Quick fix would suit O’Shea

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This article was published 02/10/2014 (4079 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They were the moments that defined the first half of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ season.

Yes, it was as if the football gods, after years of tormenting the lads in blue and gold, had once again held them in good favour.

Fourth-quarter, last-play rallies and heroics became the norm during a 5-1 start and 6-3 record at the halfway point of the season.

There was Demond Washington’s kickoff-return score in Week 2, followed by Drew Willy to Julian Feoli-Gudino on a July night in Montreal and Willy to Nic Grigsby 20 days later against Hamilton.

And there were defensive stands, critical runs and solid special teams that led up to it all.

And now?

Well, the Bomber fourth-quarter magic has vanished in a four-game losing streak that is part of a skid that has seen them lose six of their last seven to fall to 6-7. And it’s as if Willy — who played the starring role in the early start — is now standing on stage as a magician with all his secrets having been revealed.

So with a playoff spot still within sight and five games remaining, the Bombers desperately need to either create some new potions or find some of the ol’ magic if they are going to be part of the Grey Cup derby next month.

Actually…

“We just need to execute at a higher level throughout the game,” said Willy this week. “We can’t have penalties, we can’t have missed reads. We just need to be more efficient as an offence. We’re trying to work through everything we can throughout the week and just keep trying to keep getting better. That’s the main key. Hold yourself to a high standard and take pride in your craft. That’s really the biggest thing.

“I don’t think it’s the plays. I just think it’s more just the execution as an offence and just being more consistent. The yardage was there last game, but the points weren’t. We just need to be more efficient. We got to that 40-yard line quite a few times and that’s kind of on the brink of scoring points. We backed out and had to punt a few times… that’s probably, at minimum, six to nine points right there.

“We just really need to work to keep getting better and work through that when we’re in that position.”

There are some numbers that have been critical in the Bombers’ recent decline, notably:

— Winnipeg’s average of 5.7 yards on first-down plays is second worst in the CFL, second only to Montreal’s 4.9. According to CFL statistician Steve Daniel, the Bombers have been in second-and-seven or longer 177 times this season, an average of 14 times per game.

Part B to that: Winnipeg’s offence has a second-down conversion rate of 41.4 per cent — fifth overall — but also has the second-most two-and-out possessions in the land.

— Winnipeg’s 74 yards rushing per game average is tied for last in the CFL with Ottawa.

— The Bombers have surrendered the most sacks in the league with 48.

The simple conclusion from all those numbers?

Without a consistently effective ground game or decent first-down production, the Bombers are in second and long far too often and defences are teeing off on Willy, who — if this keeps up — will need teams of masseuses, chiropractors and surgeons to put him back together again at the end of the season.

“We need to put a complete game together,” said receiver Aaron Kelly. “We’re moving the ball, we’re just not putting up points. It’s the little things. Earlier in the year things were going our way. We overcame adversity and when you play like that it’s almost 50-50, a coin toss.

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“It went our way earlier in the year. In the last little while, it hasn’t. There are just too many mistakes that are killing us. It’s been awhile since we jumped on somebody and kept it going the whole game.”

And the quick fix isn’t all that complicated, according to the boss.

“We’ve got to play a cleaner game,” said head coach Mike O’Shea on Wednesday. “We’ve managed to just make enough mistakes to be close. Eventually the light bulb is going to go on and we’re going to make good decisions and execute at a higher level. That’s really all it is: we’re just executing at a level where we’re losing close games.

“We’ve got to find a way to find that focus in the fourth quarter to put us over the top… and maybe not just in the fourth quarter, but in the entire game so that we’re not putting ourselves in those positions in the fourth quarter.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait