Good start key for Bombers against Stampeders

[IE]

It's been eight years since the Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Calgary Stampeders in Winnipeg.

Stefan Lefors was the quarterback then, Mike Kelly the head coach.

The Bombers (1-0) will try to end that humbling streak in their 2017 home opener, Friday, against the Stamps (1-0-1).

?Nobody has had any success against Calgary in years,? current quarterback Matt Nichols said, Thursday. ?They've been the best team in the league since I've been in the league. If you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best. We're not putting any added pressure on this game. It's not going to make or break our season.

?But it would go a long way for us in our confidence to beat this team.?

Head coach Mike O'Shea has been at the helm for the last four home losses to Calgary.

?It's irrelevant,? O'Shea said of the streak. ?This is 2017, it's a different team. Calgary's got a different team. It's our second game, first game at home. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about those. It's a historical record, really.?

The Bombers are making just one lineup change from their season opener in Regina, last week.

Backup defensive back and punt returner Kevin Fogg is out with an undisclosed injury suffered against Saskatchewan.

Fogg will be replaced on the roster by import defensive back Brian Walker.

First-year Bomber Ryan Lankford, who returned kickoffs in his CFL debut in Regina, will handle Fogg's punt-return duties as well.

Otherwise the Bombers will field the same lineup squeaked out a 43-40 overtime win over the Riders.

They'll be looking for improved play from the defence, especially. And a better start, as they fell behind 17-3 last week.

Winnipeg's last game against the Stamps, in Calgary last season, saw the Bombers fall behind 24-0 before rallying, only to lose on a last-second field goal.

?The main thing we can take from it was things could have been different if we would have started a little better in the first half,? Nichols said. ?That's a goal of ours, especially as an offence, is to be better in the first quarter and play four complete quarters.?

 

[IE]

Five key matchups for Calgary Stampeders against Winnipeg Blue Bombers




The Calgary Stampeders next-man-up philosophy is getting a serious test this weekend.

Injuries have taken their toll on the Stamps so far this season, and the defensive line will be lining up against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday with a group that includes only one of the four men who would likely be starting in an ideal world.

The changes don?t end with the d-line, though. The Stamps have added seven new players to this week?s roster, replacing a group of seven that includes Charleston Hughes, Pierre-Luc Caron and Shane Bergman.

Here?s five things to look out for in Friday?s game:

AIR ATTACK: The good news for the Stampeders is that DaVaris Daniels is back in the lineup after missing Week 2 against the Ottawa Redblacks with a shoulder injury.

With the reigning Most Outstanding Rookie in the lineup, the Stamps should be able to feast on a Bombers defensive secondary that is short on CFL experience.

In CFL newcomers Roc Carmichael and Brandon Alexander, the Bombers will be fielding two players with a combined two games of CFL experience.

Saskatchewan Roughriders QB Kevin Glenn managed to carve the Bombers DB corps up for 377 yards in Week 2, and Stamps QB Bo Levi Mitchell has a lot more weapons at his disposal than Glenn does with the Riders.

Don?t be surprised if Mitchell goes deep ? and goes there often.

STEP UP: As previously mentioned, the Stamps defensive line looks nothing like the unit we expected to see before the start of training camp.

Cordarro Law is out, Ja?Gared Davis is hurt, Charleston Hughes was added to the one-game injured list, and American Bryan Hall was moved off the starting lineup to make way for Canadian Derek Wiggan because of ratio issues.

Hughes isn?t expected to be out long, fortunately, and Bombers head coach Mike O?Shea insists his team believes the Stamps are just as capable of causing them grief with the new faces.

Don?t be surprised if the Winnipegers look to see if running back Andrew Harris can find extra space to operate early, though. And who knows? Maybe first-round draft-pick Randy Colling will finally see some playing time for the Red & White.

Lots to look out for here.

THE O-LINE: The Stampeders would have loved to have continued playing four Canadians and one American on the offensive line, but Shane Bergman?s head injury last week ensured that wouldn?t happen.

In Bergman?s place, in steps Randy Richards for his 2017 debut at left tackle.

Richards saw action in five games last season, and the Stampeders are confident he can play his part, although Dickenson said earlier this week that he needs to find some consistency to his game.

KICK IT THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS: Rene Paredes has been under a lot of scrutiny this week after missing three converts against the Redblacks

The missing points didn?t end up costing the Stampeders in Week 2, but everyone will be keeping a close eye on the usually reliable Paredes against the Bombers.

Simply put, the Stamps won?t keep on winning if he?s missing extra points.

When other players make mistakes, teammates can cover for them. When Paredes messes one up, there?s no hiding from it.

He?s taken full responsibility for his struggles. Now it?s time for him to put them to rest.

BACK ON TRACK: The Stampeders defensive secondary wasn?t itself in Week 2, but every single defensive back insists they?d be better next time they stepped on the field.

This isn?t really an area where Stamps fans need to worry too much -- there?s just too much talent there for anyone to believe they won?t figure it out.

But a big game would go a long way towards restoring a little confidence and showing that they haven?t lost any momentum after last year?s phenomenal season.

If they can make life difficult for Bomber QB Matt Nichols when he looks downfield for his receivers, the Stampeders should be in for a good night.