THE CORBETT REPORT 2012-01, July 26, 2012

The Corbett Report – Issue 2012-01 – July 26, 2012

Winnipeg vs. Edmonton

 

THE OPENING SONG

(Homeward bound – Sung to the tune Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel)

Visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6K8wfyzAJQ to view

I’m watchin on some TV station

Another Bomber abomination

On a tour of four road games

The team’s been looking pretty lame

Though each road game was neatly planned

My god we need a good home stand

Homeward bound

We’re glad we are

Homeward bound

Home, maybe we’ll play some defense

Home, maybe we’ll score some TD’s

Home, where victory lies waiting

Hopefully for Blue

Another loss, another game

Worse without our special teams

But each game now it seems to me

Improvement and some hope I see

Canad Inn’s the place to be

Reminds me that at last we’ll be

Homeward bound

We’re glad we are

Homeward bound

Home, maybe we’ll play some defense

Home, maybe we’ll score some TD’s

Home, where victory lies waiting

Hopefully for Blue

Tonight we play the Esk’s again

The Blue must win, let’s not pretend

But being home will help you’ll see

Shacking off the mediocrity

With O and D in harmony

If not, then someone comfort me

Homeward bound

We’re glad we are

Homeward bound

Home, maybe we’ll play some defense

Home, maybe we’ll score some TD’s

Home, where victory lies waiting

Hopefully for Blue

Hopefully for Blue

 

Welcome back

WOW!!!! The Bomber faithful finally get to see their team at home.  As Chilliwack would sing “Gone, Gone, Gone you’ve been gone too long!” Indeed!  Time for some home cooking.    Dare I say, it’s about time!  (insert your own cliché here)

To put it mildly the results from the first four games of the season have been a bit disappointing.  Consider these accomplishments.  Through the first four games the Bombers have:

• Allowed 5 more turnovers than they’ve caused
• Been outscored 141 – 78
• Moved the ball for 1,207 yards (average 302)
• Allowed 1,711 yards (average 428)
• Completed 49.3% of their passes (allowed a 69.5% completion rate)

Need I go on? Because it only get’s worse. They (whoever they are) say stats are for losers.  Hmmmmmmm…..they might be onto something there.

Now, in spite of their claims to the contrary, the Bombers must have known going in that they were in tough.  What with stadium distractions, training camp injuries, the strength of their opponents (BC and Montreal in particular) and a brutal schedule to start (how magnanimous of the Blue Jays to let the Argos have a Wednesday night game), a realistic positive outcome would have been 2 – 2.  Throw in a rash of injuries to the starters (including Terrance Edwards and Buck Pierce) and …….. well, it is what it is.  OH NO it’s FOUR.

Welcome to the first regular season edition of the 2012 Corbett report.  So here’s what’s been happening since we last talked.

Standings

Eastern	W	L	T	Pts	PF	PA	Home	Away	Div
Hamilton Tiger-Cats	2	2	0	4	127	133	2-1	0-1	2-0
Toronto Argonauts	2	2	0	4	106	113	2-0	0-2	1-1
Montreal Alouettes	2	2	0	4	108	139	2-0	0-2	1-1
Winnipeg Blue Bombers	0	4	0	0	78	141	0-0	0-4	0-2
Western	W	L	T	Pts	PF	PA	Home	Away	Div
Saskatchewan Roughriders	3	1	0	6	121	78	2-0	1-1	2-1
Edmonton Eskimos	3	1	0	6	89	56	2-0	1-1	1-1
Calgary Stampeders	2	2	0	4	147	120	2-0	0-2	1-0
British Columbia Lions	2	2	0	4	106	102	2-1	0-1	0-2

The biggest surprise there?  The Eskimos at 3 – 1.  But more on them later.

The Bombers

If one were to believe some of the negative comments you read online (the equivalent of not being able to look away from a car crash), you’d wonder why anybody would be showing up on Thursday.  If online comments were a representative reflection of public opinion then Paul LaPolice would be off visiting Mike Kelly, Buck Pierce would be banished from public view and our defense would be left wallowing in Mudville!  However, as evidenced by the approaching sellout I’d suggest there’s still a few of us around who might still have a bit of hope for this team in 2012.

I know the coaches don’t like using injuries as an excuse, but still, in the world of the small roster CFL, how many teams could have withstood the barrage of pre-season and post-season injuries the Bombers have had to endure.  Who hasn’t played a full compliment of games this year?  Try:

Chris Garrett, Chad Simpson, Glenn January, Buck Pierce, Alex Suber, Brandon Stewart, Gnorman, Brandon Collier, Ian Logan, Terrence Edwards, Andre Douglas, Cory Watson, Buzz, Boomer……..need I say more

At 0-4 the Bombers it would be easy to write this team off.  I say, let’s wait a few weeks, get a few bodies back from the infirmary and see what this team is capable of doing.

FUN FACT: The home team record this year in the CFL is 14 – 2

The Eskimos

 

So here’s what I figured would happen in weeks 1 – 4.  Bombers would lose their first two games and then beat the Ricky Ray-less Eskimos in Edmonton, gain some momentum and catch Toronto napping in the short turn around week and come home 2 – 2.

What I didn’t see coming is Edmonton’s defense and how difficult they would make it for the Bombers in that 42-10 debacle in Edmonton.

They’re definitely getting it done on defense.  Their offense rivals the Bombers’ in mediocrity (See week two – Sask 17 Edmonton 1) with only 89 points being scored, but defense have only allowed 58 points.  That’s an average of 14 points per game!! Are you kidding me? The Oilers give up more than that!  And yet the Eskimos don’t lead in any defensive category.  What they have been doing, is stopping teams in the red zone.  In short, they’ve been bending but not breaking.

 

Keys to the game

For the Bombers to win

 

• Score as many ways as you can.  Running, Punt returns, Field Goal Returns, Stay on the field at half time.  Whatever it takes.  Help out Brink! A Demond Washington special team return would be great
• O-Line protection.  Brink does deserve to start!  You don’t fire your new office worker just because they can’t get the photo copier to work on their first day, but he needs time.
• D-FENCE, D-FENCE: Good ground was made against Toronto, now it’s time to build on it
• And of course – Win the turnover battle (Bombers thru 4 are -5, Edmonton +1)

 

For the Eskimos to win

• Win the first quarter and take the crowd out of it
• Get Jyles to 60% completion rate (currently 57.1%)
• Pressure Brink – force turnovers
• Hang onto the ball (I know, that’s getting redundant)

 

 

Game Prediction

 

If ever there was a must win for the Bombers in week 4 this would be it.

It’s time for the Bombers to put the pre-season and opening road trip behind them.  Feed off the fans frenzy, support their QB, keep up their stellar special teams play and most of all, bring on the D!  In other words, just play football!!!!  It’s too early to get off this band wagon.

Bombers 25 Eskimos 19

Last game

Corbett Report:              Argos 28 Bombers 12

Actual:                           Argos 25 Bombers 22

Season results

Bomber games     3 – 1

All CFL games     8 – 8

This week’s other games

Alouettes over the Argos

Riders over the Ti-Cats

Lions over the Stamps

 

GO BLUE

GO GNORMAN