Bombers hope Begelton nightmare is over

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This article was published 24/10/2019 (2144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers could not keep Calgary Stampeders wide receiver Reggie Begelton out of the end zone last week.

In a 37-33 victory over the Blue and Gold last Saturday, Begelton hauled in four passes for 62 yards and three touchdowns. It’s the second time Begelton has had three or more TDs in a game this season as he burnt the Montreal Alouettes for four touchdowns in Week 10.

So how can the Bombers slow him down? Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea, jokingly, has an idea.

“We’re going to quadruple cover him,” O’Shea quipped. “We’ll drop some guys to one side and work on him and hopefully Eric Rogers doesn’t catch any balls.”

While the Bombers likely won’t try that, they are hoping a new-look secondary will keep Begelton in check. Rookie defensive back Mike Jones will make his first career start, replacing Chandler Fenner at field corner. Also, a healthy Mercy Maston returns to the lineup and will replace Marcus Rios at strong-side linebacker.

O’Shea spoke highly of Jones and said the coaching staff wanted to see what he can do.

“He’s a terrific athlete. He’s got very good ball skills,” O’Shea said. “I think he’s grown quite a bit as a pro from training camp and the first few weeks of the season. I think he’s come a long way in that regard in terms of his preparation and understanding, but he is highly skilled.”

Begelton said it doesn’t matter who’s in the secondary. It’s still business as usual for him and the Calgary offence.

“No, it’s the same plan. We’re gonna go out there and try to score some touchdowns,” said Begelton, who has 91 catches for 1,286 yards and 10 TDs this season. “It doesn’t really matter who’s out there. Honestly, it’s not God out there, so it’s just another person to me.”

The Stamps will also have a different-looking secondary this week as cornerback Tre Roberson returns after missing one game due to a concussion. Roberson has seven interceptions this season, trailing only Bombers defensive back Winston Rose, who leads the league with nine. Roberson said catching Rose for the interception title isn’t a priority.

“It would be nice, but the victory is more important. We want to win the Grey Cup, we want to win the West and if we take care of that, I’ll be just as happy as anything else,” Roberson said.

Calgary will be without defensive end Cordarro Law, who has been placed on the one-game injured list. Law has 10 sacks and 41 defensive tackles this season.

Miller closes in on record

Bombers special teams ace Mike Miller is on the verge of making history.

The 30-year-old, who’s in his third season with the Blue and Gold, is tied for second place on the CFL’s special teams tackles list with Wade Miller, the former Bombers linebacker and curently Mike Miller’s boss as president and CEO of the Winnipeg Football Club. The Millers, no relation, sit at 184 tackles each while former B.C. Lion Jason Arakgi owns the record with 190.

“I haven’t thought too much about it,” Mike Miller said. “People have mentioned that I was tied with Wade for second and stuff like that. But I mean, I guess special teams has always just been my bread and butter in this league.

“You know, it’s my ninth season and that was just my way, when I first came into the league, to contribute to the team. I’ve just kind of kept the same mindset that, you know, that’s my role to play on the team and I want to try to do it to the best of my ability and make those tackles when they come my way.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

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