Five storylines

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/07/2015 (3752 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five storylines to ponder heading into tonight’s CFL Week 6 clash between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions:

1. Willy to go, but for how long?

Let’s get all the hearty slaps on the back and compliments out of the way right from the get-go: quarterback Drew Willy is a tough blankety-blank for sucking it up and preparing to work on a wonky knee against the Lions. And the Bombers, evidence has shown us, are clearly a vastly superior team when he comes running out of the tunnel as the starter.

“I’ve always healed quickly, no matter what injury it was,” he said Wednesday. “Everyone’s a little different in that aspect. You always try to be tough… I’m not trying to say I’m tougher than anyone else, I just think if I can do anything I can to push myself to get healthy I’m going to spend that time… You just hope come game day you’re ready to go out there.”

But what happens, as evidence has shown us, when he isn’t the man taking the snaps is pretty damn gruesome. With Brian Brohm at the controls in relief, the Bombers were outscored 42-19 by Hamilton in a July 2 loss after Willy exited and 28-0 in last week’s evisceration in Edmonton. There is some news on that front, as third-stringer Robert Marve — the flavour of the month because of the energy he brings to the huddle — has declared himself good to go if the Bombers have to work that far down the depth chart.

Bombers brass have their fingers crossed and are working the rosary beads it doesn’t come to that.

2. A little balance

This isn’t rocket surgery, as Don Cherry would say, but one of the most effective ways to keep Willy upright is to establish — or, in the Bombers’ case, re-establish — a consistent run game. Winnipeg is averaging 93 rushing yards per game (fifth best in the CFL), but it’s a number that needs to be considerably higher to provide some balance. In the season-opening win over Saskatchewan, Willy threw for 325 yards, but the run game chipped in with 145 yards — its best total to date. The Bombers have two capable backs in Paris Cotton and Cam Marshall, but their touches need to reach double digits.

“When we execute, we’re hard to stop,” said Cotton. “And when we don’t execute, we make defences look a lot better. Once we execute better, the touches will come. I prepare every week to take over a game like (in Saskatchewan)… If we run the ball and pass the ball the way we are supposed to, it’s going to be hard to stop us offensively.”

3. A spark — not a flame-out — from the special teams

The Bombers’ foot soldiers have been beaten up/featured in this space since the start of the season for some good, some bad and, of late, a whole lot of ugly. They were exposed in a one-point loss to Calgary with a punt block against, some missed kicks and poor decision-making by returner Troy Stoudermire in his first game back from injury.

A week later in Edmonton, the mistakes were just as glaring, with kicker Lirim Hajrullahu missing from 42 yards on the club’s first possession, to a bust on a Kendial Lawrence 53-yard punt return right after Willy’s exit that set up a five-yard major. That was a killer, essentially turning a 4-3 game into a blowout. Now, no one is suggesting the special-teams units needs to be perfect, but they have to be at least capable.

“We lost our way a little bit in the last game,” said Teague Sherman, who had a punt-block TD for the Bombers in a win over Montreal this season. “Being such a huge part of the game, coach (Mike) O’Shea always says, ‘You can’t be the reason we lose a game, but you can be the reason we win a game.’

“Just think about the Montreal and Calgary games: Against Montreal, we block a punt for a touchdown and win. And the next game, (the Esks) block a punt for a touchdown and, in the end, that was a big reason why we lost. Last game, they got that big return and after that… well, it’s like the whole team feeds off our momentum. It can go negative and it just kept piling up and we kept making mistakes.

“It can be as simple as a big block. You don’t have to have the ball in your hands or score a touchdown. A big block in front of your own bench, everybody goes crazy and can’t wait to watch it on film… We need more of those explosion/momentum plays.”

4. Bombers defence: on the cusp or just teasing?

The fingers of blame have essentially avoided being pointed at the defence over the last two weeks, what with the breakdowns on special teams and either the mistakes or ineptitude of the offence. In the 26-25 loss to Calgary, the defence forced eight two-and-outs, but was also run over in a 107-yard TD drive. And while they were trading blows with Edmonton in a 4-3 game into the third quarter before Willy was injured, after that they were scorched for three TD scores by rookie QB James Franklin.

Two of Edmonton’s TDs came on short fields — drives starting on the Winnipeg five- and 17-yard lines — but this crew needs to expect more of itself.

“What they would like to clean up and we would like is when they get put on a short field is for them to hold the offence down,” O’Shea said. “That’s the next challenge.”

5. The other guys get paid, too

The Lions, like the Bombers, figure to be in an ornery mood when the ball is placed on the tee. They blew a 21-0 lead at home to Toronto — their largest advantage ever surrendered in a loss. Just to hammer that home further, the 21-point comeback by the Argos was the third-largest in CFL history by a road team.

What makes the Leos a frightening opponent is the weapons on offence, led by QB Travis Lulay, receivers Emmanuel Arceneaux, Austin Collie, Courtney Taylor and Shawn Gore and — shout-out to the Winnipeg lad — running back Andrew Harris.

Harris was dynamite last week, scoring three touchdowns. He has 391 yards from scrimmage over the past three games.

“Andrew Harris is a very, very, very good running back who catches the ball well out of the backfield,” said O’Shea, who is usually stingy with his praise of opposing players. “He’s a dual threat in that regard and he doesn’t mind blocking. Like (Calgary’s) Jon Cornish, I find that he stays on his feet and gets yards after contact.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait