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John Woods \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
Blue Bombers linebacker Tony Jones pulls down Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly in Winnipeg on Friday.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re the only team in the CFL to hold opponents to 21 points or fewer in its last two games. Fresh off a 30-21 home win over the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, the Bombers (3-2) rank second in the league in scoring defence, allowing 24.4 points per game.<\/p>\n
They have a prime opportunity to lower that average on Sunday when they face the Ottawa Redblacks (0-5) at TD Place Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody wants to start slow. Nobody wants to start the season giving up big plays,\u201d said defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger after Wednesday\u2019s practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I think you identify \u2018OK, this is where we need work at.\u2019 It\u2019s not always easy to forecast where that\u2019s gonna be when you\u2019re playing against your own offence day in and day out in training camp.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bombers opened the year by getting gashed on the ground and crumbling late.<\/p>\n
Now, they\u2019re making the run game far less viable by holding the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Week 5) and Toronto to a combined 108 rushing yards.<\/p>\n
They also pitched a second-half shutout in Hamilton \u2014 albeit after star quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell left the game \u2014 and stonewalled the Argos on a short field in the fourth quarter, forcing them to attempt a 40-yard field goal. The kick sailed wide left and into the hands of returner Trey Vaval, who raced 129 yards for a touchdown that sealed the victory.<\/p>\n
The Argos were averaging 37.5 points per game entering the night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve just settled down. No one panicked after the first few games,\u201d said safety Redha Kramdi. \u201cWe got together a little more, talked a little more, and it\u2019s showing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just happy we got back to ourselves, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one is patting themselves on the back just yet. There are still some ugly numbers attached to this defence.<\/p>\n
The Bombers have allowed opponents to convert 53.2 per cent of their second downs, and they\u2019re tied for last in the CFL with just four takeaways \u2014 one interception and three fumble recoveries.<\/p>\n
The opportunities have been there. Winnipeg just hasn\u2019t capitalized.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t force it. Off the top of my head, there are probably four or five easy drops (that should\u2019ve been interceptions),\u201d said Younger. \u201cThat puts you in the top half of the pack and we\u2019re not having this conversation. Just catch the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those are the plays that eat defenders alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh yeah, for sure. High school, championship game, I dropped one. I\u2019ll never forget it,\u201d said head coach Mike O\u2019Shea. \u201cIt would\u2019ve changed the game for sure. I never wore those gloves again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their star halfbacks \u2014 Evan Holm and Deatrick Nichols \u2014 might need new gloves, as they\u2019ve certainly had their chances.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Nick Iwanyshyn \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers teammates Redha Kramdi (left) and Jake Ceresna meet at Tiger-Cats quarterback Tre Ford in Hamilton during Week 5.<\/p>\n They may get a few more on Sunday against an Ottawa offence that ranks near the bottom of the CFL in nearly every passing category. Quarterback Jake Maier threw four interceptions last week against Edmonton.<\/p>\n With the team desperately searching for a spark, it wouldn\u2019t be surprising if Maier is benched in favour of McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who signed with Ottawa last month after Dru Brown was traded to Winnipeg.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were just dealt a bad hand the first couple of games,\u201d said defensive end Willie Jefferson. \u201cYou can\u2019t go in and expect them to be something that they\u2019re not. They got some good players, they can make plays, too. We don\u2019t want to go out there thinking it\u2019s just going to be a win.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t expect to win, we\u2019ve got to go out there and take it.\u201d<\/p>\n COLLAROS UPDATE<\/p>\n Quarterback Zach Collaros (neck) was fully dressed and on the field for Wednesday\u2019s practice but did not participate. For the second straight day, Dru Brown took all of the first-team reps.<\/p>\n The Bombers are off Thursday and will hold a closed practice Friday before travelling on Saturday.<\/p>\n CONDELL\u2019S RETURN TO OTTAWA<\/p>\n Brown isn\u2019t the only one making a notable return to the nation\u2019s capital this weekend.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t It will also mark the first time Bombers offensive co-ordinator Tommy Condell has been back since parting ways with the Redblacks in the off-season.<\/p>\n After Ottawa hired Ryan Dinwiddie, Condell hit the open market before landing with Winnipeg.<\/p>\n The veteran coach insists he\u2019s not treating this week\u2019s game as an opportunity to make a statement against his former team.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really. I kind of feel like that every week,\u201d said Condell. \u201cHaven\u2019t you gone out and played basketball against your brother or something? It\u2019s about the same thing \u2014 it really doesn\u2019t matter who we play. If it\u2019s Ottawa this week, great. But my son\u2019s here today and back there we\u2019re gonna play Monopoly and I\u2019m gonna try to whoop him there, so, we\u2019ll see. So, honestly, (it\u2019s) nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/taylorallen<\/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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