Written by: Andrew Parker
It’s been a rocky couple of weeks, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers did everything they needed to do to pull off a win against the Montreal Alouettes this afternoon. Winnipeg came back from being 15 points down heading into the fourth quarter to edge out the Als with a 26-25 final score.
I don’t care why you like Winnipeg football, this game had it all: defense that put up 6 sacks and 3 interceptions on a quarterback that seldom seems pressured, good special teams led by big kicks from newcomer Jamie Boreham, and effective offense from both Buck Pierce and Alex Brink to score just enough points on several efficient drives that were only 4 plays long. Oh and also, it was exciting.
Getting off to fast starts hasn’t been the Bombers’ niche this year, but you’d never know it looking at this game. The defence began with great pressure that quickly turned into an interception from Jovon Johnson. After that it was the offence’s turn to shine, beginning with a big run by Chris Garrett and an impressive over the shoulder snag by Terrence Edwards that brought Winnipeg down to first and goal. Pierce popped the ball up over the secondary to Greg Carr for the early score, completing an absolutely flawless drive.
The defence wanted to see more of that scoring magic, so Ian Logan gave them the chance by getting another interception on Montreal’s first shot back on offence. This set up the Bombers at mid-field for the second time, in excellent position make plays. Unfortunately that drive ended with a missed field goal, scoring a single instead to make the game 8-0.
Montreal began to see that passing wasn’t working for them, but found success by focusing on their running game. A couple big gains and a Winnipeg pass interference call brought them close, but a sack from Bryant Turner stopped the drive and made them settle for a field goal instead. Montreal would travel down again for another field goal, ending the quarter down 8-6.
Things slowed down in the second quarter and seemed to shift into soccer, with only a few kicking points scored. Winnipeg’s newest punter Jamie Boreham showed his range with 67 and 76 yard singles, and the defence stopped Montreal deep enough in their zone to allow a field goal.
Winnipeg had a good chance at the end of the half; although Winnipeg turned the ball over on a fumble, good pressure on Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo gave them back possession with 44 seconds left. Sadly, things fizzled when the Bombers closed in on scoring, running out of time instead of settling for a field goal.
With plenty more kicking, the soccer game continued into the third quarter. Montreal had the wind at their back and made the most of it by hitting three field goals. Winnipeg showed strong defence, but unfortunately it seemed to come when the Alouettes were already within field goal range. The third quarter got worse after an interception set up a drive for Montreal, featuring all running plays that brought them to the score. This made for a total of 16 unanswered Montreal points in the third, and put Winnipeg in a tough spot for the fourth.
Chris Garrett got the final 15 minutes going with a huge run that recaptured the fans, beginning a drive that would end in a Winnipeg field goal. After that, it was a monstrous 51 yard punt return from Johnson that showed Winnipeg still had potential today. That hope faltered however, when the drive only led to a 27 yard field goal attempt banging off the uprights.
But thank Hefney. As soon as Montreal took over possession, Jonathon Hefney grabbed an interception to give the Bombers the kind of momentum that wouldn’t quit for the rest of the game. Winnipeg snapped up catches on offence, with Carr bringing them to the two yard line. A quick handoff let Garrett finish the drive, skipping into the end zone to bring the Bombers down five after the convert.
Back on defence now with less than five minutes, there was no room for error. Remarkably, Winnipeg nailed back-to-back sacks by Clint Kent and Fernand Kashama, his second of the game. After one failed offensive attempt, Winnipeg got the ball back again with just over a minute to go. A catch from Edwards brought them closer, and when Montreal was called for pass interference in the end zone, it put the Bombers at first and goal. On second down, Alex Brink pitched perfectly back to Garrett, who leapt into the end zone with style to give his team the lead.
Winnipeg would try unsuccessfully for two points, but it didn’t matter when the defence took over. Jason Vega, who provided excellent quarterback pressure all game, made his mark on Calvillo with his second sack that all but sealed Montreal’s fate. Winnipeg stopped the Alouettes at midfield, holding on to their lead for the win, the tie in the standings, and all the excitement of an incredible comeback.
