OTTAWA — It was in the immediate moments after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers won in Edmonton last weekend when defensive back Kevin Fogg was thrust in front of the cameras and media.
The Bombers had just finished applying the final strokes to the defensive masterpiece that was their 30-3 win over the Eskimos and Fogg – who was all over the stats sheet, the biggest play being a Pick-6 interception – was dutifully answering questions.
Interrupting the proceedings, just for a moment, was Andrew Harris who grabbed Fogg, hugged him and could be heard whispering in a sing-song voice ‘Look at you! Look at you with your Pick-6!’
The exchange perfectly captured the euphoria that came over a critical victory that thrust the Bombers right back into the Canadian Football League’s playoff picture. And, indirectly, it helps us set the stage for Friday’s game here against the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
You see, not long after Harris and Fogg hugged it out, the Bombers running back was back inside the locker room lamenting how long it took his squad to establish the running attack. And, in the wake of spectacular performances by the defence and special teams, how the offence must hold up its end of the equation.
Fast forward a few days later and Harris was offering up the same big-picture take that spoke both of his admitted perfectionist approach to the run game, but also about ensuring the Bombers continue to hammer home their offensive identity.
And that identity is built around pushing the pile at the line of scrimmage and his running behind, through or around said pile.
“Our run game is definitely a focal point for other teams and defensive coordinators and every player on the defence,” Harris began. “It’s going to be tough sledding, but I just want more production out of that. No matter what – there could be eight guys in the box, 12 guys in the box for that matter – and we’ve just got to find a way to be more productive and take the pressure off Matt (Nichols) and the receivers and the O-line.
“When the run game is not working as well, it’s harder to do anything on offence. I believe our offence is geared around having a good run game and it starts with myself and the guys up front. I need to be better… I missed a couple of cuts and should have hit holes in a certain way. The positive of that is we finished the game properly and in a dominant fashion in running the ball and chewing up the clock up. But we need to be able to start that way and carry it throughout the full 60 minutes.”
The Bombers’ 75 yards along the ground last week – 73 by Harris, on 20 carries – was the third lowest rushing total of the season. And the 239 yards net offence was the lowest, albeit it might have come with an asterisk as the work of the defence and special teams left the Bombers with short fields, as evidenced by their average drive start being their own 53-yard line.
That’s what makes this week’s game in Ottawa such an intriguing matchup. The REDBLACKS defence, orchestrated by Noel Thorpe, likes to bring pressure and fill the area at and near the line of scrimmage – the box – with numbers, allowing them to blitz from all over, but also clog up potential running lanes.
But it’s the belief of Harris – and the rest of the offence, for that matter – that if the Bombers are to dictate the script Friday, it must first begin with the ground game.
“It’s something we take so much pride in,” said Harris. “When teams are standing us up like that we’ve got to be able to find a way to get out of that funk and be more productive. You can’t lean on the pass too heavily or the run too heavily. When we’re balanced, that’s the best Blue Bomber offence we can be. That’s when we control the ball and the clock.”
“If you look at what we do on offence, it leans on the run game to open up the pass game and play action,” added guard Pat Neufeld. “We’ve taken pride in doing that, it’s just we’ve got to step up our game when teams actively try to take that away.”
Friday’s game offers up a fascinating chess match in schemes with the Bombers wishing to establish the run, especially as we get into the final stretches of the regular season, versus the REDBLACKS’ desire to stuff it. And actually, this isn’t entirely new: teams have taken the approach, perhaps even moreso this year, to limit the damage done by Harris.
But #33 insists they must counter the counter-punch by sticking to what they do best.
“If they’ve got seven guys along the line of scrimmage, in theory, if you just make one guy miss there’s no one left,” Harris explained. “But that’s easier said than done. (Ottawa) likes to play a lot of guys close to the line and bring the safety down… there’s going to be times where we’re facing a seven-eight man box.
“But we have been facing this over the past few weeks. We’re getting used to teams focusing on stopping the run… it’s on me to find those creases, for the five guys up front to create those creases. We just need to play the physical brand of football we’re used to playing and find that balance.”
It’s what the big eaters on the Bomber O-line call winning the ‘bully game’, even if that sounds politically incorrect.
“We’re playing a physical team and so we need to match that. As much as I’m an anti-bully activist, we’ve got to get that bully game going and win the bully game,” said Harris with a grin. “This is one of the toughest teams to do that against, but we need to rise up and get it done.”
BOMBERS REPORT | October 4, 2018
HIT IN THE POCKET BOOK:
The CFL announced some player discipline decisions on Thursday and the report included two Bombers.
Centre Matthias Goossen was fined for ‘a late and unnecessary hit on Montreal Alouettes linebacker Chris Ackie’ while Pat Neufeld was fined for the same in a play involving Als DL Gabriel Knapton.
As per league policy, the amount of the player fines were not disclosed.
DON’T WORRY:
Bombers QB Matt Nichols was scheduled to participate in media interviews upon arrival in Ottawa, but was feeling under the weather and instead headed straight to the hotel. Head coach Mike O’Shea indicated Nichols was just congested, but should be good to go against the REDBLACKS.
