Game Day: 411

By: Adam Wazny Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Saturday, Jul. 23, 2011

JOVON ON OWENS

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/07/2011 (5222 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

JOVON ON OWENS

TORONTO — Jovon Johnson respects Chad Owens, let’s get that out of the way.

As many Bomber followers know, the Winnipeg defensive back moonlights as the club’s premier punt return option. This year, a season where only B.C.’s Tim Brown has found some return success, Johnson has put up 110 yards on 13 return opportunities.

CNS Postmedia News
Chad Owens — CNS Postmedia News Chad Owens

He’s also had to put up with the talk of Owens every time the Bombers face the Toronto Argonauts. When asked about it, Johnson wasn’t going to dismiss anything his counterpart has done (or will do); he’s just getting tired of not being mentioned, too.

“Yeah, he’s a great returner,” Johnson said. “He’s proven he can be a special player in this league. I don’t mind hearing his name but at the same time they need to start mentioning me, as well.”

‘They’ could mean yours truly, which could mean the CFL media in general.

“Honestly, I don’t feel like I’m ever mentioned when it comes to being at the top of the special teams guys, but year in and year out, my stats compare with the best of them — on top of being an all-star at corner,” Johnson added.

For the record, Owens has 113 yards on 12 punt returns.

ODE TO ODELL

Argos head coach/GM Jim Barker knows all about Bombers DE Odell Willis, as he’s the one who brought him to the CFL in the first place.

So when game-planning against the Winnipeg front-seven, Barker knows that even if you cover all of your bases and manage to get everyone blocked off — a tough assignment considering the Bombers’ league-leading 13 sacks coming into Week 4 — Willis (and his five sacks) is the one to watch.

“He’s the guy that creates some havoc, though, that you need to do some different things with,” Barker said.

The way to throw Willis off, Barker feels: Take advantage of his ability to come off the line by confusing him with a difference cadence under centre. The more you get Willis thinking about the snap count, the better chance you have on buying an extra half-second in the backfield.

RUN ON BROWN

Here’s Barker with a run-on sentence that’s nearly as long as Winnipeg DT Doug Brown’s lengthy football career (13 years):

“Doug Brown is an inside guy and he’s used to being double teamed and he’s a big strong physical guy and has been for a lot of years and one of these days he’ll retire and we won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

ROSTER UPDATE

No changes for the Bombers, other than the switch in the quarterback depth behind Buck Pierce… On the Argos side, SB Sammy Tranks is on the 46-man roster, replacing D.J. Boldin. LB Kevin Eiben, who’s been dealing with a calf injury, is healthy but won’t start.

— Wazny