Just when everyone was ready to typecast the Winnipeg Blue Bombers – they’ve been most often described as a ball-control offence with solid special teams and backed by a thieving defence – they step up and show some more range in their game.
Actually… a lot more range.
The Bombers rallied from a 29-19 deficit to out-score the Toronto Argonauts 27-zip to the final gun Saturday afternoon at Investors Group Field in a 46-29 victory that extends their win streak to seven games.
And in the process, they’ve proven again that this bunch not only has more layers than an onion, but that it can win a track meet shootout and get up off the mat after being bloodied and bruised and land some crisp and timely jabs of its own.
The Bombers are now 8-4 at the two-thirds mark of the regular season – that’s more wins than in any season since this club went 10-8 in 2011 – and head into Calgary next weekend for a showdown with the powerhouse Stampeders.
“In my mind this was just another game,” said Bombers linebacker Maurice Leggett, who picked off his sixth pass.in the victory. “I’m on to Calgary. Those are the guys on the top.”
“I don’t feel like we’re respected anyway. We’re still not respected. ‘This is just a run we’re on, that we’re hot right now’… that’s what everyone is saying and Calgary is the team to beat. Guess what? I’m on to them now.
“I don’t think anyone will (pick us to win next week), but that doesn’t matter. It’s what we think in here. We feel like we can beat any team.”
Maurice Leggett
Asked if that includes beating any team, anywhere, Leggett added:
“That doesn’t matter. We could go outside in the parking lot and we’re going to say ‘G-U-S’ and that means ‘Get U Some.’”
Disrespected or not, typecast or not, what transpired Saturday afternoon in front of 25,943 in south Winnipeg is only going to fuel the Bombers and their collective belief further.
The home side was far from its best through the first 35 minutes as the Argos jumped out to a 10-point lead at 29-19 when quarterback Dan LeFevour connected with Kenny Shaw for his fourth passing touchdown of the game.
And that’s when the Bombers, featuring a receiving corps that lost two more when both Gerrard Sheppard and Quincy McDuffie were injured, flashed an explosiveness many were convinced the offence didn’t possess.
Over the final 22 minutes and 24 seconds, the Bombers got TDs from Clarence Denmark on a 15-yard strike from Matt Nichols, a Timothy Flanders two-yard score, a Nichols one-yard keeper for a major, and two Justin Medlock field goals.
The 46 points was the most this season and the most put up by the Bombers since a 47-35 victory over the B.C. Lions on Oct. 11, 2010.
“I don’t know exactly what sparked the turnaround,” said Nichols. “Our defence forced a couple of turnovers and we were able to convert those into points. That’s obviously big. But I’m just happy this team found a different way to win. We had won some close games that were battles the whole game. We’ve had a couple blowout wins and, this one, we were actually down by 10 in the third quarter and to storm back like that with all three phases making plays was just huge for this team.
“We’re just finding every which way to win, and that speaks to the character on this team and to the talent on this team.”
Matt Nichols
All that said, there was a lot about this game that looked so familiar to the others before it during this run. The Bombers again won the turnover ratio – finishing +2 – got a solid outing from Nichols, who was 24 of 33 for 232 yards with one TD and zero picks, while Justin Medlock was six-for-six in field goals.
But they also got their first kick-return score of the season as McDuffie returned a kickoff 98 yards in the second quarter, while the defence – which had been lit up by LeFevour & Co. in the first half – allowed a measly 60 yards through the air in the final 30 minutes.
Oh, and there’s also this: Their offensive meal ticket, running back Andrew Harris, was a last-minute scratch but Timothy Flanders (his replacement) rushed 19 times for 102 yards while pulling in four passes for 34 more.
“There was a lot to like,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “Their response in the third quarter… I know we gave up an early touchdown in the third, but after that we shut them down pretty good, our offence was rolling, our special teams scored. All three phases did well today.
“We’ve won differently several times in different styles of games. I mean, that was a tough game. Both Saskatchewan games were physically very tough, this was a physically tough game. In the first half it was tough physically and we managed to come out after halftime and respond physically.
“I don’t know if there was one (play) and say there was a turning point. I mean, shoot, look at the score. This was a CFL game… there were a lot of points. We’ll look at the film and have some things to fix, but I like our resolve.”
3-MINUTE DRILL
THE BIG STAT
27: The Bombers scored 27 unanswered points in the second half after falling behind 29-19 five minutes into the third quarter.
FYI
The seven game winning streak is the longest since the record 12-game run during the 2001 season, but the Bombers did rack up nine straight at the end of the 2002 and start of 2003 campaigns.
OUCH REPORT
The Bombers saw two more receivers drop on Saturday as both Quincy McDuffie and Gerrard Sheppard did not finish. McDuffie had caught four passes for 23 yards – and served up the big kickoff-return touchdown – while Sheppard had one catch for 26 yards, but looked to suffer an injured leg on the play.
Already missing Darvin Adams and Ryan Smith, the receiving corps finished with Weston Dressler, Clarence Denmark, Rory Kohlert, Julian Feoli-Gudino and Addison Richards. Dressler led all receivers with 93 yards on eight receptions.
“Guys are ready. Our guys, no matter where they’re at on a so-called depth chart, whatever position they are at… we’re all ready,” said Dressler. “I thought our unit in the last few weeks has done a great job communicating to each other to make sure we’re all on the same page.”
FLANDERS STEPS IN
The Bombers announced before the game that Harris would be a scratch with a lower-body injury. In stepped Flanders in his first real action since the preseason in June and he was solid in cracking the 100-yard rushing mark.
“I was ready regardless of the situation,” said Flanders. “I would love to see Andrew play. I mean, I love watching him play. He was helping me out there and the offensive line was helping me out there.
“When you all found out that Andrew wasn’t playing was when I found out.”
NUMBERS GAME
7-0: Matt Nichols’ record as a starter this season since replacing Drew Willy in Edmonton on July 28th. He is now 9-5 as a starter in Winnipeg.
15: The consecutive field goal streak by Lirim Hajrullahu before he missed on his lone try on Saturday. Hajrullahu missed from 38 yards with the Argos trailing 36-29, with the gaffe returned to the Bombers 31-yard line by Maurice Leggett.
6: Field goals by Justin Medlock on Saturday, from 13, 48, 37, 53, 46 and 32 yards.
4: Touchdowns by Clarence Denmark this season against the Argos, including a 15-yarder on Saturday.
3: Touchdowns by Clarence Denmark last year, in 18 games.
NOTABLE
- Winnipeg boosted its turnover ratio again on Saturday, finishing at +2 (interceptions by Maurice Leggett and Chris Randle and a turnover on downs vs a late turnover on downs themselves while trying to milk the clock). The Bombers have forced 29 turnovers in the last seven games while committing just five.
They are now +25 in the takeaway/giveaway department.
Just FYI, the club record is +27, set in 1987.
