Blue can win with average performance

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This article was published 12/06/2022 (1185 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s often said the trademark of a good team is the ability to win when you’re not at your best. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers proved just that in their narrow win over the Ottawa Redblacks Friday night.

Marc Liegghio booted a 25-yard field goal with six seconds remaining to seal a 19-17 victory in front of 26,002 fans at IG Field. But as good as the back-to-back Grey Cup champions have been and are expected to be this season — Winnipeg is favoured by many to win a third consecutive title — the Bombers left the field this weekend with far more questions than answers.

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Blue and Gold. A victory is a victory, and it means no less than had they blown out the Redblacks, a team that underwent a massive overhaul in the offseason after finishing 3-11 in 2021.

But the Bombers will have to be much better this week when they meet for a rematch at TD Place on Friday. Winnipeg can’t expect to get dominated again in almost every aspect of the game and leave with another win — no matter how good they might be.

But before we turn our focus to Week 2, let’s rewind with the first edition of 5 takeaways from Friday’s season-opening win.

1) The best word to sum up the Bombers offence was uninspiring. That is, until Winnipeg’s last drive.

Starter Zach Collaros had some flashes, finishing 18-for-26 passing for 188 yards and one touchdown, and Dakota Prukop performed well in short-yardage duties, including punching in a TD late in the fourth. But it was Dru Brown who impressed the most, coming in cold for an injured Collaros with the game on the line.

Brown entered with 1:33 remaining after an injury spotter flagged Collaros for a potential concussion following a hard hit. He then connected on all three of his passes for 51 yards to set up Liegghio’s game-winning kick, cementing himself as the club’s true No. 2.

The run game was pretty much non-existent, with Brady Oliveira racking up 17 yards on 10 carries and Johnny Augustine not faring much better, with three runs for 10 yards. Greg Ellingson led all receivers with six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown, with rookie Dalton Schoen not far behind with five catches for 69 yards.

It’s still unclear the exact status of Collaros for this week. Given his injury history, especially when it comes to head shots, the team is being cautious. But I’m told the early signs are positive.

2) The Bombers had six drives during the second and third quarters. Five of them resulted in punts, all of which were two-and-outs, with the other series ending after Schoen fumbled.

It was during that stretch where I started to wonder who was going be leaned on to make a play. And it was in that moment where it became painfully obvious that running back Andrew Harris and receiver Kenny Lawler are no longer here and will be terribly missed.

Harris brought a ton of energy to the huddle, with players often saying his presence alone was enough to get the blood going. Lawler was a magnet to the ball, his hands as sure as anyone in the league.

I’m not sure the Bombers have that game-breaker right now. Nic Demski might be that guy, but four catches for 30 yards doesn’t back that up. Neither does Rasheed Bailey’s four catches for 37 yards.

Both are quality players, and both have an opportunity to have a breakout season. Knowing how dedicated each player is to their craft, I’d expect a big game from both in this week’s rematch.

3) We got a glimpse of it during the first preseason game against the Edmonton Elks that there might be some growing pains in the Bombers new-look secondary. That was confirmed against Ottawa as Jeremiah Masoli, who was incredible in his Redblacks debut, carved up Winnipeg’s last line of defence, with 380 of Ottawa’s 431 offensive yards coming through the air.

While safety Malcolm Thompson and cornerback Tyqwan Glass, both of whom are new to Winnipeg, had a couple of noticeable misplays, it was a particularly rough night for veteran defensive back Winston Rose. Rose was exposed on several plays in what was his worst game as a Bomber — and very likely the worst in his six-year CFL career.

Rose drew the assignment of covering receiver Jaelon Acklin, who finished with a game-high six catches for 143 yards. Acklin also beat Rose on a Hail Mary pass from Masoli early in the game, but Acklin inexplicably dropped the ball on what should have been a sure touchdown. Most shocking, he was outright beat by Canadian fullback-turned-receiver, Marco Dubois, for a 54-yard gain.

Rose suffered an injured foot the week before, though that apparently wasn’t an issue. He said afterwards that he was playing too aggressively in hopes of making a play and then vowed that he will be better, which I’m sure will be the case.

But it’s clear the secondary is missing the leadership and communication lost from all-star safety Brandon Alexander being out. Alexander remains on the six-game injured list as he recovers from offseason knee surgery.

4) The kicking game was the biggest concern heading into Friday. And While Liegghio managed to play the hero with his game-winning boot, it remains an area still very much in question.

There were certainly a few solid punts by Liegghio on the evening, mixed in with a couple duds. The 25-year-old also struggled with his distance on kickoffs, averaging 63.3 yards on four attempts despite it being a beautiful summer night in Winnipeg.

It was the second-lowest average among kickers in Week 1, behind only B.C.’s Stefan Flintoft (62.6), who was trotted out on an eye-popping nine occasions. With kickoffs pushed back five yards to the 30-yard line, a small improvement on distance can make a big difference.

But most troubling with Liegghio is his place kicking. The Bombers opted to punt instead of attempting a 52-yard field goal on their opening possession and late in the game Liegghio missed a crucial extra point from 32 yards out to give the Bombers a two-point lead instead of three.

I imagine Liegghio will get another shot next week, but the leash is short. The Bombers clearly don’t want to dress two kickers — by playing only one it frees up a spot for the third QB — but Liegghio will need to be more consistent for the coaching staff not to look towards Ali Mourtada, who is currently on the practice roster.

5) I made a prediction at the beginning of the season that the Redblacks, despite adding several key pieces over the winter, would not be a playoff team this year. My gut now tells me I’m probably going to be eating crow on that one.

While I’m sure Redblacks head coach LaPolice spent months game-planning for Week 1 against his former team, Ottawa certainly looked like a quality club with a lot of quality pieces on offence and defence.

None of which, though, are better than Masoli behind centre. Masoli looked as confident as I’ve seen him play, working the offence as though he’d been in the system for years.

His deep ball is NFL-calibre and despite suffering some injuries in recent years, he’s as quick-footed as anyone in the league, more than capable of evading pressure to expand plays or take off on a run. Masoli seems to always give the Bombers fits — which is the key reason they tried to sign him years ago — and as long as the Redblacks offensive line can give him time and space, they’re going to be a tough out.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton