Blue Bombers enter Lions’ den on a mission to atone for last year’s playoff collapse

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This article was published 19/07/2017 (2470 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — It’s a game that has redemption written all over it for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, even if they preferred not to take part in the hype this week.

Most fans will remember what happened the last time the Blue and Gold travelled to BC Place: the Bombers left with a 32-31 defeat, fumbling a healthy first-half lead before falling short in the final seconds. The playoff loss put an end to Winnipeg’s season. Now, they’re back tonight for the first time (9 p.m., TSN, CJOB).

“The magnitude of that game and the ending, I guess that brings up these questions again,” Bombers coach Mike O’Shea said earlier this week. “Did it give the room an added energy? I don’t know. The guys…they’re aware.”

The Bombers (2-1) have a chance to improve to 3-1, which would be their best start to a season since 2014. To do that, they’ll have to beat a Lions (3-1) club that sits atop the competitive West, energized by three straight road victories.

With that, here are five storylines to keep in mind heading into tonight’s game.

MEDLOCK STREAKING

The last time Justin Medlock walked off the turf at BC Place, he had just finished stepping into a game-deciding field-goal attempt. The ball would fall short, his failed boot putting a sour stamp on what was a promising 2016 season for the Blue and Gold.

It also marks the last time Medlock has missed a field goal attempt. He’s a perfect 10-for-10 in 2017, including four in last week’s win over the Argonauts, and 28-for-28 in the regular season dating back to last year. That streak is tied for the fourth longest in CFL history. He’s also never missed a one-point convert with the Bombers, connecting on all 48.

“He’s automatic. Once you get the ball within 50 yards it’s going to be a relatively easy kick for him,” said Bombers running back Andrew Harris.

BLUE AND BRUISED

The Bombers were able to survive the loss of two key players — Ian Wild, who is expected to miss at least six weeks with an injured wrist, and Tristan Okpalaugo, who remains week-to-week with an upper-body injury — in last week’s win.

With those two still sidelined, Winnipeg has an even bigger hole to fill this week, as strong side linebacker Maurice Leggett will sit. The absence of Leggett, who has been ruled out with a lower-body injury, came as a surprise Thursday.

Leggett has played in all three games this year, recording 13 tackles and one interception, and wasn’t absent from practice the past week. That said, he did work out of his usual position Tuesday — unusual for a player of his stature — and though the Bombers ran a closed practice Wednesday O’Shea said Thursday Leggett did take part in the workout.

“It’s very hard to replace a guy who played as well as Moe did last year, obviously,” said O’Shea. “If you look back at last year we had a number of guys step up and play really well and it helped us win games. I firmly believe the depth we’ve established this year will allow us to play well.”

With Leggett out, Robert Porter will earn his first start in the CFL, making him the sixth player on the defence to make their league debut this year. O’Shea said the team will run a rotation in that spot, though he refused to expand on whom that might consist of.

QB HOPES TO BUILD OFF RECORD PERFORMANCE

On the first play of his first drive under centre last week, QB Travis Lulay rushed for one yard, paying the price with a punishing hit by Hamilton Tiger-Cats linebacker Nick Shorthill. Three plays later, Lulay, the 33-year-old veteran Leo, who was sprung into action for an injured Jonathon Jennings, found Shaq Johnson with a pass that barely eclipsed the line of scrimmage. Johnson would do the rest of the work, scampering for a 10-yard touchdown.

It was the beginning of what would be a career night for Lulay — and a 46-21 victory — nine years after he joined the CFL. He compiled a career-high 436 passing yards, throwing for two more touchdowns, while rushing for one. Not only did the game mark a resurgence for Lulay, who hadn’t played much meaningful football in the past few years due to injuries and the emergence of Jennings, but he also a rewrote the CFL record books. His 436 passing yards was the most in league history for a QB coming off the bench.

“They’ll pounce on your eyes and if I’m not disciplined they’ll read and react and make effort to make plays on footballs.” – Blue Bombers QB Travis Lulay

“One of the challenges of the week has been talking too much about last week and not thinking about Winnipeg,” Lulay joked after Thursday’s walk-through.

With a full week with total command of the offence, Lulay’s goal is to continue where he left off. He knows that won’t be easy against a Bombers’ defence with a penchant for creating turnovers. The Bombers’ defence has carried the club for the past two games.

“They do a good job of mixing up coverages…even though they’ve given up some yards in the past, they’re very opportunistic on defence,” said Lulay, who threw two interceptions against the Ticats. “They’ll pounce on your eyes and if I’m not disciplined they’ll read and react and make effort to make plays on footballs.”

The last time Lulay started against the Bombers was July 30, 2015. Winnipeg, led by pivot Drew Willy, won that game 23-13, and hasn’t lost in three regular-season games to the Lions since.

RUNNING WILD

In a league that throws the ball 70 per cent of the time, it’s almost comical to suggest this game could be decided on the ground. But that could very well be the case tonight, with both teams showing a similar pattern that when they run the ball with success they end up on the winning side.

In the Bombers’ two wins this season — over Saskatchewan and the Argonauts — the rushing totals were 96 and 91 yards, respectively.

The Bombers were able to get Andrew Harris involved against the Argonauts — he rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns — and given his record against the Lions last season it’s likely he’ll be a big factor this week. too. In three games against the Lions last season, Harris, who played seven seasons in B.C., rushed 35 times for 200 yards, while adding another 16 catches for 154 yards.

“It’s not Andrew we’re trying to stop — it’s the running game. His numbers have always been consistent,” said Lions GM and coach Wally Buono.

Leading the way for the Lions is running back Jeremiah Johnson. Johnson is currently second in the CFL with 265 rushing yards — Harris is fourth with 170, playing in one fewer game — and his six-yard average is the best among all backs who have at least 30 carries. B.C. leads the CFL in rushing touchdowns with seven, four of which have come via Johnson.

The Bombers’ defensive line has been lauded this season for its ability to stop the run. But those numbers — a league-best 41.7 yards against per game — are muddied by the fact they have the fewest attempts against (44), with the Calgary Stampeders accounting for half of those.

RECEIVING ATTENTION

Lions receiver Nick Moore has 18 receptions for 340 yards and one touchdown through the first four games. The former Bomber is averaging more catches and yards than any member of Winnipeg’s receivers group this season not named Weston Dressler. Though he is having a great start, Moore may not be starting at all by the end of the season.

It’s a testament to not only how good the Lions’ pass-catchers are but also how much more the Bombers need from their group. Consider the Lions’ current depth chart of import receivers: Emmanuel Arceneaux (19 catches for 91 yards), Bryan Burnham (19-223, one touchdown), Moore, and Shaq Johnson (7-114, one touchdown). And that list doesn’t include arguably their best player in Chris Williams, who has spent the season on the injury list after being signed as a free agent in the off-season. Williams has recorded at least a 1,000 receiving yards in all four years in the CFL and at least 1,200 in the last three.

At 24, Johnson is a much younger — and likely cheaper — option than Moore, meaning he’s likely to find himself the odd man out.

“To the competitor in me, it doesn’t make sense. But the business side of things, you know, you got somebody in Chris Williams who has been dominant in this league,” said Moore. “But it’s not my job to figure out who is and isn’t going to play; it’s my job to play as hard as I can and make plays.”

It’s a problem the Bombers wish they had. Besides Dressler, whose 309 yards and two touchdowns marks the fastest three-game start to his 10-year career, the receivers have struggled. Darvin Adams has been steady but hardly impressive with 14 receptions for 159 yards and one touchdown, while Clarence Denmark, L’Damian Washington and Julian Feoli-Gudino all have fewer than 100 yards receiving on the year. The Bombers, unimpressed with Washington, are turning to T.J. Thorpe this week to help create a boost.

If the Bombers are going to go toe-to-toe with one of the league’s best offences, quarterback Matt Nichols will need some help from the guys running the routes in front of him.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.cat

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