From mere to eternity

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/07/2010 (5802 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Joe LOBENDAHN called it a “step back” for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defence and judging from the way he spoke after the game, he’s taking full responsibility for the retreat.

The buzzing middle linebacker was not content to chalk up the 28-7 spanking at the claws of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium Friday night to coming out flat or running into a desperate team. Nor was he interested in the suggestion that the Winnipeg defence remained on the field for too long; that the Bombers offence did little to give those players on the other side of the ball a proper amount rest.

“It doesn’t matter if we’re on the field for a long time,” reasoned Lobendahn, slumped in a chair outside the Bombers locker-room with an ice pack on his elbow following his busy night. “We still have to do our job — our job is to get the ball back for our offence. We didn’t do that. I mean, I didn’t do that. I have to do a better job leading this team and making sure we know what’s coming.

“They named me defensive captain and I have to be a leader out there. Get (everyone) on the same page.”

The Bombers defence was on the field for 37:18, a marathon amount of time in any football situation, and looking deeper into the numbers shows Lobendahn and his mates could barely find a moment to catch their breath in the first half. Hamilton owned the ball for nearly 20 minutes (19:41) before the break, as Ticats quarterback Kevin Glenn (29-of-36 for 336 yards and three TDs) pretty much had his way by connecting on countless short passing routes through the middle of the field.

The former Winnipeg QB didn’t have a big strike (a 40-yard pass to Dave Stala was the longest play from scrimmage for Hamilton), but he didn’t need one. Without any pressure on him — especially in the early going — Glenn simply wore the defence down six, eight, and 12 yards at a time.

“It’s the worst we played in three games,” Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice said, lamenting the fact his sputtering attack couldn’t do the same to the Hamilton defence.

Glenn was obviously the best player on the field Friday, going 6-of-6 on the Tiger-Cats first TD drive and completing 14 straight passes to start the game. He distributed the ball around to eight different receivers, finding popular targets in Stala (nine catches, 124 yards) and Maurice Mann (52 yards, two touchdowns).

“The thing about Kevin is, once he’s hot, he’s really tough to stop,” surmised Lobendahn, who finished his night with four defensive tackles. “He knows this game and he knows how to take advantage of openings. I have a lot of respect for him as a player. We didn’t make life tough for him, though. That’s something we’re going to have to learn from.”

Lobendahn said Hamilton was able to dominate the clock thanks to a non-existent pass rush: After getting to Glenn seven times in Week 1, the Winnipeg defence registered just one sack (courtesy of DE Odell Willis) Friday night.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

What About Buck?

No definitive word on Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce, who left Friday’s contest in the third quarter with a right knee injury. Pierce, who struggled to move the ball most of the game, appeared to twist his leg when Hamilton defensive tackle Demonte Bolden muscled through the O-line and put a hit on him. Pierce actually completed a 10-yard pass to Terence Jeffers-Harris on the play, but following a video review, backup QB Steven Jyles came in under centre and remained at the controls for the rest of the night. Pierce was limping around noticeably Saturday and according to the team, an update on his health won’t be made public until team doctors have finished assessing the knee. That update could come as early as this afternoon. Thanks to an extra day in the work week before Saturday’s contest with Edmonton at Canada Inns Stadium, the Bombers are off until Tuesday.