Menu
July 19, 2019

Quick Hits | OTT 1 WPG 31

5 Quick Takes on the Bombers win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS:

1. The Bombers improved to a perfect 5-0 with a 31-1 victory over the REDBLACKS on another spectacular Friday night at IG Field in front of 25,350.

It marks their best start to open a year since 1960 when they cruised to 10-0 out of the blocks and finished 14-2, but then lost in a best-of-three West Final to Edmonton when Kenny Ploen broke his throwing hand in Game 1.

The injured-plagued REDBLACKS, meanwhile, have now dropped three in a row and are 2-3.


2. After a sluggish start for the Bombers offence – they were two-and-out on their first three possessions – Matt Nichols & Co. were dialled in big-time to finish the first half as Winnipeg led 28-1 at the intermission. Nichols would end up establishing a new club record for consecutive passes with 19, breaking Dieter Brock’s old mark of 16, set in a game against Ottawa in 1981, before exiting in the fourth quarter. The streak of 19 consecutive is the fourth-longest in CFL history, with Hamilton’s Jeremiah Masoli holding the record of 23.

Nichols finished 25 of 29 for 295 yards with two TDs against zero interceptions – the TD strikes covering 15 yards to Andrew Harris and 54 yards to Kenny Lawler.


3.  Not to be overlooked by any means was the outstanding work by the Bombers defence. It was the defensive dozen that set the tone early, and then put the first numbers up on the scoreboard when Winston Rose intercepted a Jonathon Jennings pass and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown. Winnipeg’s D limited Ottawa to 175 net offensive yards, registered three sacks and forced six turnovers.


4. Andrew Harris was his usual workhorse self, rushing 14 times for 63 yards and pulling in five passes for 68 yards. In the process, he moved past Tracy Ham into 11th place on the CFL’s all-time rushing list.


5. The Bombers are in the midst of a five-game run against East Division opponents. Winnipeg now hits the road for back-to-back road games in Hamilton on July 25 and Toronto on August 1 before returning home to IG Field on Thursday, August 8th against the Calgary Stampeders.