The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are climbing the West Division standings, currently snuggled in second place and just one point out of top spot following a narrow win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 26-23, at Princess Auto Stadium Friday night.
It was the Bombers third straight victory, marking the first time this season the Blue and Gold has gone on such a win streak, their record now at 5-6. That’s tied with the B.C. Lions, though Winnipeg has the tiebreaker for winning the season series two games to one, and one point shy of the free-falling Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are winless over their last five games to sit at 5-5-1.
It could have been a much different story if not for a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter by the Bombers, who travelled 72 yards on 11 plays, capping the series off with a 10-yard touchdown to Kenny Lawler. That put Winnipeg up by a field goal with 19 seconds remaining, with the Ticats ultimately unable to answer back, falling to a league-worst 2-9 record with the loss.
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Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros throws against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats during first half on Friday.
The game-sealing score overshadowed what was an ugly performance at times. The Bombers had a 16-3 lead at halftime, only to see it evaporate by the end of the third quarter after Hamilton punched back with a pair of touchdowns. And it wasn’t as if they dominated in the fourth, with Winnipeg’s only points in the frame coming from the Lawler TD.
But there’s no arguing the Bombers had to dig deep in this one. Indeed, it was one of the grittier wins in recent years, which should help the Bombers confidence as they get ready to play the Riders in the annual Labour Day Classic Sunday, with first place on the line. But before we look too far ahead, let’s take a look back with some news and notes from Friday’s win over Hamilton.
● Sitting up in the press box, it was hard to gauge just how serious the situation was with Bryant. It started with the 38-year-old dropping to one knee as he made his way to the sideline, only to get back up and then drop back to his knee again. Bryant was attended to for the next 15 minutes, where he was lifted onto a stretcher, hooked up to an IV and covered in cold towels before being transferred to the hospital.
● Head coach Mike O’Shea said afterwards that Bryant was suffering from a combination of heat exhaustion and a lingering illness. Bryant called from the hospital to say he was in stable condition and that he had listened to the game on the radio. It was great news to hear, settling the nerves of players and staff that were panicked and emotional on the sideline fearing the worst.
● It was interesting to hear on the TSN broadcast, both in-game and on the panel, that Bryant’s family would be notified as soon as the club provided them with an update. Curious about that process, I inquired and that’s not how things work. Bryant’s family was updated throughout the situation and was put directly in touch with the team doctor that was with Bryant at the hospital.
● The offence certainly took a hit with the loss of Bryant and Wallace, registering a modest 321 net yards and scoring just the late TD. Settling for field goals has been a running theme for the Bombers this season, even if it didn’t hurt them against the Ticats. That said, it should be noted Hamilton has the league’s worst defence. What was impressive was that despite being limited up front, the run game kept rolling, with Brady Oliveira rushing for 120 yards on 18 carries.
● It was a bit of surprise to see Oliveira join the offence on the final drive. The Winnipeg native had taken a heavy hit to his right thigh and was held out for a while, where he could be seen limping on the sideline. Oliveira finished the drive with three runs totalling 17 yards, including twice running for a first down.
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Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Kenny Lawler (89) celebrates his game winning touchdown with his teammates.
● Before catching the TD, it had been a quiet night for Lawler, who had just one catch for seven yards up to that point. The first read on the TD play was actually for Nic Demski, but once that option was taken away, Collaros looked for his No. 1 target, with Lawler getting inside position just as the pass was delivered. It was also Lawler’s first TD of the season in what was his second game back from a broken arm.
● Zach Collaros shouldered blame for his three interceptions, noting his turnovers made it hard on the offence. The third one seemed especially damning, as it came with 2:30 remaining in the fourth quarter and led to a 45-yard field goal and a four-point lead for the Ticats. Collaros now has 12 interceptions on the year, tied with Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell for the most in the CFL.
● Collaros isn’t putting up the same statistics as previous years. Part of that is the result of working with an injury-riddled offence, including a receiver group that has been decimated at times. But there’s no one you’d want more when the game is on the line. That was Collaros’ 25th game-winning drive of his career, and the victory improved his record at Princess Auto Stadium to 26-4.
● The Bombers lost the turnover battle 3-1, but Hamilton’s giveaway proved disastrous. Tony Jones laid a devastating hit on Ticats returner Jordan Bryd, popping the ball loose for linebacker Michael Ayers to scoop up and return 27 yards for a TD. Jones has been a great addition after a surprising release from Edmonton earlier this year and Ayers, while perhaps lesser known, is leading the Bombers in special-teams tackles, with 11.
● While the return game remains a work in progress, it was an overall strong performance by special teams. Punter Jamieson Sheahan averaged 47 yards on six punts and Sergio Castillo made all four of his field goals, with a long of 45 yards.
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● The Bombers clearly missed linebacker Adam Bighill, who was added to the six-game injured list earlier in the week with a hamstring injury. The defence started strong, with the Ticats unable to earn a first down until the second quarter but did give up too many deep plays by night’s end. Mitchell only had 220 passing yards but had tons of time in the pocket to throw, resulting in a few big plays down field. Tim White, who was struggling to catch a ball earlier this year, had a game-high 134 receiving yards on seven catches. The second closest Ticats receiver was former Bomber Brendan O’Leary-Orange, who had two catches for 31 yards.
● The Ticats scored twice on the ground in the third quarter, with Greg Bell credited for both on runs of 10 and six yards, respectively. Still, the Bombers were able to limit the damage, as Bell finished with just 41 rushing yards on 12 carries, with the Ticats combining for just 72 rushing yards.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Nic Demski runs for the first down during the second half.
● It was a sweltering night at Princess Auto Stadium, with the heat and humidity both at uncomfortable levels. That didn’t stop the masses from showing up, with the Bombers recording their first sellout of the season – 33,343 strong. The Bombers will also pack the house when they return from Saskatchewan, with the Sept. 7 Banjo Bowl sold out long ago.
Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca
X: @jeffkhamilton
Jeff HamiltonMultimedia producer
Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.
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