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July 18, 2016

Not This Time

Jerome Messam (33) of the Calgary Stampeders during the game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon stadium in Calgary, AB. Friday, July 1, 2016. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

It’s been more than two weeks – 17 days, to be exact – and the topic can still bring Euclid Cummings to a quick boil.

Yes, it was back on Canada Day in Calgary that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defence was left with tire marks all over its collective back, courtesy of Stampeders running back Jerome Messam.

Messam, a 6-3, 265-pound machine who has a future as a bulldozer when his playing days are done, rumbled for 137 yards on just 16 carries against the Bombers in a 36-22 loss in which the visitors were pushed around the park.

“That was very embarrassing for our defence,” began Cummings, the Bombers dominant defensive tackle. “The first time we watched the game without any coaches, you could just tell the guys that missed plays just wanted to be in the background, that they were embarrassed about it.

“We don’t want to turn on film and see that again.”

Messam’s career numbers aren’t the only measure of his success against the Bombers. He has flashed the ability not just to run through the defence, but to do it at critical times when a game hangs in a balance, or when his team needs to eat up some clock.

All that said, his totals are impressive: two of his career eight 100-yard rushing games are against the Bombers and his 6.6-yard average per carry is a full 1.5 yards more than his average (5.1) against all other opponents.

To sum up: this beast likes to feast on the blue and gold.

Euclid Cummings

So how do the Bombers put up a roadblock in front of big ol’ 33?

“Fix the things we were bad at the last time we played them,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “We certainly allowed ourselves to get held, we didn’t swarm like we should have and like we can, and so you’re not gang tackling him.

“It’s all well and good to say the first guy is going to bring him down and that’s what you’re aiming for, but you really would like to see more than one tackler there any time you face a 265-pound tailback.

“I don’t see it being an issue. Our players have seen the film and they’re not happy about it. And they’re going to fix it.”

Scheme can be critical, clearly, but this is also a mano-a-mano/battle in the trenches/smash-mouth issue.

After the game, Stampeders receiver Marquay McDaniel suggested the Bombers defence didn’t play with much emotion. And to hear Cummings tell it, that shouldn’t be an issue Thursday night at Investors Group Field.

“When a guy like that (Messam) is running downhill like that and getting first downs, as a defence, we don’t like seeing that,” said Cummings. “It’s CFL ball, man, we don’t want anybody running the ball down our throats. We’re doing everything we can right now to make sure that doesn’t happen again and we’re going to come out there with the fire blazing.

“It all starts up front, creating a wall, getting penetration so he can’t really run anywhere. I was taught this by an old coach: all running backs run the same when there’s no holes. He’s a big guy, but if he’s got nowhere to go, he’s just any other back.”

 

BOMBER REPORT – JULY 18

HE’S GOT QB1’S BACK:

Drew Willy has completed 72 per cent of his passes and has a QB rating of 97.5, sixth-best among CFL starters. But the numbers that matter most are the Bombers 1-3 record and the club’s No. 1 gun is directly under the microscope.

Drew WillyMonday, head coach Mike O’Shea stood up for his pivot. Asked to offer some insight as to what he sees in Willy every day that the outside world does not, O’Shea offered up this:

“I don’t know that they’re here at practice every day. I don’t know that they’re here at 6-6:30 in the morning when he shows up to start his day or if they’re here later at night when he’s still here getting his treatment.

“I don’t know if they spent 11 weeks with him in the training room working his butt off so he could get back from his injury. There’s a lot of good things, a lot of intangibles that even the best fans wouldn’t see about Drew Willy.”

All this comes with the territory, of course. But the Bombers issues offensively go beyond the QB.

“It always gets put on the quarterback,” said O’Shea. “He’s the one that gets trotted out here almost on a daily basis. He’s the first one the media wants to talk to after a game. He touches the ball on every snap on offence.

“That’s the way it is on any pro football team. Fair? Unfair? We don’t speak in those terms. I think Drew’s a very good quarterback, I really do and in this building we believe that, too.

“So, I guess what goes on on the outside, I don’t know if it really matters to tell you the truth.”

NOTABLE:

Willy took an accidental hit during Monday’s practice, but was survived with no issues… DB Derek Jones did not participate, but is good to go against the Stamps… KR Quincy McDuffie, who did not play in the loss to Edmonton, was back returning punts at practice… QB Bryan Bennett, who has been away dealing with a personal matter, is expected back on Tuesday.

C.J. OK:

Bombers DB C.J. Roberts, who was victimized by Edmonton’s Derel Walker for a 74-yard TD on the first play of the fourth quarter, still drew a favourable review from O’Shea for his first CFL game.

“As I’ve said before, every game there’s plays that players want to have back and that’s his, probably,” said O’Shea. “He stopped his feet, looked in the backfield and away he goes. He made contact and then had to play the catch-up game.”