CFL : Week 9
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CFL Preview - Ottawa (3-5) at Winnipeg (5-3)
From The Sports Network
By Ted Michaels, CFL Editor
DATE & TIME, Tuesday, August 12, 8 p.m. (et)
GAME NOTES: Ottawa finally got a solid effort on both sides of the ball for 60 minutes, and its first game in four, beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 29-24 in front of a raucous home crowd last Thursday night.
For a while, it appeared that the Renegades were up to their old tricks. Offensive production was a concern for the coaching staff, because they had scored just four touchdowns in their last three games.
Ottawa punted on its first three possessions. But the fourth time, the team scored a touchdown. Kerry Joseph hit D.J. Flick, a Slippery Rock product, with a 45-yard pass on the second play of the drive.
Joseph had a good first half, completing 9 of 15 passes for 116 yards. It reinforced Ottawa's decision to stick with the rookie and release veteran Dan Crowley.
In 18 career games Crowley averaged 176.5 yards passing. Joseph has averaged an even 300 yards per game in his first four games this season.
The Renegades led 14-7 at halftime, thanks to a heads-up play by Pat Fleming. The Ottawa native, who played in college at Bowling Green, recovered a shanked punt.
Fleming, whose deft maneuver prevented the Saskatchewan punter from recovering his own kick, picked up the ball and carried it to the Roughriders' 25-yard line. Lawrence Tynes hit a ten-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to increase the lead.
The Roughriders outscored Ottawa 17-2 in the third to take a 24-16 advantage.
But in the fourth, the Renegades rallied for the victory with backup quarterback Romero Miller. Filling in for the injured Joseph, the Mississippi product made a one-handed 10-yard touchdown pass from Sherrod Gideon six minutes into the final frame.
Five consecutive runs by Josh Ranek culminated in a 24-yard touchdown run with 1:18 left in the fourth to clinch the victory.
Joseph completed 16 of 30 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown for Ottawa. Flick, the team's top receiver, caught nine passes for 98 yards.
The Renegades secondary played well in the win. Give some credit to the Ottawa secondary as well. Though Tierre Sams and Crance Clemons, George McCullogh and Eric Lee entered the game with just 75 combined games, they held Saskatchewan quarterback Nealon Greene to 254 yards passing.
Winnipeg plays its first game in ten days, after playing four in 18. Last Saturday, it won 37-20 over the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats on the road.
Khari Jones threw three touchdown passes, and Troy Westwood hit five of six field goals for the Blue Bombers. Jones completed 18-29 passes for 325 yards. Five receivers caught passes, including Robert Gordon, (four for 101 yards), and the dependable Milt Stegall (five for 53 yards and two majors).
They finished strong in the fourth quarter, outscoring Hamilton 13-7. Tailback Charles Roberts was a major factor, finishing with 151 yards on 21 carries.
After four days off, when Winnipeg returned to practice, head coach Dave Ritchie decided to focus on the hurry-up offense. The unit moved down the field six times.
"They needed a foot up their rear ends so far, it hit ?em right in the tonsils," Ritchie said. "They needed to come out and get their mind focused back on what they're doing."
Stegall and linebacker Brian Clark got into a fight, and Ritchie left the field after the two-hour practice muttering his team was SOS (stuck on stupid.)
The numbers: Winnipeg has won two of the last three meetings. Stegall needs two touchdown catches to pass Brian Kelly for fourth place in all-time touchdowns scored.
Keys to the game: There's been a lot of concern lately about the Winnipeg secondary. The Bombers have allowed 266 yards per game through the air, only Ottawa is worse. No one runs the ball successfully against Winnipeg, (they lead the CFL in yards rushing allowed per game, 60.5.) So, the football adage comes into play... if you force a team to abandon it's running game, it plays into the defense's hands. Ritchie was upset about his DB's performances against Montreal and Hamilton.
But, those teams have the CFL's MVP from 2002, (Calvillo), and Hamilton's Danny McManus seems to be getting back into form. Joseph is not as good as either one of those veterans, yet. That will be the difference.
Sports Network predicted outcome: Winnipeg 28, Ottawa 19.
Last week: 3-1. Season record 28-8.
CFL Preview - Ottawa (3-5) at Winnipeg (5-3)
From The Sports Network
By Ted Michaels, CFL Editor
DATE & TIME, Tuesday, August 12, 8 p.m. (et)
GAME NOTES: Ottawa finally got a solid effort on both sides of the ball for 60 minutes, and its first game in four, beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 29-24 in front of a raucous home crowd last Thursday night.
For a while, it appeared that the Renegades were up to their old tricks. Offensive production was a concern for the coaching staff, because they had scored just four touchdowns in their last three games.
Ottawa punted on its first three possessions. But the fourth time, the team scored a touchdown. Kerry Joseph hit D.J. Flick, a Slippery Rock product, with a 45-yard pass on the second play of the drive.
Joseph had a good first half, completing 9 of 15 passes for 116 yards. It reinforced Ottawa's decision to stick with the rookie and release veteran Dan Crowley.
In 18 career games Crowley averaged 176.5 yards passing. Joseph has averaged an even 300 yards per game in his first four games this season.
The Renegades led 14-7 at halftime, thanks to a heads-up play by Pat Fleming. The Ottawa native, who played in college at Bowling Green, recovered a shanked punt.
Fleming, whose deft maneuver prevented the Saskatchewan punter from recovering his own kick, picked up the ball and carried it to the Roughriders' 25-yard line. Lawrence Tynes hit a ten-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to increase the lead.
The Roughriders outscored Ottawa 17-2 in the third to take a 24-16 advantage.
But in the fourth, the Renegades rallied for the victory with backup quarterback Romero Miller. Filling in for the injured Joseph, the Mississippi product made a one-handed 10-yard touchdown pass from Sherrod Gideon six minutes into the final frame.
Five consecutive runs by Josh Ranek culminated in a 24-yard touchdown run with 1:18 left in the fourth to clinch the victory.
Joseph completed 16 of 30 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown for Ottawa. Flick, the team's top receiver, caught nine passes for 98 yards.
The Renegades secondary played well in the win. Give some credit to the Ottawa secondary as well. Though Tierre Sams and Crance Clemons, George McCullogh and Eric Lee entered the game with just 75 combined games, they held Saskatchewan quarterback Nealon Greene to 254 yards passing.
Winnipeg plays its first game in ten days, after playing four in 18. Last Saturday, it won 37-20 over the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats on the road.
Khari Jones threw three touchdown passes, and Troy Westwood hit five of six field goals for the Blue Bombers. Jones completed 18-29 passes for 325 yards. Five receivers caught passes, including Robert Gordon, (four for 101 yards), and the dependable Milt Stegall (five for 53 yards and two majors).
They finished strong in the fourth quarter, outscoring Hamilton 13-7. Tailback Charles Roberts was a major factor, finishing with 151 yards on 21 carries.
After four days off, when Winnipeg returned to practice, head coach Dave Ritchie decided to focus on the hurry-up offense. The unit moved down the field six times.
"They needed a foot up their rear ends so far, it hit ?em right in the tonsils," Ritchie said. "They needed to come out and get their mind focused back on what they're doing."
Stegall and linebacker Brian Clark got into a fight, and Ritchie left the field after the two-hour practice muttering his team was SOS (stuck on stupid.)
The numbers: Winnipeg has won two of the last three meetings. Stegall needs two touchdown catches to pass Brian Kelly for fourth place in all-time touchdowns scored.
Keys to the game: There's been a lot of concern lately about the Winnipeg secondary. The Bombers have allowed 266 yards per game through the air, only Ottawa is worse. No one runs the ball successfully against Winnipeg, (they lead the CFL in yards rushing allowed per game, 60.5.) So, the football adage comes into play... if you force a team to abandon it's running game, it plays into the defense's hands. Ritchie was upset about his DB's performances against Montreal and Hamilton.
But, those teams have the CFL's MVP from 2002, (Calvillo), and Hamilton's Danny McManus seems to be getting back into form. Joseph is not as good as either one of those veterans, yet. That will be the difference.
Sports Network predicted outcome: Winnipeg 28, Ottawa 19.
Last week: 3-1. Season record 28-8.
