Bad plan or bad players?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/08/2009 (6201 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The theories about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers offence are numerous, with some players quietly whispering in the locker-room that the scheme needs to be adjusted, while the coach stubbornly sticks to his guns.

And these contradictory views are the biggest impediment to this team acheiving any form of success.

Coach Mike Kelly has implemented an offence similar to the one used by the Bombers with quarterback Matt Dunigan in the early ’90s. It was prolific in that time and with that personnel. In 2009, with the group Kelly has assembled to execute within its framework, this offence has been a complete dud. This isn’t opinion, it’s fact.

The Bombers are generating an average of 17.8 points per game through seven games and own a 2-5 mark as a result.

This offence is squandering what may be a championship-calibre defence and seemed lost at times in Saturday’s 39-12 loss to the Montreal Alouettes.

On Sunday afternoon, Kelly addressed the media and had this to say about his relationship with the locker-room.

"I don’t think I’ve lost the locker-room and I don’t think it’s a situation where I have to go in there and start yelling and screaming," said Kelly. "I want to continue to teach. I told the guys after the game — it wasn’t a big screaming and yelling match — I brought them here, I believe in them and I think we believe in each other. Like I said earlier, we’re not going to turn this thing upside down. We’re too close on too many fronts."

Quarterback Michael Bishop believes the Bombers offence is close to finding its way.

"That’s a rough night and you’re going to have some nights like that. As a team, we have to take care of the ball better. When we get opportunities to score, we have to come up with it," said Bishop, now 1-2 as the Bombers starter. He was 13-of-35 for 155 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions on Saturday night. "I’m a firm believer that there’s light at the end of our tunnel. I think we have the talent to do it. We’re going to stick together and keep battling."

Kelly confirmed on Sunday that Bishop would be the starter Friday night when the Bombers are in B.C. to face the Lions.

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"Mike wasn’t in training camp, didn’t play for the first four games and he hasn’t had an extended amount of time to work with this receiving corps, so you do the best you can in an attempt to get the guys on the same page. The only way to do that is to keep playing together," said Kelly. "You think about making change but you also think about staying the course and having guys play through adversity together."

Kelly was peppered with questions on Sunday afternoon as he met a small group of media and said he has no plans of blowing up his offence.

"I’m not going to take this basket and turn it upside down and shake it," said Kelly. "I’m just not going to do that. I believe in these guys and I told them that after (Saturday) night. Do we need to make some adjustments? Sure… As gloomy as some people want to make it and say that I’m sugar-coating things, I spent a good deal of the morning talking to football people that truly have a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish and they’ve re-confirmed a lot of my beliefs of what we need to do to get this back on track. A lot of it has to do with just staying the course and keep believing in what we’re doing. Do we need a couple of players in here to be difference makers? Probably so."

There is also bad news on the injury front as Terrence Edwards, the team’s leading receiver and the only player that Kelly says has grasped the team’s offence, has turf toe and is questionable for Friday’s game.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca