Bob Irving
CFL.ca
Just when you think you’ve seen it all when it comes to incredible comebacks, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers pull off one of the more remarkable rebounds in Bomber history.
On Thanksgiving Monday, the Blue and Gold stormed back for an unlikely but exhilirating 47-35 win over the B.C. Lions in a rare overtime CFL game.
The Bombers trailed 32-11 going into the fourth quarter and many of the 25,000 fans at Canad-Inns stadium in Winnipeg had already gone home. B.C. coach Wally Buono, feeling confident that the game was in hand, pulled starting quarterback Travis Lulay to avoid aggravating a minor hand injury.
Cue the comeback.
It started with Justin Palardy kicking a 45-yard field goal early in the final quarter. When Steven Jyles, who had replaced a struggling Alex Brink at quarterback in the third quarter, threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Edwards with still nearly 10 minutes left to play, the momentum in the game really shifted in the Bombers favor.
The Lions were able to quell the Bomber surge for a time when Casey Printers put together a couple of nifty drives. But, Jyles put together a long touchdown drive that culminated with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Greg Carr with 57 seconds left to play.
Then Jovon Johnson came up with a sensational 59-yard punt return with 11 seconds left, and rookie Justin Palardy came through with a clutch 42-yard field goal on the games final play to send it to overtime.
Sean Whyte and Palardy exchanged field goals in the first overtime mini-game before Yvenson Bernard went in to the endzone from two yards out for a go-ahead Bomber touchdown in the second mini-game. Deon Beasley sealed the win when he intercepted a Printers pass and returned it for a touchdown to end the game.
Lions coach Wally Buono was livid over some costly penalties his team took that aided the Bomber comeback, in particular a roughing call against Khalif Mitchell that cost the Lions a chance to win the game in overtime. Mitchell punched Bomber offensive tackle Andre Douglas in the mid-section in what Buono called a selfish act that cost the entire team.
Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice, on the other hand, was pleased to see some of the penalties and the “breaks of the game” go the Bombers way for a change.
It truly was a wondrous comeback and it helped obscure the failure of the controversial decision to give Alex Brink his first pro start at quarterback. The Bombers reasoned that, having lost 8 of 9 games, a dramatic change at the quarterback position might shake things up in a positive way. Plus, they were anxious to take a look at Brink, a highly regarded Washington State product, in a game situation.
But by the end of the second quarter the fans were booing Brink, who completed just 4 of his 18 passes and looked far from ready for prime time. The game appeared to be out of hand by the time Jyles took over, and it’s to the everlasting credit of the Bomber players and their coaches that the team somehow found the resolve to come back and win the game.
LaPolice said after the game he wasn’t sure about his starting quarterback for the next game in Montreal, but it’s inconceivable that he would start Brink again when the Bombers visit Montreal Sunday.
Winnipeg is now 4-10, they are virtually out of playoff contention in the East Division, but they are tied with Edmonton and just 2 points behind B.C. for a possible cross-over playoff spot thanks to one of the wildest comebacks you will ever see.
