pounds, also has quick feet. He was with the team last season, so he’s comfortable with the playbook. In the Bombers’ first pre-season match against the Eskimos, Nelson averaged 15 yards on three punt returns. With his only kickoff return, Nelson scampered 48 yards to put Winnipeg in Edmonton territory.

“Field position is the biggest thing, and special teams are the way to get it, really,” Nelson said. “It’s the hidden yardage in football. It can make or break a game.

“It’s about exciting plays, trying to flip the field and get the crowd into the game. It can definitely ignite the offence coming onto the field — just that play is a big part of our success,” Whitehead said. “The 11 in front of us, they’re very physical and passionate, they understand their roles. It’s a dangerous unit.

“As the season goes on, it’s going to be tough for the (opposing) kicking team to just figure out what they’re going to do as far as game-planning and how they’re going to try to keep it away from whatever we got to do back there. Whether the ball is in Charles’ hands or my hands, it’s liable to go all the way. So I’m excited about that.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton