Case making his case as Bombers’ return man

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This article was published 25/07/2024 (449 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are still looking for their return man and the hope remains the third time’s the charm.

After testing out Myron Mitchell and Chris Smith for brief stints, the Bombers are going back to Kody Case for a second consecutive game when the Bombers visit the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field Saturday night. Case wasn’t dominant but it was a decent debut, averaging 29 yards on three kickoff returns and 9.6 yards on seven punt returns.

“He’s real quick and he’s got top-end speed. Personality-wise, he seems to love it,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said following Thursday’s closed practice. “I think he could strive in that spot, and he knows what he’s supposed to do on offence, which he has to know that, too.”

Case is looking forward to building on his performance against the Riders. He said he feels a lot more comfortable compared to a week ago, with the early jitters now gone.

“See a hole, hit a hole,” is how Case described his style as a returner. “So, trying to hit that thing 100 per cent and if I get hit, I get hit. It’s been a long time since I’ve been football sore. It’s a great feeling just for some contact and a lot of fun. Just fearless and do what I can with the ball.”

The timing might be just right for a breakout game by Case. The Argos allow a league-worst 14.5 yards per punt and are third on kickoffs, allowing 20.7 yards per return.

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Jake Thomas, the longest-tenured member of the current Winnipeg Blue Bombers, can’t quite put his finger on why playing in Toronto has been a struggle at times. The Bombers have lost two of their last three meetings against the Argos in enemy territory, but haven’t played in Toronto since the 2022 campaign.

Thomas said it might be because it’s the only grass field in the CFL, but he wasn’t quite ready to commit to that theory. He then suggested it could be the crowd, recognizing the increase in attendance since the move to BMO Field from Rogers Centre, where Thomas said it was so quiet that you were able to hear conversations happening in the stands.

Whatever it might be, if the Bombers are to leave Saturday victorious, the defence will have to limit the Argos’ damage in the run game.

Toronto, led by running back Ka’Deem Carey, currently paces the CFL in average rush yards per game, with 129. Meanwhile, the Bombers are allowing a league-worst 119.9 rushing yards each night.

“With tackling, the last couple of weeks where we’ve struggled, we haven’t made that first tackle and that kind of turns into a big one,” Thomas said. “Across the board, we’d all want a couple of plays back over the last few weeks. Just make your plays when they need to be made. I know I’ve missed a few tackles.”

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The CFL fined Adam Bighill an undisclosed amount for unnecessary roughness after the Bombers linebacker slammed Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Shae Patterson to the ground last week during a 19-9 road loss.

The hit came on the final play of the game. Facing a third down and with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Patterson took the snap and rather than delaying a second or two before pitching the ball out of bounds, the Riders pivot decided to run the ball to the sidelines.

A clearly frustrated Bighill took exception to the play, ending it by wrapping up Patterson before slamming him to the ground. Afterwards, all parties, including Patterson and Bighill, as well as both club’s coaches, agreed that Patterson should have discarded the ball much earlier.

The play didn’t result in a penalty, likely because it was the end of the game and a ruckus had broken out. Now, it’s Bighill’s wallet on the receiving end of a crushing blow.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton