Bombers reassert themselves as CFL force

Bombers reassert themselves as CFL force

MONTREAL — It wasn’t the beginning the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were anticipating, but in the end, they accomplished their ultimate goal just the same.

Severe weather — heavy rain and lightning — postponed kickoff by nearly two hours. While things eventually cleared up enough to safely take to the field, conditions were far from ideal, with players and Alouettes fans alike being poured on throughout the night.

The Bombers would leave Molson Stadium victorious, earning a 17-3 decision in front of 15,088 fans whom deserve credit for sticking around for the delayed kickoff despite the conditions. The win also sent a message to the rest of the league that the Bombers’ embarrassing Week 3 loss to the B.C. Lions should be, at least for the time being, considered a minor bump in the road.

Winnipeg improved to 3-1 and are now tied in points with the Lions for the most in the West Division, though the Lions can move into sole possession of first place with a win over the Toronto Argonauts on Monday. The Alouettes dropped to 2-1 with the loss, and, like the Bombers, could fall to second in the East if the Argos down the Lions to close out the week’s slate of games.

Before we look too far into the future, let’s take a look back at Saturday’s win over the Alouettes in the latest edition of 5 Takeaways.

1) I’ve talked at length in recent years about the importance of Winnipeg’s leadership group to the club’s overall success, and Saturday provided another example of that.

Having to wait close to two hours to play a game isn’t easy, and it can certainly have a toll on a player’s ability to stay focused, especially in Molson Stadium, where the visiting locker room is extremely cramped and on Saturday, uncomfortably humid. It’s at these moments having quality leadership is critical, with the veterans responsible for keeping the less experienced players on point.

Head coach Mike O’Shea doesn’t spend a lot of time in the locker room — I’m convinced it’s because he wished he was still playing — but he did check in from time to time, comparing what he saw to best friends taking a two-hour road trip. It’s hard to explain without actually seeing it, but O’Shea was borderline giddy when describing the camaraderie between his players and the genuine gratitude they have being able to play together.

2) The offence wasn’t dominant, putting up just 17 points and 358 net yards, but were efficient when they needed to be and timely with their scoring.

Quarterback Zach Collaros, a modest 15-for-23 passing for 193 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, spread the ball around, connecting with seven different receivers on the night. Touchdowns came from Drew Wolitarsky and Dalton Schoen, who led the Bombers with 93 yards, while kicker Sergio Castillo rounded out the scoring with a 48-yard field goal, improving to eight-for-eight on the year.

While nobody will be bragging about Winnipeg’s attack — with Collaros saying after the game that the offence, which committed four turnovers, needed to be better — it was the small things that ended up making a big difference.

In the second quarter Wolitarsky, with the Bombers facing a 2nd-and-10, caught a ball for eight yards and then fought his way to a first down, the series eventually leading to a field goal. Then there was Greg McCrae, who made his first start of the season, helping fill the void left by Nic Demski, who was back home awaiting the birth of his child, by combining for 51 yards on the ground and through the air.

Not to mention running back Brady Oliveira, who fumbled early in the second quarter, only to rebound with 112 rushing yards on 20 carries. Or the O-line, who kept their promise to keep Collaros mostly upright, surrendering just two sacks compared to the seven they allowed to B.C.

The offence could have taken better advantage of the defence’s turnovers, as twice they took over the ball only to give it back three plays later. But credit to them for turning Brandon Alexander’s third-quarter interception into a pivotal seven points, while also finishing on their lone visit to the red zone.

3) On that note, there’s no doubt Alexander’s interception was a game-defining moment. To understand it’s full impact, we need to examine what happened before, during and after the play.

Before Alexander stepped in front of an inside-route pass from Cody Fajardo intended for Austin Mack, the Bombers had given up their biggest gain of the night — a 46-yard completion to Kaion Julien-Grant that put the Alouettes on the Bombers’ 14-yard line. Alexander put an end to that quick shift in momentum with his pick, followed by a dynamic 62-yard return that gave Winnipeg the ball in Montreal territory.

The Bombers offence then took over and six plays later Collaros found Schoen in the end zone for a 21-yard strike on second-and-long. The score went from the Bombers up 10-0 and the Alouettes in position to cut that lead down by at least three points, to giving Winnipeg a 17-0 edge heading into the fourth quarter.

That marked the end of any potential comeback, as the Alouettes went on to punt once, score a field goal and commit a pair of turnovers on their final four drives of the game.

4) While Alexander’s interception was a key moment, it was the play of the entire defence that ultimately led the Bombers to victory.

The Bombers limited the Alouettes to just 328 yards of net offence, including just 82 yards in the first half. Montreal was consistently snuffed out on second down, converting a dismal 42 per cent of their opportunities, and were a mere three points shy of being held to a rare shutout.

The Bombers made life extremely difficult for Fajardo, who finished 17-for-27 passing for 258 yards and an interception. Fajardo was sacked five times, including twice each by D-linemen Willie Jefferson, who had a monster game with Jackson Jeffcoat returning to the lineup, and Cameron Lawson, with Jefferson also forcing a fumble — one of four Alouettes’ turnovers in the game.

The secondary gave up a few big plays but had mostly solid coverage, allowing more time for the D-line to get to Fajardo. Winnipeg limited Alouettes bruising running back William Stanback to just 42 yards on eight carries and were particularly strong down the stretch, forcing fumbles on Montreal’s final two drives to seal the win.

5) There was a lot of talk leading into the game about the Alouettes’ 2-0 start to the year, with many questioning whether Montreal was actually as good as their record after earning wins against the lowly Ottawa Redblacks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats — two clubs that entered the weekend a combined 0-5.

While being nearly held pointless certainly won’t favour the Alouettes, there’s a lot to like from this group. Fajardo is playing with confidence, and he’s got two good weapons in Mack and Julien-Grant, with the Alouettes receivers finishing with 103 and 129 yards, respectively.

Montreal’s defence, which was missing its interceptions leader in defensive back Ciante Evans, is a physical group and before playing the Bombers had yet to surrender a touchdown. Usually, when you can limit a team to 17 points, you end up on the right side of things, and the Alouettes defence did their job, only to be let down by the offence.

There’s still plenty of season left, so only time will tell where the Alouettes end up this year. But through three games they’re looking like a tougher-than-expected out, which is good news for an East Division that has struggled for years to keep pace with the West. Given how Ottawa and Hamilton are playing, the CFL needs the Alouettes to be competitive and so far they look like they are.

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Twitter: @jeffkhamilton