Photo: Bob Butrym/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were defeated by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday by a score of 48-31 in front of 22,288 fans at Tim Hortons Field. Below are my thoughts on the game.
What was that?
Saturday’s matchup in Hamilton was one of the most bewildering games in the recent memory of the CFL, which is saying something given the nature of the league.
Winnipeg entered the contest as a 7.5-point favourite, which was perfectly reasonable considering how they’d mowed down their opponents with relative ease this season. 3DownNation‘s contributors unanimously picked the Blue Bombers to win and cover over a Ticats team that played terribly in recent back-to-back losses against Toronto.
It was difficult to imagine Hamilton winning this game, though it never seemed impossible. This is the CFL, after all — anything can happen. It was the manner in which Hamilton won that was truly shocking.
In hindsight, the Blue Bombers might have been due for a letdown. They just secured two emotional victories over a hated rival and have essentially wrapped the West Division. The team is also heading into a bye week, which can sometimes be a distraction. Who doesn’t look forward to a week off? It’s only natural to look ahead to spending time relaxing with family and friends.
There’s no reason for Winnipeg to hit the panic button after Saturday’s loss. This is still the best team in the CFL and they’re still going to host the West Final. However, this loss makes it reasonable to ask questions that would have seemed unfair as recently as a week ago.
If Winnipeg’s loss to Montreal in Week 10 blemished their armour, this loss blasted a three-inch hole into it. They’ll need to spend their bye week mending that hole as well as they can heading into their final four regular season games.
Excellent Evans
Ricky Ray was at Tim Hortons Field to celebrate his induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, yet it appears he wasn’t the best quarterback in the building.
Dane Evans, whose future in the CFL appeared to be in jeopardy as recently as two weeks ago, looked like the second coming of Doug Flutie as he completed 25-of-32 pass attempts for 327 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. For context, Ray did not have a five-touchdown performance over the final eleven years of his CFL career.
Evans showed a sign of things to come in the first quarter as his touchdown pass to Tim White was as nice as any throw all season. If there had been any less speed on the ball, it would have been knocked down or intercepted by a trailing Deatrick Nichols. If there had been any more speed on the ball, it would have been intercepted by Donald Rutledge Jr. or sailed over White’s head depending on its trajectory.
Evans hasn’t had a great season overall but he dominated the Blue Bombers at Tim Hortons Field. Matthew Schiltz appears to be recovering well from his wrist injury but this suddenly looks like Evans’ team once again. Kudos to him.
Dreadful defence
As well as Evans played, Winnipeg’s defence did little to throw him off his game. The front seven generated little to no pressure throughout the contest, while Hamilton fully controlled the line of scrimmage in the run game.
The backbreaker for Winnipeg’s defence came with just under ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The game was still well within reach at 41-31 and the Blue Bombers were firing on all cylinders offensively, scoring two touchdowns in a little under five minutes.
The Ticats then churned out a 14-play, 90-yard drive, converting five times on second down and once on third down. A particularly costly play came with just over five minutes remaining as Evans avoided Adam Bighill on second-and-nine to run just far enough for a first down.
“We just needed another stop, to tell you the truth,” head coach Mike O’Shea told CJOB 680’s Derek Taylor after the game. “I thought we had ’em. We just probably didn’t tackle well enough.”
The drive lasted over eight minutes and eliminated any further possibility of a comeback by Winnipeg. Hamilton finished the game with 424 yards of offence and zero turnovers.
“Kudos to [Hamilton] for being able to come out and punch us in the mouth this week,” said defensive back Brandon Alexander. “Maybe we needed that, to be honest with you.”
The strip
People tend to blame the offensive line whenever a quarterback faces pressure but Malik Carney’s strip-sack of Zach Collaros was a perfect example of why that’s wrong.
The Ticats blitzed six defenders and Winnipeg didn’t have any extra blockers in to help provide protection. It was inevitable that at least one rusher was going to come free and it was up to Collaros to evade them or throw the ball almost instantly.
Collaros’ initial read was to his left and he didn’t appear to notice the oncoming rusher until it was too late to escape the pocket. Carney made a nice play to wrap the quarterback up with his left arm and reach for the ball with his right, though it appeared Collaros had already lost control of it by that point.
Collaros had a decent game — he completed 23-of-34 pass attempts for 342 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions — though there’s no question he was outdueled by his counterpart.
Disappointing debut
Brandon Alexander made his much-anticipated season debut at safety, dressing for his first game since suffering a torn ACL in last year’s Grey Cup. The expectation was that the five-year veteran would help take Winnipeg’s defence to a new level as he is not only a great player but a leader capable of elevating those around him.
Instead, Alexander’s presence wasn’t particularly noticeable with the exception of a big shot he delivered on Steven Dunbar Jr. early in the second quarter. He finished the game with four tackles and took some of the blame for his unit’s disappointing performance.
“There was a lack of communication on our side and I’ll take a lot of the onus on that. Me being first back and seeing the field differently, I wasn’t able to communicate with everybody how I normally do and everything, so I definitely take part of that,” said Alexander.
“It was running pretty fast. I was able to get most of my calls out but I wasn’t perfect today how I normally would be. I’ve just gotta do better on my job, I’ve gotta watch a little more film, be able to make the adjustments that I need to, and be able to make sure that the guys are all on point. The guys weren’t on point and a part of that has to do with me.”
Potpourri
Winston Rose has had an up-and-down year at cornerback but the 54-yard touchdown pass he allowed late in the first half has to be a new low for him.
What do you do when you score your first CFL touchdown?
Kiondre Smith has had a solid rookie season for Hamilton but has no business getting behind opposing defensive backs. He’s a possession receiver — not a burner — yet he blew by Rose and outran the veteran defensive back to the end zone.
Winnipeg has recently experienced a rash of injuries in its secondary, losing boundary cornerback Demerio Houston and field-side halfback Nick Taylor. If this unit is going to be successful with rookies like Evan Holm and Jamal Parker entering the lineup, they need to get better production from their veterans.
Schoen shines (again)
Rookie receiver Dalton Schoen set a new career high with 158 receiving yards on the night, bringing him within a stone’s throw of the 1,000-yard mark on the season. Had Winnipeg gotten the ball back with ten minutes remaining, it’s possible he would have challenged the legendary Milt Stegall for one of his many spots in the club’s record book.
Stegall has three of the club’s top five all-time single-game receiving records with totals of 233, 234, and 254 yards. David Williams’ total of 240 yards might have also been in reach, though the top spot — Alfred Jackson’s 308-yard game from 1994 — will probably stand for the rest of time.
Mental toughness
It was interesting to hear Cody Fajardo and Dane Evans speak out recently regarding how difficult this season has been for them mentally and emotionally. It’s refreshing when athletes speak honestly about their feelings and it’s easy to sympathize with both quarterbacks to at least some extent. We’re all human and there’s a ton of pressure that comes with playing the game’s most important position in two of the league’s most passionate markets.
With that said, there’s also something to be said for mental toughness. Fajardo complained about being booed by his hometown fans, which was a little eyebrow-raising considering Saskatchewan’s offence was horrible for most of Friday’s loss to Edmonton. Fans who dole out their hard-earned money to attend a sporting event are entitled to cheer or boo as they see fit. If a player doesn’t want the crowd to boo, the solution is pretty simple: play better.
The reason I mention this is Blue Bombers’ kicker Marc Liegghio has already been booed plenty of times through his relatively short professional career, particularly in the team’s 20-17 loss to Montreal last month. He has not only never complained about being booed but has gone a perfect ten-for-ten since his tough outing against the Als, including a 55-yard game-winner in the Labour Day Classic.
You don’t get very far in professional football without mental toughness. Liegghio’s shown that in spades and Evans showed that on Saturday with his stellar performance against Winnipeg. Maybe Fajardo can take notes.
Centre of attention
It was interesting to see Michael Couture dress as the backup to Chris Kolankowski at centre after returning from a long-term forearm injury. The 28-year-old has been a fixture in the starting lineup for the past four seasons but was relegated to a reserve role against Hamilton, taking a number of snaps at tight end.
It’s worth noting that Kolankowski is under contract for 2023 on a deal that will pay him a little over $80,000. Couture, meanwhile, is a pending free agent who earns close to double that. If Winnipeg is looking to save money along the offensive line next year, it’ll be interesting to see if they choose to roll with Kolankowski at centre.
Walking wounded
Jackson Jeffcoat left Saturday’s game due to injury due to what was reported as a lower-body injury and did not return. The Blue Bombers don’t have much depth at defensive end right now as Thiadric Hansen is injured, Cedric Wilcots II is on the practice roster, and L.B. Mack III was released earlier this month.
Winnipeg would be wise to pursue a trade for a defensive back during their bye week, while Mack would be a solid readdition depending on the severity of Jeffcoat’s injury.
Next up
The Blue Bombers (12-2) are on a bye this upcoming week, giving them a chance to rest their lingering injuries, bumps, and bruises.
The club will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-8) for the final regular season game between the two teams on Friday, Sept. 30, which should be a good game after a ravaging stomach flu put the Riders at a significant disadvantage in the Banjo Bowl.
How will Winnipeg respond to being thoroughly outplayed in a meaningful game for the first time in three years? There’s only one way to find out.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe remain undefeated in women’s doubles at the WTA Finals.
The 2023 U.S. Open champions, seeded second at the event, secured a 1-6, 7-6 (1), (11-9) super-tiebreak win over fourth-seeded Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in round-robin play on Tuesday.
The season-ending tournament features the WTA Tour’s top eight women’s doubles teams.
Dabrowski and Routliffe lost the first set in 22 minutes but levelled the match by breaking Errani’s serve three times in the second, including at 6-5. They clinched victory with Routliffe saving a match point on her serve and Dabrowski ending Errani’s final serve-and-volley attempt.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will next face fifth-seeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk on Thursday, where a win would secure a spot in the semifinals.
The final is scheduled for Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 5, 2024.
EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.
The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.
Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.
TAKEAWAYS
Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.
Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.
KEY MOMENT
New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.
KEY RETURN?
Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.
OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN
The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.
The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.
Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.
Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.
Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.
It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.
Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.
Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.
The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”
Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.
The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.
Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.
UP NEXT
Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
