Here is my take on the Bombers regular season opener against Hamilton. I smell a playoff place for the Blue this year...
After weeks of two-a-day practices, cramped media scrums and, of course, cuts, the new look Winnipeg Blue Bombers finally get the chance to play football for real as they kickoff the new CFL season on Friday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Bombers will take to the field eager to put the bad memories of last season behind them and get off to a good start under new coach Paul LaPolice. LaPolice, who will be working his first CFL game a head coach, spoke like a true signal caller in saying he isn’t concerned about the expectations on him or his team. He just wants them to go out and execute.
“Of course it’s exciting for me, but I’m more focused on the task ahead and putting together the best game plan in order to come away with the victory. It’s a long season and we have to be ready,” he said.
The game will feature a number of debuting players, including starting quarterback Buck Pierce, as the Bombers roster underwent a makeover following last year’s disappointing 7-11 campaign. Despite the new faces, the Bombers will still be lead by key returnees on both sides of the ball.
Many of those returning players still feel the sting of last years season ending loss to Hamilton that put to bed any hopes the Bombers had of sneaking into the playoffs. Defensive back Jovon Johnson says that defeat, capped off by Hamilton’s now infamous boat celebration, makes this game personal.
“For those of us that were here last year, we remember what Hamilton did to us in the last game of the season. We aren’t going to let that happen this year. Not in our house,” he said.
Meanwhile, Running Back Fred Reid says this group has to put last season behind them and make sure they pick up the victory against a key division rival.
“We have to play these guys so much in the first chunk of the schedule so we want to make sure they dread every single game. We’re going to come out hard and show them what we’re made of this year,” said Reid.
The visiting Tiger-Cats will be aiming to build on last years promising season which lead to their first playoff birth since 2004.
They will be lead by former Bomber quarterback Kevin Glenn who looked solid in the Ti-Cats lopsided preseason defeat of Winnipeg last week at Ivor Wynne. Glenn will take charge of an offense that features bonafide stars at running back and receiver in DeAndra’ Cobb and Arland Bruce III.
While much of the focus will be on the two offenses, defense should play a key role in this one as the Tiger-Cat “D” finished near the top of most main statistical categories last season, including finishing 2nd in both points allowed and touchdowns allowed. The Bombers defense will hope to win the turnover battle as they were tops in the CFL in interceptions last year.
The game kicks off at 7 P.M. at Canad Inns Stadium. If you missed out on tickets, the game will air on TSN and can be heard on CJOB 680.
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