GAME 3 | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (1-1) at HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (1-1)
THE 4-1-1
Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT Friday; Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton
TV: TSN, RDS, ESPN2
Radio: CJOB
Vegas line: The Ticats are favoured by 4 1/2 points.
Streaks: Winnipeg: 1W; Hamilton: 1W
Home/Road: The Bombers are 1-0 on the road this year and were 6-3 away from home a year ago.
Series (since 1961): Winnipeg leads 63-54-0.
Recent history: The Bombers are just 4-8 in their last 12 games against Hamilton dating back to 2013, but have won three of their last four against the Tabbies. The two sides split last year, with Hamilton winning 30-13 in Winnipeg last October 6th and the Bombers winning in Steeltown 39-12 last August 12th.
3 STORYLINES
1. THE APPRENTICESHIP OF CHRIS STREVELER, CHAPTER 3
Chris Streveler was greener than St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin when he took his first pro snap – just two weeks ago – and he threw for three TDs and almost helped lead the Bombers to an upset over the Edmonton Eskimos.
But the straight-from-college rookie QB looked that much more comfortable in last week’s win over Montreal. Yes, he put up some gaudy numbers against an Alouettes squad that has now lost 13 straight and the sample size is very small, but his fingerprints are all over the Bombers 1-1 start and there is less panic now than three weeks ago when Matt Nichols was put on the six-game injured list.
Just to put Streveler’s two-game totals into perspective – his six passing TDs leads the CFL and he is fourth in the CFL in rushing – consider the company he finds himself in (numbers courtesy the CFL stats department):
Streveler was asked earlier in the week if his preparation would change for his third start.
“I don’t think, in terms of the process, it’s any different than Week 1 or 2,” he began. “Obviously, having two weeks under my belt working with the first group gives me and them a different level of comfort. But in terms of process and how we go about the week, there’s no difference.”
Still, a couple of points worth mentioning here: the gameplan offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice put together for Streveler last week in Montreal captured their growing relationship, a subject we touched on earlier and how that develops against a stout Ticats defence Friday will make for riveting drama.
And, as Streveler indicated above, the more snaps he takes with the No. 1 offence, the more comfortable he becomes working with his various targets. (To that end, it’s likely no coincidence that a former teammate and roommate at Minnesota, Drew Wolitarsky, leads the Bombers with three TD receptions).
“He’s just a football player who has come in and done what he’s supposed to do,” said wide receiver Darvin Adams. “Obviously, the coaches wouldn’t have him here if he couldn’t play, but he’s doing a great job of being a leader and a listener. He soaks in the information well and then takes it to the field.
“We’ve got a lot of veteran guys around here, from the O-line, to the running backs to the receivers. You really don’t have to say anything; I just think it’s the presence of the guys out there who are able to make plays and make him more comfortable.”
2. THE ‘OTHER’ J.M.
The offseason and start of the 2018 campaign in Hamilton has been dominated by news about Johnny Manziel, as reports followed the speculation he might sign with the Ticats, through to tracking every pass he threw during practice. He was solid in the preseason, leading to bookmakers setting ridiculous over-under marks for his passing yardage and TD totals.
Funny thing about all that as the Ticats head into their third game… the other J.M. – Jeremiah Masoli – has been superb to start the ’18 season, continuing with a run he started last season after assuming the starter’s role when Zach Collaros was benched. Some numbers to hammer that home:
- Masoli is 7-5 in his last 12 starts, completed 67.4 percent of his passes with 18 touchdown passes against six interceptions.
- He has passed for 300 yards or more in seven consecutive games, for a total of 2,416 yards (345 per game). The record for consecutive 300-plus passing yard games is nine, set by Sam Etcheverry in 1956 and equaled by Kent Austin in 1991.
- And, as a bonus, Masoli has rushed for 490 yards and three TDs in those dozen games.
The issue, then, is how the Bombers defend Masoli and his vast array of weapons – three Ticats receivers eclipsed the 1K mark last year (Jalen Saunders, 1,170; Luke Tasker, 1,167 and Brandon Banks, 1,011) and are already among the CFL leaders this season.
“He’s making some great throws down the field and extending plays by getting out of the pocket and moving around,” said Bombers defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat. “He’s a dual-threat guy, a guy that can beat you passing the ball and a guy that can beat you running the ball. He likes to extend the pocket, though, and wants to throw, not run and he’s got good receivers. He’s making some plays for them.”
The key, as always, is simple: pressure makes QBs squirm in the pocket. And the Bombers will bring it.
“You’ve just got to make sure you get back there and sack him,” said Jeffcoat. “When you sack the quarterback he can’t pass the ball because he’s on the ground. If he’s not able to get clean passes off, that’s the key. We have to get back there and get pressure on him.”
“He’s a great quarterback, great at scrambling,” added safety Taylor Loffler. “He reminds me a lot of Mike Reilly. Every scramble he’s still got his eyes down field. The biggest thing for the defensive backs when he gets out of the pocket is to plaster to a man. That’s going to be critical for us to get the win. That’s a great receiving corps. All of them have speed, all of them make plays. That makes it challenging. If we’re fundamentally sound, we’ll be good.”
3. THE CANADIANS CARRY THE ROCK
Bombers fans are now accustomed to seeing Andrew Harris, the hometown product, busy out of the backfield. He’s the reigning CFL Most Outstanding Canadian and a workhorse who won the rushing title a year ago and set a record for catches by a tailback with 105. The additions of two more Winnipeggers this offseason in free agency – Nic Demski and Kienan LaFrance – only bolster the backfield depth behind him.
But there’s also a cool story unfolding in Hamilton with a hometown back – Mercer Timmis, a product of Burlington, emerging as a bonafide ground threat for the Ticats. Timmis rushed 17 times for 133 yards in Hamilton’s win over Edmonton last week and his first two touchdowns. Timmis is a third-generation CFLer: his grandfather Brian Jr. played for Saskatchewan in 1953 and great-grandfather Brian Sr. was a hall of famer fullback and defensive back who played for two decades, including 15 seasons with the Hamilton Tigers, winning three Grey Cups.
Timmis, FYI, trains in the offseason with former Ticat and current national team bobsledder Jesse Lumsden.
“(Lumsden) messaged me after the game, and that was great,” Timmis told The Hamilton Spectator this week. “I think it’s nice to see Canadians at what’s not typically a Canadian spot be successful. There have been some stud (Canadian) backs. I think I still have a lot of work to do.”
THE QBS
Winnipeg’s Chris Streveler is making his third career start. He’s 1-1 in his young career.
Hamilton’s Jeremiah Masoli is making his 22nd career start. He’s 11-10 in his starts.
ROSTER SHUFFLE
The Bombers are making four changes to their 46-man roster. Coming on this week are DBs Marcus Sayles and Tyneil Cooper, LB Kyrie Wilson and FB John Rush. Coming off are DB Anthony Gaitor, DT Brandin Bryant, DE Trent Corney and LB Ian Wild.
3 BOMBERS TO WATCH
#82 Drew Wolitarsky, WR: He’s made five catches this season, but with a dang fine scoring ratio – three of those five receptions have been for TDs.
#54 Tristan Okpalaugo, DE: Coming off a dominant performance in Montreal in which he registered two sacks and was in Drew Willy’s mug all night long.
#4 Adam Bighill, LB: Leads the Bombers with 11 tackles and there’s a very real sense he’s just getting started.
X FACTOR
#31 Maurice Leggett, defensive back/returner: The Bombers have been cautious in bringing Leggett back from last October’s ruptured Achilles tendon. He made his 2018 debut last week as a returner, only getting defensive reps after an injury to Gaitor. But with Gaitor now shelved, Leggett has been working at the defensive halfback spot all week. He’s one of the CFL’s best playmakers, but has done so almost primarily as a strong-side linebacker. With Chandler Fenner so capably manning that spot now, Leggett moves back into the secondary.
CRITICAL NUMBER – 588:
The Bombers total of 588 yards offence last week was the most by any CFL team since October 2013, when Calgary racked up 622 in a game against the Bombers. That 588 total was Winnipeg’s largest total in 12 years, dating back to July 1 and a 601-yard outing against Edmonton.
MISC.
- The CFL stats crew reports that the Bombers had four Canadians score TDs last week: Wolitarsky, Harris, Demski and LaFrance. The league’s number-crunchers have gone back to 1990 and not found another CFL game where four Canadians scored TDs.
- The Bombers and Ticats combined for 94 points, 11 TD drives out of 25 possessions (44%), 68 first downs and 1,107 yards of net offence last week in their wins over Montreal and Edmonton.
- The 46-point victory margin by the Bombers was their largest since a 55-7 win over Ottawa on July 17, 2002.
- The last Bomber QB to have three passing TDs in consecutive games was Kevin Glenn back in 2005. Glenn had a stretch of four games where he threw for at least three scores.
