From September to Dismember?
by Mike A.
Here in Winnipeg, the weather turned suddenly this past weekend. Memories of angrily discussing the game on the porch only a couple weeks ago have all now become ancient history as the familiar crispness in the air replaces the casual, easy chatter out back. Inside the house, the sheet has been replaced with the comforter on the bed. I find myself thinking about dark beer again. The hoodie is on and soon there will be non-stop raking in the back yard. Time flies at this time of year as we all begin to make the most of what we have left before the snow flies and blankets the earth, causing us to forget how it feels to walk without parkas and 4 layers of clothing. And with the changing of the seasons, there is a powerful desire to take a look at the October 2009 Winnipeg Blue Bombers and try to find a sign of life to stave off the bitter, cold brutality that awaits. Surely a victory at home tonight against the Edmonton Eskimos would do us all some good. Even if this pig pen of lackluster buffoons has only won one of their last three outings, with their last weeks’ near disaster against Toronto being saved thanks only to Mother Earth.
Yes, it was she who provided the Argos with a brutal downpour of rain when there was only just enough time left on the clock for an Argonaut march downfield to come back from a twenty point deficit. With Winnipeg risking a 5 point lead late in the fourth, it was a painful and familiar reminder that the Bombers still find it difficult to focus for four whole quarters of football. It ended up being a bit of a nail-biter and after all was said and done and this extremely ugly affair was finally over, it was refreshing to finally see some good come out of a squad that has been mercilessly and deservedly slapped around and left scratching their heads wondering what the hell just happened for the majority of this season.
Offensively, I liked what I saw from Bishop last week. He was reading plays, executed well from the pocket and his passing was on the money. This is the Michael Bishop that we have seen hints of a couple of times this season, hints that have been utterly drowned out due to the ongoing inconsistencies he’s demonstrated time and time again. He appeared to lead the team, another ingredient that has been sorely lacking all season long. I thought him and Bowman looked beautiful together. And who is this Amey guy with that crazy-assed catch last week? Good grief…And of course, lest we forget he Special Teams player of the week, Alexis Serna. That guy is good. Never mind the Westwood days of shame and despair, Serna is likely the teams MVP this year.
But let’s face facts folks. Ricky Ray has passed for over 300 yards in 9 out of the last 10 games against Winnipeg. He has accomplished this by passing for short yard screens to receivers who have then had a tendency to make a bee-line for the end zone, garnering huge yards as they scamper off leaving the Winnipeg D with their thumbs up their asses. Ray offers up a well oiled offensive machine and if Winnipeg wants a piece of this game, they will have to provide superb coverage and execute open field tackles without the usual assortment of useless and utterly moronic penalties that leave me gasping for air as I attempt to regain composure from another bout of screaming at my television. Ray does not need our help moving the chains due to a lack of discipline and I for one, am sick and tired of watching Kelly pace back and forth on the bench thanks to plays coming back or a parade of ruined plays that give the opposing team a fresh set of downs due to yet another incident involving on field inexperience and stupidity.
Edmonton is in town tonight coming off a huge choke against Saskatchewan last week, being unable to drive the ball 25 yards into the end zone at the end of the game to tie it up against the Roughriders. Ray will definitely want revenge and will be all to happy to take it out on an awkward Bomber team should Winnipeg not be willing to fight and claw and play with the same level of emotion that they did last week against Toronto.
We know our time in the sun is short. We hustle a bit harder and move just a bit faster at this time of year as we begin planning for the inevitable deep freeze. Over at the Canad Inns Stadium tonight, the Bombers need to put the past in the past and work on last weeks’ positive aspects. Should they play with the kind of determination that the rest of us are all feeling, who knows? There could be an upset at home tonight. And upset that might just leave the Bombers with a two game winning streak and a newfound sense of confidence. It would be a first for a team staring at a harsh, frigid and brutal off season that will otherwise be filled with unanswered questions, total dismay and complete horror.
