The Corbett Report, July 30, 2015

Introduction

 For the second week in a row the Corbett report opens with a Drew Willy referenced song. What gives? Well here’s a short history lesson of how much this team seems to need #5 behind centre.

Thursday, July 2^nd, 2015. Hamilton at Winnipeg

• With the Bombers down 10 – 7 Drew Willy is sacked by Taylor Reed and is knocked out of the game. What happens next?
• Next Hamilton possession – Brandon Banks for a TD on a punt return to make it 17-7
• Bombers respond – 2 and out
• Next Hamilton possession – 4 minute drive for a TD to make it 24 – 7
• Bombers respond – Brian Brohm intended for Denmark, picked off, Hamilton TD to make it 31 – 7
• It got worse after that

Saturday, July 25, 2015. Winnipeg at Edmonton

• With the Bombers down 4 – 3 in the 3^rd Quarter, Willy is sacked and leaves the game with an injured knee. Brian Brohm takes over but goes 2 and out
• Next Edmonton possession – Kendal Lawrence returns a punt 53 yards which turns into a TD and a 11 – 3 Edmonton lead
• Bombers respond – Brian Bohm hits Aaron Grymes for a completion. (Aaron Grymes plays for Edmonton)
• Edmonton then decides they’ll one-up Winnipeg by putting in their back up QB (James Franklin) who hits Adarius Boman for a TD. Edmonton up 18 – 3

And so it goes….

Now Drew Willy doesn’t play special teams and he doesn’t play defense but in two of the last 3 Bomber losses his departure seemed to trigger an implosion of epic proportion on the Bomber sidelines. Tacklers forget to tackle, special teams players become anything but, play calling degenerates into a vanilla vacuum and intensity seems to be replaced by warm thoughts of a tent city.

Perhaps that’s the most alarming thing about the Bombers season so far. They’ve shown no killer instinct, lack identity (particularly on defense) and seem to only find success if they stumble into it (or as they did in Calgary, bumble their way out of if).

With a young, fragile team, Drew’s the glue that holds them together. So here’s hoping that history doesn’t repeat a third time. The Bombers are only 2 points out of first, but they sure don’t have that vibe.

Welcome to week six, welcome to the Corbett Report.

Standings

			WEST
Team	Wins	Losses	Pts	For	Against	Streak
Edmonton	3	1	6	112	58	3 Wins
Calgary	3	2	6	112	126	1 Loss
BC	2	2	4	105	113	1 Loss
Winnipeg	2	3	4	109	159	2 Losses
Sask	0	5	0	143	165	5 Losses
			EAST
Team	Wins	Losses	Pts	For	Against	Streak
Toronto	3	1	6	118	103	1 Win
Ottawa	3	2	6	105	127	1 Win
Montreal	2	2	4	85	69	1 Win
Hamilton	2	2	4	119	88	1 Win

 I know it’s too early to look ahead, but if the Bombers want to grab a playoff berth, who are they going to have to get ahead of? Well, geographically, they may as well skip Alberta …. so who does that leave? Oh yeah, and who are we playing tonight?

The Bombers

Whether they’ll admit it or not (and they won’t) the Bombers have to be a fragile team. They self-destructed last week after imploding the week before.   They’re dead last in yards gained per game and 7^th in yards given up per game.   Not to mention their propensity to give up at least one major punt return per game and all three facets of the game seem to be mired in a quagmire of mediocrity.   Still, when one looks at the standings a different picture emerges. A win against BC won’t win them a Grey Cup, (you can’t win a Grey Cup in July, I checked the history books) but more importantly, they need an impassioned, inspired performance. Something that allows Bomber fans to say, HEY, that’s OUR Team.

Drew Willy is back in but how healthy he is remains to be seen. Nick Moore is out of the line up. Then there’s the puzzling case of Paris Cotton. Where did that fiery spark plug of a runner we saw in week one go? And let’s not forget the ever exciting (not always for the right reasons), Troy Stoudermire. Could he finally give us a punt return touchdown?

Page 412 of the “Manual for Aspiring Sports Reporters” suggests it’s now mandatory to say the following:

• This is a “must” game for the Bombers, both in the standings and for their confidence
• Championships aren’t won in week 6 but a win here could certainly be the catalyst that turns this season around

There, said it, now watch it.

The BC Lions

The Lions looked like a championship team in the early going against Toronto last week, racking up a 21 – 0 lead at home, only to do their own imploding and falling 30-27 to the Argos. Fun fact, the only team the Lions have beaten is Saskatchewan!

They’re a solid team though. On offense Travis Lulay leads the way and on defense, the ever-present Solomon Elimimian will be gunning for the Bombers QB.

Keys to the game

So with all of that said, here are the keys to the game:

For the Bombers to win

• With all “drew” respect to QB’s Marve and Brohm, Willy’s got to play the full game
• Score early and get the cranky Bomber fans back on board
• Just for a change, how about the BOMBERS get a sack?

For the Lions to win

• Get early pressure on Willy
• Win the special team battle
• Protect Lulay

The predictions

So the Corbett report is 10 – 10 this season (3 – 2 for Bomber games). That means I’m pretty much as well off making picks on a dartboard. Still, here goes:

I had no delusions about the Bombers back-to-back road games in Alberta. They’re just not there yet. They have, though, shown that they are a much-improved team over last year. If ever there was a team that was desperate for a victory, this would be the one. If Willy stays upright the Bombers should be able to come up with a victory. Let’s go with:

Bombers 29   BC 27

Elsewhere?

It’ll be a weekend for the home teams:

Edmonton over Saskatchewan

Calgary over Montreal

Hamilton over Toronto

Have a great long weekend! GO BLUE!