A Fine Start
by Mike Alexander
With Hamilton Ti Cat quarterback Kevin Glenn looking like his former self back in the dismal 2008 Season in which he was run out of town last Friday night in Winnipeg, it was rewarding to sweat it out and take in a season opener last week that offered fans all sorts of promise for the 2010/11 Winnipeg Blue Bomber season.
While it’s hard to hang onto emerging factoids and to pick out any emerging patterns that might point towards a bright future for the Blue this season, it was apparent that there is a new regime both upstairs and on the field. With 300 yards in the air and 100 on the ground, newcomer Buck Pierce spent his evening having fun and showing Winnipeg that he might just have what it takes to lead his team to an interesting season using a huge playbook that had Ti Cat defenders unable to stop his cool, controlled pace, resulting in a 49-29 victory for Winnipeg.
It wasn’t all amazing. It was disappointing to see Fred Reid unable to explode in Hamilton territory despite several carries in which he would frequently only be able to gain more than one or two yards. Sure he had 98 yards rushing last week, but he will have to step up against a Toronto D that only allowed Calgary one major score in Toronto’s opening match. And while we didn’t suffer tremendously for it, taking ten penalties in a game will end up costing the team dearly should the Bombers be unable to control themselves under pressure. On the flipside, it was exciting to watch the Bombers capitalize on Hamilton’s equally penalized squad, taking advantage of fumbles and an ineffective Hamilton offence that saw Glenn violently driven into the turf enough times to keep a smile on my face for the rest of the night.
One of the main stories of the game was how the Winnipeg defensive line looked good. On one end, Odell Willis was fast and brutal and on the other end Phillip Hunt emerged as one of the fastest defensive ends in the league. Glenn was made to suffer and Hamilton never really stood a chance.
NFL flunky Cleo Lemon is new at the QB position for Toronto. Last week against Calgary, he went 16 for 28 passes for 192 yards against Calgary, throwing far too many fumbles and picks. While his numbers are not unusual for the hapless Argos, Winnipeg should be able to find success against Lemon who will likely need a couple more weeks to find his rhythm.
Look for Buck Pierce to stretch the field for guys like Edwards who will be expected to make big catches to lead an effective air game against a Toronto defense that will end up misdirected and tired if Pierce is able to successfully confuse and wear down the Toronto D.
Based on what I say in the first week of action, Winnipeg should walk away with this game and force the rest of the league to start paying attention to what’s going on over here on Maroons Road.
