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Peter Power \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
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Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Chris Streveler makes a throw while under pressure during the first half. Streveler went 18-for-29 with 241 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions \u2014 both coming in the first half. <\/p>\n
\u201cI gotta make better decisions, and I got to put us in better positions,\u201d said Streveler. \u201cBut I am proud of the way we fought till the end. It says a lot about our team. Although we are frustrated and we\u2019re not playing our best football, we\u2019re not gonna give up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bombers dropped to 6-7 and have now lost three straight. The Ticats now have a commanding lead of the East Division at 8-5. Heading into their final five games, the Bombers have some work to do to hang on to the third and final playoff spot out of the West.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt some point, we need to own up and be more accountable about the losses, learn from them, stop the bleeding, and start winning,\u201d said Bombers dime back Redha Kramdi.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s got to start right now. We can\u2019t keep talking. I\u2019m just sick of it. We need to start winning, playing harder, playing smarter, and winning football because this ain\u2019t gonna cut it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Streveler moved the ball late in the fourth, but it was too little too late. He went 18-for-29 with 241 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions \u2014 with both giveaways coming in the first half.<\/p>\n
Head coach Mike O\u2019Shea said he never considered putting third-string quarterback Terry Wilson into the game. He also declined to give an update on the health of Collaros.<\/p>\n
\u201cStrev\u2019s won us a bunch of games. Give him the opportunity to win us (the game),\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n
\u201cCause really, we still weren\u2019t out of it in those situations \u2014 we still (had) a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Streveler put the Bombers in a hole immediately by forcing a screen pass to Keric Wheatfall on the third play of the game that was picked off and returned for 39 yards by Jamal Peters. Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell needed just one snap to punch it in as he found running back Greg Bell for an easy seven-yard touchdown.<\/p>\n
The Ticats were generous and gifted a touchdown right back on the following possession. With the Bombers lined up for a third and short, Hamilton\u2019s defence was a disorganized mess and had no one on the outside covering Wheatfall \u2014 in addition to also being flagged for too many men and offsides. Instead of plunging forward, Streveler quickly snapped the ball and fired it to the second-year pass catcher for a freebie of a 42-yard touchdown to make it 7-7.<\/p>\n
Before the first half came to a close, the Tabbies would once again hit pay dirt thanks to Streveler\u2019s second INT. Backed up in their own end with less than 90 seconds left, the quarterback rolled out of the pocket to his right and was too eager to pull the trigger on an a pass to an unsuspecting Nic Demski and Ticats defensive back DaShaun Amos pounced on it. Three plays later, Mitchell hit receiver Tim White from seven yards out to give the home side a 20-10 advantage at the half.<\/p>\n
The Bombers were fortunate the damage wasn\u2019t even worse as Streveler threw a pass at the beginning of the second quarter over the middle of the field into a non-existent window that was dropped by a Ticats defender for what should\u2019ve been an easy takeaway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t throw two interceptions. I just gotta help our defence out, man. I thought our defence played pretty well tonight, but when you give them a short field twice and they capitalize with points like that, it\u2019s hard to win games,\u201d said Streveler.<\/p>\n
\u201cI gotta watch the tape and figure it out. I just got to keep coming to work and getting better, and I know I will do that. That\u2019s all I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamilton came into the week leading the CFL in takeaways and points off turnovers. The Bombers are on the other side of the stat with a league-leading 36 errors through 13 games.<\/p>\n
Streveler has three touchdowns and nine interceptions in his last 110 attempts. He ran 11 times for a season-high 82 yards on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have confidence in Chris. Chris has done an excellent job,\u201d said Demski, who had three catches for 48 yards.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Peter Power \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira gains some yards on the ground before being tackled by Hamilton Tiger Cats defensive back Destin Talbert during first in Hamilton, Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t doubt Chris for a second. I think there\u2019s a lot of factors that go into the turnovers and there\u2019s a lot of factors that go into a score like that. I wouldn\u2019t point it on one guy.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ticats put a stamp on the evening when Bell scored on a seven-yard rush with three minutes left to make it 32-13.<\/p>\n Streveler and Co. took care of the football in the final two quarters but didn\u2019t do much with it outside of a 10-play drive in the third that resulted in a 26-yard Sergio Castillo chipshot and a nine-play drive in garbage time that was capped off by a five-yard touchdown rush by the QB.<\/p>\n Lost in the night was an impressive performance by Bombers running back Brady Oliveira who did his part with 15 attempts for 116 rushing yards and another 35 yards through the air.<\/p>\n Oliveira echoed Demski\u2019s comments about still having faith in Streveler.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, did you see how well he was playing at the end of the game? I got total confidence in Strev. Just the energy he brings into the huddle, and on the sidelines\u2026 even when things are hitting the fan. He\u2019s a great dude, man,\u201d said Oliveira.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you see him at the end of the game, still poised, making plays for this team, throwing the ball downfield. He\u2019s capable of throwing the ball downfield. The guy\u2019s a warrior, man. He battled from start to finish, and you appreciate teammates like that and I\u2019m really glad he\u2019s on my team.\u201d<\/p>\n Kenny Lawler, one of 11 former Bombers in the line-up for Hamilton, led all receivers with seven receptions for 97 yards. Mitchell completed 21-of-28 attempts for 230 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to two TDs, Bell scampered for 137 yards on 22 carries.<\/p>\n Friday marked the fourth time this season the Bombers failed to record a sack.<\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of what your offence does, when you go on the field and they\u2019re in field goal range, you got a chance to hold them to three and we needed that and we didn\u2019t do that,\u201d said Kramdi.<\/p>\n \u201cThey got the best receiving corps in the CFL. Bo Levi is MOP calibre, he\u2019s playing amazing football, and everyone is connecting on that offence. We had a great game plan for what they did, we just didn\u2019t execute it the way we should have.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers are in Ottawa next Saturday for an afternoon game against the Redblacks.<\/p>\n taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Taylor Allen Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree\/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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