Bombers best when losing

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This article was published 06/08/2011 (5204 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Edmonton Eskimos scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game at Canad Inns Stadium Friday night — took them just four measly plays, in fact, to put the ball in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers end zone.

And then they promptly picked off Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce on the next series and scored again on their second drive, booting a field goal to go up 10-0 just eight minutes into the game.

And with that, the Bombers had the undefeated, West Division-leading Eskimos exactly where they wanted them.

Five times this season, the Bombers have trailed their opponents. And with a 28-16 comeback victory over the Eskimos Friday night, the Bombers have now won all five of those games.

Indeed, it is one of the curious sidebars to this most curious of Bombers seasons that the only time Winnipeg has been beaten — in Week 3 by the Calgary Stampeders — was also the only time they have led after the first quarter.

And so it goes that a club that won just four games in all of 2010 has now won five times in their first six games this year — something only five other Bomber teams in franchise history could boast and none since 1987.

“I don’t know what it is — we just got a lot of heart. We keep on playing and fighting and scratching, no matter what. It shows a lot of character is what it shows,” said Bombers defensive back Brandon Stewart, who intercepted Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray twice as the Bombers defence held the top-rated offence in the league to just five points through the final three quarters.

“I talked to them at halftime,” Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice said, “and told them, ‘We’ve been here before, this is what we do. We’re a physical team, we’re going to take the ball away and get opportunities to make plays.’ “

Pierce, who did not finish the game against the B.C. Lions last week and missed a practice this week with what the club described as a calf injury, was the author of many of those plays his coach predicted, finishing the night 20-for-27 for 242 yards, 2 TDS and 1 interception.

Pierce also authored what was perhaps the turning point of the game late in the second quarter, dodging an Edmonton blitz and then taking off for a 48-yard touchdown run that gave the Bombers their first lead of the night at 12-11 and sent a crowd of 29,533 — the second straight Bombers sellout — into delirium.

“I knew once I dodged that tackle that all the routes were downfield and I had some room to run,” said Pierce. “And once you get rolling that fast, all you want to do is get to that end zone. I was huffing and puffing.”

The run was the longest of Pierce’s CFL career and put the exclamation mark on what has been a remarkable run of another kind for Pierce. Going back to a Week 4 win over Toronto, Pierce has now completed 57 of his last 74 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns.

Pierce found his favourite deep threat this season — slotback Terrence Edwards, who led the CFL coming into last night with a 24.1-yards-per-completion average — seven minutes into the third quarter on a 29-yard touchdown pass to give the Bombers a 19-16 lead they would never relinquish.

A seven-yard Pierce TD strike to Cory Watson five minutes later completed an 89-yard drive and gave the Bombers a 26-16 lead and all the breathing room they needed on a night when they probably did not want the final outcome to ride on the foot of Winnipeg placekicker Justin Palardy, who shanked 22-yard and 32-yard field- goal attempts in the first half.

Having now already authored more comebacks than Brett Favre and Joan Rivers combined, the Bombers turn their attention to the Lions, who were winless heading into a game against Saskatchewan Friday night and will surely not be looking forward to hosting the hottest team in the CFL next Saturday.

“It’s early and I’ll continue to say that,” said Pierce, “but we can play football here in Manitoba. The whole province is excited right now.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca