Bombers At Risk Of Crashing
Once a powerful jet, injuries leave the Bombers a sputtering biplane
NEIL OWENS
After several seasons of dismal play by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, it seemed like things were turning around for the Blue and Gold as they started the season with an impressive 5-2 record. Alas, an unpleasant return to mediocrity was imposed on the Bombers and their faithful, as fans witnessed a pair of embarrassing back-to-back losses against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and B.C. Lions. Maybe it was just an allergy to cats.
Not likely, since the Bombers (5-4) have yet to beat the mighty Montreal Alouettes, losing to them twice (along with both pre-season games), including a sobering slap-in-the-face 44-16 loss at home after going 3-1 early in the season.
In fact the Bombers’ winning record may be misleading, as most victories have come against only two teams, the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos, both 3-5. This hardly indicates a team deserving of a winning record, at least until tested against the CFL’s top squads.
Early positive signs?
Granted, by any standards these
wins were impressive. The Bomber
defense, anchored by the self-proclaimed
“triangle of terror” — starring
Barrin Simpson, Doug Brown, and
Ron Warner — became the talk of the
CFL. The Winnipeg defense was able
to hold their opponents to a minimum
of offensive yards, something
that hasn’t been done in Winnipeg in
years.
In their most impressive performance of the season, the Bombers absolutely dismantled the Hamilton Ti- Cats 29-0 in Hamilton. It seems this is where the Bomber season peaked, and has since taken a nose-dive. The following week, Hamilton returned the favor in Winnipeg, tearing the Bombers a new one with a 26-11 victory. The most recent loss came courtesy of the B.C. Lions, who won 32-5. Rattled, Winnipeg has a bye-week to recuperate before facing Toronto on Aug. 25 at home.
Hope is battered
The more recent losses can be attributed
partly to injuries, which are
now a serious problem for the Bombers
and could cost them a trip to the
playoffs. In their home game against
the Alouettes on July 15, the offense
lost linemen Dan Goodspeed (knee)
and Mat Sheridan (groin), who were
part of a group that had significantly
improved after the dispersal draft.
The acquisition of linemen Ibrahim
Khan and Val St. Germain — two
of the main reasons the Bombers had
so much success on offense — has
given QB Kevin Glenn plenty of time
to throw the ball. More recently, the
Bombers have lost Glenn himself and
slotback Milt Stegall, the team’s two
most potent offensive weapons.
Stegall, who is nearing the end of his career, continued to throw up league-leading numbers, but was sidelined due to cracked ribs. His return before the end of the season is still in question, but you can bet that he has no intention of sitting on the sidelines for any longer than necessary.
Glenn, who was really beginning to prove himself as a starting quarterback, had a “Matt Dunigan moment” — and with his knee injury he could be out for the rest of the season. The Bombers have been left without a solid replacement QB in Russ Michna or Mike Quinn. In the recent loss to B.C., Quinn spewed football poison, struggling 13 of 26 for 147 yards with four interceptions and two fumbles (ouch!). It’s looking a bit grim. The Bombers may pick up a second string QB from another team, but don’t expect the opposition to give Winnipeg any gifts before the post-season.
Reasons for optimism
The Bombers recently picked up
a solid receiver in Robert Baker, who
was released on waivers from the Argos.
This will help to shore up their
weak receiving corps, who have failed
to step up after the loss of Stegall.
The Bombers may also want to focus
on giving the ball to tailback Charles
Roberts (739 yards, 4 TDs), who has
been the most consistent performer
for the Winnipeg offense, and may
offer an out for an otherwise sketchy
offense. That he is under-used was evident
against the Lions when Roberts
had only 11 carries for 66 yards.
Overall, the Bombers are still in pretty good shape midseason at 5- 4, and second place in their division ahead of Toronto (3-5) and Hamilton (2-7). Still, Montreal remains the team to beat (7-1), and with two more meetings against the Bombers, will help determine whether or not the Blue and Gold can stay airborne.
