Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Jackson Jeffcoat (94) catches up to Calgary Stampeders' Ka'Deem Carey (35) during second half CFL football action in Calgary, Alta., Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal
It was a result that checked all the important boxes for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Road win: check
Road win vs. divisional opponent: check
Road win vs. divisional opponent with No. 2 QB behind centre: check
And so, before we get into sliding the Blue Bombers’ 19-18 victory over the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium Friday night under the microscope for further examination, let us remember this team is now 8-2, with the last two victories coming with Zach Collaros missing seven of the eight quarters played.
That’s the encouraging big picture here.
Still, magnifying the latest victory will also certainly keep the Blue Bombers busy in the days leading up to next Thursday’s visit to IG Field by the Montreal Alouettes. That was certainly the common refrain from Mike O’Shea, Dru Brown and the troops late Friday: winning ugly certainly beats the alternative, but there’s work to be done.
“We have a high standard, our offence has a high standard with what we bring every day to practice and to games,” began Brady Oliveira, “and that was not our best outing. I mean, it’s still a win and the defence got us out of there, but we’ve got to get back to the drawing board and be better.”
It’s true: winning is the ultimate, but without some honest examination it can also mask some things, and the Blue Bombers’ inconsistent offence and some of the work on special teams will be a talking point in the days ahead.
The defence? They did their thing by limiting Calgary to 245 yards net offence, scoring the game’s only touchdown on a Demerio Houston Pick-6 on the last play of the third quarter. In fact, it marked the third time this season – and second time in the last three games – that the Blue Bombers defence did not allow their opponent to cross the goal line.
“No touchdowns, only field goals – that’s a good result,” said middle linebacker Adam Bighill. “That Pick-6 was obviously critical in that game in turning momentum and giving us the opportunity to have the lead and maintain it. Huge, huge.
“They challenged us downfield on a few concepts and made a few plays, but for the most part we were stingy in not allowing them to drive the field. Against Calgary, that’s what you’ve got to do: you’ve got to keep them out of the end zone and not let them drive the field and protect against the explosions as much as you can. We made them try to earn it all game long.”
More on the Blue Bombers mudder of a win at McMahon this week’s UPON FURTHER REVIEW…
GO AHEAD AND TAKE A DEEPER DIVE… into the numbers if you desire here, but here are three numbers that popped out for yours truly:
1. Winnipeg’s second-down conversion rate was just 39 percent (9-of-23), which was the club’s second lowest of the season (it as just 30.4 percent in the 30-6 loss to B.C. back in June). That’s also in stark contrast to the 70.8 conversion rate a week ago in the win in Edmonton.
It didn’t help that on two occasions on first down – and with Dakota Prukop at QB in a different package – a hand-off exchanged was botched twice, luckily with both recovered by Winnipeg. Those gaffes then put the club into 2nd and 15 and 2nd and 12 situations.
2. Calgary’s Tommylee Lewis averaged 18.3 yards on eight punt returns and 30.3 yards on three kickoff returns – two ridiculous numbers that will drive special teams coordinator Paul Boudreau bonkers. It was all part of a wildly inconsistent night for the specials, with Jamieson Sheahan having one punt blocked and another nearly stuffed, yet Sergio Castillo connected on all four field goal attempts.
3. The Blue Bombers had eight penalties for 82 yards, including three uncharacteristic time-count infractions, two of which were inside the three-minute warning. The last one was with 2:49 left in the game in which the club was going to gamble in a third-and-one from their own 49-yard line.
LOVED THE QUOTE FROM DEATRICK NICHOLS POST-GAME… when we asked him about the Houston interception return for a TD.
“That was a big-time play at a big-time moment,” he said. “He kept his head up. That’s a part of the game. You give up stuff, the plays keep going and you’ve just got to hit them with the haymaker.
“You’ve got to keep throwing your punches. That was a boxing match. Let them catch their jabs and then hit them with the haymaker and that’s what he did.”
When yours truly suggested that might be a good nickname for the man – ‘Haymaker Houston’ – Nichols grinned and said: ‘Whatever y’all want to call him, that’s fine by me. All I know is he’s playing very well.”
ONE MORE ON HOUSTON – ‘HAYMAKER HOUSTON’… the interception was his league-leading seventh and coupled with his three fumble returns, also a league best, he now has nine takeaways this season in just nine games (he missed one game for the birth of his twins).
“I just saw the back flare out,” said Houston of the interception. “It’s film study knowing that if it’s flat then it’s always a curl coming behind me, so I just trusted my instincts, jumped it and made a good play and took it to the house.
“It was redeeming myself because I gave up a big play earlier in the game. I’m hard on myself and so I’m still kinda upset that I gave up that big play, but I came up big when the team needed me… We just knew that it’s a tight ball game, a defensive ball game and it was on our shoulders in the moment to just make a play and give the ball back to the offence.”
Houston conducted his post-game media scrum and a similar interview with CJOB clutching the football from the interception.
“I got a collection, but this one’s definitely special because it’s my first career interception for a touchdown,” he said. “I take them all home to my babies.”
FINALLY, THIS MOMENT POST-GAME… when Stanley Bryant was asked about O’Shea’s decision to go for it on third-and-1 1/2 from the Blue Bombers’ 17-yard line with just 59 seconds remaining – a play which Dakota Prukop converted with a three-yard run.
First, Bryant’s answer:
“We always know if we’re in that situation Osh is going to put it on us to go for it, so always prepare for it. We feel like we’re the best group and we’re always going to convert. It’s nothing new for us, we’re always ready when the opportunity presents itself.”
Sitting next to Bryant, Zach Collaros chimed in with a follow-up: ‘How did it feel when they ran behind Yosh (Jermarcus Hardrick) instead of you? Just kidding.’
That brought a hearty chuckle from Bryant, who then put the win in perspective.
“It’s always tough when you come to Calgary. They’re always well-disciplined with good coaches and good players. We did enough. There are always ways to get better.”
