Oh Crum, what a disaster

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This article was published 16/07/2023 (846 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – Following a game in which the Winnipeg Blue Bombers choked on a three-score lead heading into the fourth quarter, is it time to start reaching for the panic button?

The question must be asked after a demoralizing 31-28 overtime loss to the Ottawa Redblacks.

There were some already circling weeks ago, questioning whether the Blue and Gold might still be as dominant as they’ve been in recent years after an embarrassing 30-6 loss to the B.C. Lions at home in Week 3. More have surely joined since Saturday’s showing at TD Place, where the Bombers were outclassed in the second half by a rookie quarterback, falling to 4-2 on the year.

Few knew of quarterback Dustin Crum before kickoff, and many were likely ready to write him off after a disastrous first half. But as the game wore on, Crum, who had jumped from fourth-stringer to starter in a matter of weeks following injuries to Jeremiah Masoli (Achilles) and Tyrie Adams (knee), settled in nicely, scoring a pair of late rushing touchdowns, including a 29-yard dash in extra time to seal the victory and improve the Redblacks record to 2-3.

This one will sting for the Bombers, who return on a short week, with just one full practice ahead of their Week 7 tilt against the Edmonton Elks at IG Field Thursday night. Before we look too far ahead, let’s dive into what happened in Saturday’s loss in the latest edition of 5 Takeaways.

1) Let’s call it The Crum Show. The 24-year-old, in what was his first CFL start, authored one of the most improbable comebacks in recent history, and perhaps even longer, while also putting forth one of the greatest individual efforts we’ve seen this season.

Taking over at his own 16-yard line, down 25-17 with 57 seconds left on the clock, Crum used a no-huddle offence to perfection, moving the ball 94 yards on seven plays, capped off by a 12-yard rushing touchdown with zeroes on the clock. Crum then found Nate Behar for his second two-point convert, sending the game to OT tied 25-25.

The Bombers started with the ball in extra time but were forced to settle for a 48-yard field goal from Sergio Castillo after Zach Collaros was sacked for an 11-yard loss. That set the stage for Crum to win it in fairy-tale style, as he took full advantage of an opening up the middle, scampering 29 yards to the end zone to seal the win.

On the first rushing TD, Crum bypassed Adam Bighill and then Jesse Briggs before trucking Abu Daramy-Swaray at the goal line. On the game-winning score, he made Brandon Alexander whiff on a tackle, before strolling into the end zone, where Crum was mobbed by the rest of his teammates in a scene of pure jubilation.

What made it all the more incredible to watch was Crum played arguably the worst first half of football any QB this year, generating just three points on 17 yards of net offence and only three first downs by the break. By night’s end, he was 26-for-42 passing for 261 yards and an interception, along with a game-high 103 rushing yards on nine carries and the two game-defining TDs.

2) The Bombers pride themselves on playing clean football and finishing plays, but a lack of execution led to costly mistakes, helping turn what should have been a sure victory into a stunning defeat.

Early in the fourth quarter, with the Bombers holding a 16-point lead, Collaros dialled up a deep ball to Dalton Schoen, who was hit in stride and should have walked in for a TD had he not dropped the ball. On the next series, with Winnipeg facing a second-and-four on its own 13-yard line, Collaros found Brady Oliveira up the right sideline on a short pass that turned into a 43-yard gain, only for the Bombers running back to give the ball back to the Redblacks at midfield following a fumble.

The score remained 25-9 until 2:38 was remaining in the fourth, when a miscommunication between Collaros and receiver Drew Wolitarsky on a pass short-left resulted in Wolitarsky tipping the ball in the air and into the arms of Brandin Dandridge. Danbridge returned the interception 25 yards for a TD to cut the Bombers lead to a single score, 25-17, setting up the start of Crum’s late-game heroics.

It was a quiet and gloomy locker room after the game, as players seemed genuinely shocked by what had played out. The good news is no one was pointing fingers anywhere but at themselves, with Collaros, Wolitarsky, Oliveira and Alexander, among others, all shouldering blame for the loss.

3) There have been plenty of convincing wins by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in recent years, but none seemed more inevitable than what played out on Saturday. That was the lede sentence I had written for my game story at halftime, thinking it was already in the bag by the break.

The confidence came from a Bombers offence that was moving the ball in the opening half, with Winnipeg scoring a pair of touchdowns — a one-yard QB sneak by Dakota Prukop and a 15-yard pass from Collaros to Nic Demski — and Sergio Castillo connecting on a 52-yard field goal to give the visitors an 18-3 edge through two quarters. It was also from a Bombers defence that was not only limiting the Redblacks’ offence, they were suffocating their opponent, giving them next to no life by blitzing early and often and staying tight in their coverage.

But that all broke down in the second half, and while all three phases share some responsibility for the collapse, it was the offence’s inability to move the chains and keep the defence off the field that ultimately did the Bombers in. Winnipeg’s attack had 201 yards of offence in the first two quarters, but put up only an additional 162 over six series in the final 30 minutes, with more than half of that production (86 yards) coming on a third-quarter TD drive that ended with an eight-yard strike from Collaros to Wolitarksy and accounted for all of Winnipeg’s second-half points.

Of their six offensive drives in the second half, none lasted more than 92 seconds or consisted of more than five plays, with five of those series ending with three plays or fewer. You can criticize the Bombers D all you want, but given the Redblacks jumped from 22 offensive plays in the first half to 40 in the second, and went from 9:21 in time of possession to nearly 22 minutes in the third and fourth quarters and there’s no wonder they were out of gas.

4) The Bombers D was as scary as we’ve seen them all season in the first half, including a first quarter that had the Redblacks offence unable to earn a single first down and actually had negative yardage, at minus-five. Winnipeg had four of their six total sacks in the opening 30 minutes and Demerio Houston collected his team-high fourth interception of the season.

The second half wasn’t that bad, either, even if it did end in heartbreak and included several missed tackles down the stretch. The Bombers D, while clearly a tired group and on its heels as Ottawa’s momentum continued to build, forced the Redblacks into back-to-back turnover on downs in the fourth quarter, just prior to Collaros’ costly interception.

The Bombers stopped Crum on a pair of third-down passes to the end zone from their own seven- and 17-yard line, respectively, but couldn’t get any help after that. Winnipeg’s offence countered with a two-play drive, which ended with the Oliveira fumble, followed by another two-play drive that was cut short thanks to Danbridge’s game-changing TD.

There’s been a lot of attention given to the Bombers offence, but it’s been the defence this year that has played the most consistent. No one gets a free pass after a choke job like what was seen on Saturday, but if anyone needs a reminder of the importance of playing a full 60 minutes, it’s the offence.

5) Statistically speaking, Collaros had a great game, passing for a season-high 354 yards and completing 69 per cent (22-for-32) of his throws to go with a pair of TDs and a pick-6. He spread the ball around to six different receivers, with Oliveira (93), Demski (79), Wolitarsky (70) and Schoen (66) all eclipsing the 60-yard mark through the air.

Where the Bombers struggled mightily was in the run game, accumulating just 26 rushing yards, including a dismal 16 yards on nine carries by Oliveira. Oliveira entered the game as the CFL’s leading rusher, with 400 yards in five games, and the Bombers identity has long been their offensive line and being able to dominate the line of scrimmage.

That certainly wasn’t the case against the Redblacks and Lions, but even in some games where the Bombers have won, the O-line has left much to be desired. It’s the front-five that need to create holes for Oliveira and protection for Collaros and both have seemed to slip more often than usual this season.

Right now, though, there should be less concern about the run game and more on Collaros being on the receiving end of some punishing hits. The Bombers have surrendered 16 sacks this season, including three against the Redblacks, but that doesn’t account for the times Collaros has been hit while delivering the ball.

If there’s any group that deserves a long leash, it’s the O-line. But with two young depth options in Tui Eli and Liam Dobson, how much longer might the Bombers go before trying a different look?

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton