Game day: 5 storylines

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/11/2011 (5388 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Vancouver — The 99th Grey Cup goes at BC Place Sunday. Most storylines have been chewed up and spit out. Or so you think:

1. Defence rests

Go through every scenario that points to a Winnipeg victory. Notice how the defence is a huge part of that projection.

All year they have carried the Bombers. It has been the top story, from the time Alex Suber intercepted Kevin Glenn in the opening game to the time Rodney Fritz knocked Kevin Glenn out in the East Final.

Sunday is the last stop. The time has come.

“We welcome all challenges and at this moment, we welcome it on the biggest stage of any of our careers,” a confident Jovon Johnson said Friday. “This is what we wanted, a chance to show everyone that we are the best defence in the league.”

The Winnipeg defence has been a polarizing unit. People cherish them because they talk and play a great game or get upset with them for the exact same reasons.

One more win gives them the final word.

2. Score and win

Offensively, Winnipeg would be foolish to try and match up with B.C. They know this. You know this.

What the Bombers are going to try to do, one imagines, is duplicate the game they threw at Hamilton last week. Control the ball on the ground, eat up as much of the clock as possible, and score touchdowns when in the red zone.

That’s the key: finding seven points when in striking distance. The Bombers were third in red zone efficiency this year (55 per cent), so at least we know they can do it.

Against the Lions, who have a quick-strike offence as potent as any in the CFL, the Bombers can’t settle for field goals.

3. Clockwork orange

One of the unique features of the Grey Cup is the extra 15 minutes or so allotted for the halftime spectacle (more on that later). The normal 14-minute halftime break grows to roughly 30 minutes, to accommodate for the television analysis and entertainment programming.

4. Canadian discontent

Jann Arden is singing the national anthem, so no issue there. She’s harmless in the same way a reserve non-import receiver can be harmless: It won’t kill you if used properly and in small doses.

The halftime act, however, draws a little more fire from the masses. When the CFL/TSN partnership announced Nickelback would be entertaining Canada, the groan stretched from coast to coast. There isn’t a band out there that draws such emotion from music aficionados. It’s a love-hate-can’t-stand relationship (pick one).

They were booed in Detroit Thursday.

Can you imagine if they tried a Bryan Adams cover? Insert Vancouver riot joke here.

5. Five and out

How loud will BC Place get? Can the Bombers secondary slow the Lions? Which city has a prettier parade route? Will Winnipeg ever win two games in a row again? With the Grey Cup on the line, what are the chances Buck Pierce slides?

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @wazoowazny

Key Matchup

Winnipeg’s offensive line vs. B.C.’s defensive front

BIG concerns, Brendon LaBatte says. The all-star O-lineman was talking about the Lions front line, a group that has four members on it with six sacks or more. The line has been getting better as the season has progressed, LaBatte noted, singling out tackles Khalif Mitchell and Aaron Hunt as the two biggest worries.

“They have some big bodies in the middle,” LaBatte said. “Traditionally when you see a big body, you know what you’re going to get out of him. They usually just go straight ahead. And usually they’re not the quickest off the ball. That’s not the case with these guys. They have a quick twitch and they have a lot of power behind them.”

LaBatte figured it might take more of a finesse game to beat the Lions D-line. Power might not overcome the rush, he said, but some good footwork and solid technique at the shoulders could be the formula for success.