Monster First Half For Calgary
Coming off their recent loss against Saskatchewan, the Calgary Stampeders looked to regain their Grey Cup winning form against this year's Hamilton Tiger Cats, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The latest Bombers QB, Mike Bishop, started game number two, and with his limited playbook, couldn't generate any offence in the entire first half.
Calgary on the other hand opened the game with a field-goal score and promptly recovered the ball on a forced fumble. In fact, the Winnipeg offense didn't step onto the field until the mid-way point of the first quarter.
Calgary managed two field goals and two majors, both by Joffrey Reynolds. Titus Ryan struggled at WR, but the offense posted almost 300 yards in the first. There was a degree of efficiency headed by Henry BUrris as he engineered the offence.
The D stood tall as well giving Bishop nothing and making folks wonder why a QB change wasn't made. But then again Winnipeg isn't Saskatchewan. Bishop did take abuse for his limited work in the first half taking hit after hit.
In true CFL fashion the last 3 minutes proved exciting when the Bombers looked to have the Stamps pinned deep. On 2 and 27 Nik Lewis made a grab and stretched out for an extra three yards to move the sticks. The play gave Calgary a chance to score another major and extend their lead.
Winnipeg had a chance to get points before the end of the half but lost track of time and had the play clock run out.
Winnipeg started the second half with a 82 yard drive and major. That's 82 yards in one drive, the total offence by the Bombers in the first half. The third quarter was all Winnipeg and their run game. Fred Reid and newcomer Bernard burst out weaknesses in the Calgary linebacking core.
It didn't help that Mike Labinjo was lost in the second quarter. But it was apparent Calgary's concern about Mike Bishop breaking contain and their weakness at middle linbacker couldn't handle any sort of running play.
Funny play, Michael Bishop knocked himself out, literally, by running into his own player and subsequently turning the ball over. Calgary scored their only points in the third quarter from the turnover.
Winnipeg on the other hand made half of their plays on the run, and their other half of the offensive plays from Calgary penalties. Without penalties you could erase a good 200 yards of field from the Winnipeg offense.
Despite a 10 point difference the fourth quarter you at least had the sense it wasn't going to be a massive blowout like the first half suggested. The Fred Reid show continued in the fourth with catches and runs, and the Calgary D unable to make a stop. The only stop came with 3 minutes left, I suppose when it counted the most.
The offense on the other hand, other than the Titus Ryan major off the turnover in the third, didn't get out of their own half of the field in the second half. Abandoning the run didn't help much either.
With two minutes left Calgary punted yet again yet Burke Dales (P) forced a fumble and recovered the ball as well. The play was negated due to another phantom penalty (a couple illegal contact on receiver calls were iffy) for 'not enough players on the line'. Couple that with a dwight anderson penalty and Calgary were punting from their own 10.
That gave Winnipeg one more chance that lead to a 3 down gamble and another run by Fred Reid, only this time, finally, Calgary made a stop standing tall and all but sealing the win. The offense came back on and yet again abandoned the run on second down and short throwing into traffic and giving up an interception at the worst possible time.
Thank Bishop for throwing an INT although it was unlikely the Bombers would have scored a major. Consistency was the major problem for the Stamps though as the offence disappeared in the second half and you get the feeling the team could use some help at the wide outs.....
Notes: Labinjo did not return to the game, no Jermaine Jackson either. Markus Howeel made his first offensive catch of the season in the first half.
