Inside the CFL: No arguing in hindsight

By Graham Kelly on November 26, 2019.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers unleashed a tsunami of emotion against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to win their first Grey Cup since 1990. The 31- 12 score flattered the easterners.

Practically all the pundits, including me, thought the Bombers would lose the Western playoffs and the Grey Cup. They proved everybody wrong and enjoyed doing it. While I wrote back in June that this was going to be Winnipeg’s year, when they sagged in the middle of the season, I lost faith. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. To save face I could say the best team doesn’t always win but Winnipeg was the best team. They came prepared to play and exposed all Hamilton’s weaknesses.

I wrote on Saturday that Grey Cup games are played at a high level of intensity. The Bombers displayed a ferociousness from the get-go, intercepting Dane Evans on the third play. They kept it up for the full 60 minutes. The Eastern champions could not match the Bombers’ intensity. They had no answers.

How bad was it? Winnipeg forced seven turnovers, three in the opening quarter alone. The record, by the way, is 11, set by the Eskimos in the 1986 Grey Cup that they lost to Hamilton 39-10. Edmonton was the prohibitive favourite on that afternoon but quarterback Matt Dunigan was sacked a record 13 times. The Bombers nailed Dane Evans six times. Willie Jefferson – named the year’s most outstanding defensive player earlier in the week – had half of them, as well as two forced fumbles.

Twice the Bombers stopped the Cats on third and one, an indication that they completely dominated the line of scrimmage. Defenders Jefferson, Jake Thomas, Drake Nevis and Jackson Jefferson overwhelmed the likes of Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Chris Van Zeyl. Winnipeg’s O-line, led by left tackle Stanley Bryant opened gaping holes for Andrew Harris. The Ticats were unable to exert any pressure on quarterback Zach Collaros. Players will tell you that when their lines are beaten up on just about every down, you get a sinking, helpless feeling in your gut and you’re beat. The Ticats were back on their heels throughout the entire game.

Andrew Harris was a man on a mission. Because of his drug suspension at the end of August, he was not nominated for a league award. He made the Football Reporters of Canada all-star team but the CFL Players’ Association left him off their dream team, even though he won the rushing title. To be convicted by the jury of his peers angered Harris deeply. It was the last straw.

He came out on Sunday and put on a dazzling performance in the first half. He continued his heroics throughout and became the first player to be named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Canadian. He picked up 169 total yards and scored two touchdowns. More importantly, he was his team’s inspirational leader.

As for our local representation in the big game, Aaron Crawfod was perfect in his long snapper role and Connor McGough excelled on special teams.

In a championship game, your stars have to be your best players. While linebacker Simoni Lawrence played well, Brandon Banks was essentially missing in action, and got hut early in the third quarter. Nobody stepped up. The Bomber receiving corps had been undermanned all season but guys like Drew Wolitarsky came through, as did Darvin Adams. Regina native Nic Demski kept drives alive with key runs and receptions. Bralon Addison, the league’s fifth-ranked receiver, played well. While Luke Tasker picked up a big first down on a fake punt, he killed two drives with dropped passes that were right in the bread basket.

What could go wrong for the 15-3 Tiger-Cats, did go wrong. Why?

In the 1968 best-of-three Western Final, the first place 12-3-1 Saskatchewan Roughriders were hammered 32-0 by Calgary. The great Bill Baker told me, “They came out hot, they came out ready to play. We thought we were ready to play but we just stunk the park up. We just didn’t play. That happens sometimes. It is really hard to explain unless you’ve been there. You’re just not clicking. When it happens to a few key players, even to one, it’s contagious.”

Enjoy very minute, Winnerpeg fans!