Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB Moe Leggett catches a short-punt attempt by the Roughriders during third quarter CFL action between the Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Winnipeg on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. (CFL PHOTO - Jason Halstead)
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It was jammed-to-the-canopies full, and, man oh man, was it loud. And for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, it was exactly the kind of afternoon they’ve long wanted to deliver to their long-suffering faithful.
The Bombers improved to 8-3 with Saturday’s 48-28 Banjo Bowl victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, a win that not only means they have won five of their last six, but also the season series, 2-1, against their West Division rivals.
There’s also this rather significant fact: The Bombers are now 4-1 at home and 8-3 in their last 11 at Investors Group Field. And given how ugly the home record was before this stretch at home – an absolutely grotesque 7-23 in the new building since its opening in 2013 – that is a mammoth reversal of fortunes.
“It was a huge question at the beginning, why we hadn’t been winning at home,” said veteran cornerback Chris Randle inside a celebratory Bombers locker room. “We focused on ourselves and focused on what we needed to do to win ball games.”
“The fact that we’ve been winning on the road… we took it upon ourselves to focus on ourselves and do it for our fans, do it for the organization, do it to win every single game.”
“The fact that we’re winning now at home and that environment where (the fans) set the tone… it makes it more special when we win at home and the energy that they bring excites us, sets the tone for our whole team and it’s good. It’s something we want to keep going.
“I can honestly say that was a very special crowd; moreso than I’ve ever experienced. I didn’t play in last year’s Banjo Bowl because of injury and even the year before that because of injury. Comparing that to the games I’ve played in, that was a special game and a special crowd.”
Saturday’s Banjo Bowl also offered a hint as to what IGF might be like if this team can secure a home playoff game. The Bombers haven’t played host to a postseason game since the 2011 East Division Final at old Canad Inns Stadium and have four of their last seven games on home turf: September 22nd vs. Ottawa, October 6th vs. Hamilton, October 14th and October 28th vs. B.C.
“It was huge,” said Matt Nichols of the crowd noise. “You could see it right away affect (Saskatchewan’s) offence and their communication. It’s such a big momentum thing for us… when we make plays, hearing that crowd erupt creates more momentum and more than anything for the opponent it makes whatever just happened seem worse than it is and those things snowball for you.”
Nichols then looked right into the cameras facing him in his post-game scrum and added:
“I would love to play in front of a sold-out crowd every week so, all you fans come out every single week. Thank you.”
More on the Banjo Bowl win – Winnipeg’s third straight and fourth in the last five editions of the game – in our weekly collection of notes and quotes we call Upon Further Review…
HE SEEMS OFTEN OVERLOOKED… outside of the Bombers locker room, but Moe Leggett’s work is big-time valued by the men he goes to battle with each week. That much was obvious late Saturday as his teammates weighed in on his two touchdown/three tackle performance.
“Moe is just an athlete,” said Clarence Denmark. “I tell everybody that: He’s a great football player. I’m just glad he’s on our side.”
“He’s a game changer, he’s a playmaker, he’s a guy that is a team leader out here,” added Matt Nichols. “He’s a guy whose presence just makes us a better team. He showed that again and he did all last year.
“He’s been playing some good football when he’s been healthy this year and you saw it (Saturday) what type of good things he can do. It’s amazing what he can do and he definitely gets the guys fired up.”
Some Leggett numbers to munch on: In the last six games since he returned from injury, he has 25 tackles, three sacks, one interception for a touchdown, three forced fumbles and a punt-return TD.
“I was just waiting to be more consistent,” said Leggett. “It started off rough at the beginning of the year for me health-wise. I’m just trying to bounce back and be more consistent.”
INTERESTING MOMENT POST-GAME… when Leggett was asked to detail his 97-yard punt return – the longest in franchise history – and he stiff-armed the suggestion if was a brilliantly-planned fake.
Just FYI, the Bombers all reacted as if the punt was going to be returned by Kevin Fogg, with all the downfield blockers running and pointing in his direction to the right side of the field. Instead, the ball landed on the left sideline, was scooped up by Leggett and with a wall of blockers lined up perfectly, ran untouched to the end zone.
“Actually, it was a shanked punt,” said Leggett with a grin. “It just bounced and just being a veteran, if it’s shanked we’re just trying to get the 15 (no-yards penalty) and it just bounced my way.”
When it was suggested Fogg was diverting all the downfield traffic toward him, Leggett added:
“I didn’t notice that. I saw the punter go the other way and it just shanked off his foot. That’s what I think happened.
“I think he misjudged the ball. If it happened any other way, he’s a great actor.”
INTERESTING MOMENT POST-GAME, THE SEQUEL… when Mike O’Shea was asked about the Leggett punt-return TD. O’Shea, as well, did not want to go into specifics.
“It’s a good football play,” he said. “It takes a bit of work and our guys are committed to it and it was well executed. (Special Teams coach) Paul Boudreau is very good for our team.”
The follow-up question: ‘Did you ever imagine that it would work that well to get you a touchdown?’
O’Shea: “Umm… yup.”
SOMETHING THAT GETS OVERSHADOWED… in the win and this week’s bye is the defence getting lit up for more ‘explosion’ plays. The Bombers gave up two long scores in the first half – Kevin Glenn connected with Duron Carter for an 88-yard TD and then with Naaman Roosevelt for a 75-yarder – and the Bombers gave up six passes of 25 yards or more totalling 290 yards.
If there is a silver lining to this – and it certainly is an ongoing concern that shouldn’t be glossed over – is the Bombers limited the Riders to just eight second-half points and none in the fourth quarter.
Of course, it helped that Glenn exited the game in the third quarter after banging his throwing hand on Cory Johnson on a follow through.
“You have a great receiving corps like them and it’s always going to be tough,” Leggett said. “It’s the CFL and they make plays, they’re great receivers and they have a great quarterback out there. We just had to strap up our chinstraps and just go to work.”
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CROWD ROARS OF THE AFTERNOON… came with less than five minutes left in the game when Nichols took off on a 41-yard run that saw him bust and spin away from tackles before having the ball stripped by Henoc Muamba and recovered by the Riders.
Nichols was kicking himself afterward for not taking care of the ball better – it was the Bombers only turnover on the afternoon.
“That’s one that’s going to eat at me,” he said. “I felt like I played a very good game and we preach holding on to the football late in games like that. I felt like I was in a tough situation with guys right behind me and it was a tough situation to be able to slide. So, I take on a couple of hits, but I’ve got to hold on to the ball there… especially if we’re in that situation later down the road if we’re only up six or seven, you’ve got to make sure you don’t make that mistake again.”
But the moment did have a positive impact on his teammates, all of whom are already among Nichols’ biggest fans.
“Matt’s our leader. I’ve never had a leader like that,” said Jermarcus Hardrick. “I’m willing to go to battle with him on anything he does. To see that kind of effort out of our quarterback, I don’t know about you but when I see that my skin crawl. When I see 15 running like that and putting down his shoulder… he’s definitely a crush for me. Matt Nichols is one of my crushes on this team, the way he leads, his attitude… whatever Matt says, he means.”
NICHOLS WAS BAILED OUT FOR THE GAFFE… on the very next play when Brandon Bridge, who had replaced Glenn, had his pass intercepted by Chris Randle.
Joked Nichols after the game: “I told him I was feeling bad for him that he didn’t get an interception earlier in the game and so I wanted to give him that opportunity and then he went out and made that play.”
THE PERFECT TIMING AWARD… on Saturday would have to go to linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox. Making his first CFL start in place of the injured Kyle Knox, Santos-Knox made a spectacular leaping interception off a Glenn pass on the Riders third play from scrimmage.
“That comes from a lot of preparation during the week, from watching film, breaking them down and executing our game plan,” said Santos-Knox. “I’m just happy to do right by my teammates and get the job done.”
Oh, and it just so happens that Santos-Knox’s parents and his two sisters were there to see it all. The family had planned to come up to this game earlier in the summer and being there in person to see Santos-Knox’s first start, he said, ‘was just icing on the cake.’
“My first Banjo Bowl… it was everything I was told it was going to be… even better than I was told it was going to be. The fans are amazing, the best in the CFL. Great time, great environment, great everything.”
IT WAS ALSO A PRETTY DANG GOOD DAY… for another man in the Bombers defence. Defensive lineman Jackson Jeffcoat had three tackles and two sacks, and for a guy who played his college ball at Texas, was raving about the environment afterward.
“That was a lot of fun,” said Jeffcoat. “The fans came out and you could tell they were loving it. They were loud. It was an amazing thing to be a part of and it was fun to get to play the banjo (he picked up the Banjo Bowl trophy and was strumming it after the game).”
There’s more… Jeffcoat’s father – former Dallas Cowboys star Jim Jeffcoat – texted him after the game from Boulder, Colorado, where he serves as the Colorado Buffaloes D-line coach.
“He texted me right away and said, ‘Way to go!’
“We’re having a good day,” added Jeffcoat. “They got the win against Texas State (37-3) and my Texas Longhorns won, too (56-0 over San Jose State). It was a good day for the Jeffcoat family for sure.”
A CHECK ON THE MILESTONE WATCH… post Banjo-Bowl edition:
- Weston Dressler finished with three receptions for 56 yards in the win over his old club, and in the process, moved past B.C. Lions legend Jim Young – ‘Dirty 30’ – into 25th spot on the CFL’s all-time receiving yardage list. Dressler is now at 9,262 yards and next up is ‘Prince’ Hal Patterson, the Montreal Alouettes icon, in 24th spot at 9,473 career receiving yards.
- Clarence Denmark’s two TDs on Saturday gave him 14 scores in his last 21 games since returning to the club. He now has 30 receiving TDs, tying him with Gerald Wilcox on the Bombers all-time list.
- And more on the receiving front… Andrew Harris pulled in another five receptions for 26 yards in the win over the Riders. He now has 69 this year – just two shy of the Bomber record of 71 set by Robert Mimbs in 1991 – and still on pace to break the CFL record for receptions by a running back, 102, set by Saskatchewan’s Craig Ellis in 1985.
Harris would need to average 4.7 catches in the final seven games to break the mark set by Ellis. Harris, even before this year is complete, has averaged a remarkable 61.8 catches over the last six years.
AND, FINALLY… lost in all the Banjo Bowl hype was the announcement that the second-ever CFL Week will be held in Winnipeg next March 22-25. It’s a marvellous event staged by the league and brings together the league’s stars, while the top prospects are put through their paces in the national combine before the draft.
As well, the players are made available to fans through autograph signings and media panels while the Canadian Football Hall of Fame 2018 induction class will also be made official. Most of the events will be staged in and around the Convention Centre.
The Bombers made a push for the event after seeing how well it went this past March in Regina.
“We’ve been working on this pretty well since the last CFL Week,” said Bombers President & CEO Wade Miller. “It’s just a great event for our fans because there are a bunch of activities for them throughout the week.
“It’s an opportunity to see 50 of the CFL’s stars and it’s a really special week because you see the guys relaxed and in a different environment where they’re not worried about a win or loss each week. It was great last year and we look forward to hosting it here in Winnipeg.”
