Clarence Denmark has seen some things in his 103 games in the Canadian Football League, all of them as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
He’s seen more bad than good, for certain, during his stretch here from 2011-17. There have been losing skids and embarrassing whoopings. Coaches have been fired, friends cut. Heck, he’s even been dumped and brought back.
And so it was quite the sight to see the veteran receiver in the Bombers locker room late Thursday night following an improbable, incredible, unlikely, absolutely nutty 41-40 victory over the Montreal Alouettes at Investors Group Field that had the home side rally from 12 points down with 1:35 left.
Denmark sat at his locker and casually soaked in the madness all around him after one of the greatest comebacks in franchise history.
“That’s about as fun as it gets, right there,” said Denmark with a grin. “At the end, that’s exactly what we said we were going to do – come out with a win – and we did it.
“This comes from confidence and the leaders we have on the team. In the final minute somebody said, and I don’t know who it was, that we were going to go win it. That confidence is building every day with the way guys are working around here.
“You’re not going to believe somebody or trust somebody that says that unless you see them at work every day. A win like that… it only brings us closer as a group.”
Winnipeg Blue Bombers wide receiver Clarence Denmark (89) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Montreal Alouettes during the first half of CFL football action in Winnipeg on Thursday, July 27, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Trevor Hagan
That was a common sentiment in the Bombers locker room afterward. This wasn’t just a garden-variety win, or even a compelling comeback like last September’s rally in a win over the Toronto Argonauts.
This is the kind of result that could – could – galvanize a team that still has a ton of work to do, but can do it now at 3-2 and not at 2-3 and with the walls closing in all around them.
“We talked about it before the game… we wanted to be in that locker room an exhausted bunch celebrating a win,” said Matt Nichols. “That’s exactly what we are doing. Everyone left everything out there on the field. Everyone is going to have a few bumps and bruises from this one, but obviously, those feel a lot better on a long week after a win.
“It’s everything. This game is all about winning. It’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business and everyone’s mindset is different after a win going into next week. You’d like to say you attack each week the same, but obviously you feel a lot better after a win, especially the way the West is right now that’s a big win for us to keep pace.”
More on Thursday’s miraculous comeback over the Alouettes in our weekly post-game follow up we call ‘Upon Further Review’…
WE TOSSED IT OUT THERE RIGHT AFTER THE FINAL GUN… had sounded, tweeting that this was one of the greatest comebacks in franchise history and made sure to reference Milt Stegall’s 100-yard, last-play TD in a win over Edmonton in 2006 in our game story.
But several Bombers fans have also chimed in with greatest-comeback candidates, among them:
- The 47-35 OT victory over the B.C. Lions on Oct. 11, 2010 in which the Bombers entered the fourth quarter down 32-11, but with Steven Jyles coming off the bench, rallied to tie the game on a 39-yard Jyles-to-Greg Carr TD with 57 seconds remaining before getting a TD from Yvenson Bernard, and a 72-yard interception return for a score by Deon Beasley in extra time.
- The crazy Troy Kopp game on Sept. 13, 1998 when the Bombers – 0-10 at the time – replaced starting QB T.J. Rubley. Kopp, a virtual unknown at the time, completed 11 of 15 passes for 171 yards and two TDs – including the game-winner to Dimitrious Stanley with 21 seconds remaining as the Bombers rallied from down 28-10 in the fourth quarter for a 36-35 win.
- Matt Dunigan’s first-ever start for the Bombers back on July 9, 1992 in Hamilton when he guided the club back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and completed 23 of 52 passes for 398 yards and two TDs.
- A 46-44 victory over Hamilton on Oct. 22, 1994 in which the Bombers twice overcame 27-point deficits as Dunigan threw for 375 yards and two TDs before Troy Westwood sealed the deal with a 35-yard-field goal with 27 seconds remaining.
- A 51-48 double-OT win over Calgary on Aug. 23rd, 2003 in which the Bombers came back from trailing 17 points in the fourth quarter as Khari Jones hit Arland Bruce for a TD with 24 seconds left and then again in extra time.
Those are just games these eyeballs have seen covering the team. Would be curious to hear from other Bombers fans who have other comebacks in mind.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Andrew Harris (33) carries the ball in front of Montreal Alouettes linebacker Nicolas Boulay (52) during the first half of CFL football action in Winnipeg on Thursday, July 27, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Trevor Hagan
DOWN BY 12 AFTER STEFAN LOGAN’S… 31-yard TD run with 1:40 left, it would have been natural for teams to throw up the white flag – even in this goofy league were ‘no lead is safe’ is spit out so often it’s almost cliché.
After the game, Andrew Harris was asked what was said in the offensive huddle as the Bombers attempted to rally.
“Let’s go. We’re in ‘Cheetah,’” he said. “We practise these situations all the time and that (Cheetah) is our fast-paced no huddle. We like being in that situation.
“We knew they were tired. You could see they were keeling over and there was a couple of times they wanted to get subbed out and they were just taking a knee and their defensive coordinator was yelling ‘Stay in the game! Stay in the game!’ I mean, for us that’s a tribute to our conditioning and our fast-paced style of offence. Tonight, it was the difference.”
THE COMEBACK HAPPENED FOR ANY NUMBER… of reasons, not the least of which was Justin Medlock’s perfect onside kick with 44 seconds remaining that was recovered by Brandon Alexander.
What made the kick unique was it was essentially a ‘pop up’ near the middle of the field, not one of those hooks to the sidelines where the hands team either pulls it out of the sky or swats it out of bounds.
“It was a designed play by (Coach) O’Shea, good design and we were able to capitalize and give our guys a chance,” said Medlock. “I had a couple options (wide, short, other side, middle) and that was one of them. We read it and see which one’s the best one. We just saw that it would give us the best shot.”
Alexander admitted afterward Thursday night was the first time in his football career that he had ever caught an on-side kick.
“I’m so excited that I could provide that for the team,” he said. “It’s just a wonderful feeling that we could go down there after that and score in the last second.
“We practice that all the time… sometimes it’s in the middle, sometimes it’s on the outside. It’s all about execution.”
Asked if he was put on the short-kick unit because he has good hands, Alexander laughed.
“I honestly don’t know. They put me in that position and told me to go run and go make a play. That’s what I did.”
Montreal Alouettes fullback Jean-Christopher Beaulieu (46) scores in front of Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive back Brandon Alexander (21) during the first half of CFL football action in Winnipeg on Thursday, July 27, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Trevor Hagan
ONE MORE ON MEDLOCK… his miss on a 37-yard attempt with 9:04 remaining ended a streak of 50 straight from inside the 40 that dates back to Oct. 18, 2015.
He also clanged a 47-yarder off the upright in the first half and has missed two in a single game only five times in his career, the last time was in last year’s Banjo Bowl.
Medlock was asked after the game if he was in a rut.
“No. I just miss-hit one. I’m pretty confident in myself,” he said. “As long as I get a good snap, good hold I’m confident.”
THE GAME’S ENDING GLOSSED OVER… some very grotesque defensive numbers for the Bombers defence, including the 40 points surrendered, the 183 yards rushing while Darian Durant completed 27 of 35 (77.1 percent) for 348 yards with two TDs and one interception.
The Als continued to attack the Bomber rookies in the secondary in Roc Carmichael and Brian Walker, but also got a score behind Chris Randle.
“At times the defence didn’t stand up when we were supposed to and we deflated the whole team,” said Randle. “But to come in and then have the offence do what they’re supposed to do and the special teams step up… we finish the game as a team and that’s what it’s all about.”
The Bombers did manage to get some pressure on Durant, sacking him five times – twice each by Jamaal Westerman and Jackson Jeffcoat with one from Cory Johnson – while Jeffcoat also picked off a pass on Montreal’s first possession.
“That was a lot of fun,” said Jeffcoat. “I felt like the sacks were overdue so I need to go out there and get some. I thank my teammates, my guys inside and Westerman and Trent (Corney) on the other side for helping me out and making sure we’re keeping the quarterback in the pocket.
“In the NFL it’s close (to being over). But out here, this game is kind of like basketball. It’s a game of runs and you can make a run and anybody can come back and then you’ve got to play good defence and keep a team from getting back.”
NO WORD YET ON THE STATUS… of Weston Dressler – that might not come until Monday when the club returns to practice – but another bright spot was Ryan Lankford, who pulled in seven passes for 53 yards, including the second-last score, after being summoned from the bench.
“We scored 41 points and when you do that you obviously had a pretty good day,” said Nichols in assessing the offence. “I thought we did some good things… obviously, there’s always going to be a few things here and there you’re going to clean up.
“We had Weston go down early and Lankford stepped in and made some big plays for us. The game had a little bit of everything. That’s been our mentality the last couple of years and guys came out and made plays when called up and that’s how you win football games.”
