Let’s take a couple of different views of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers start to the 2012 CFL season. First will be the glass half-full, and then the glass half-empty.
| The Good: Chad Simpson |
|---|
 In his first appearance of the season, Simpson took off for 122 total yards. |
Glass half-full:
– All 4 losses were on the road. Now that the grueling 4-games-on-the-road start is in their rearview mirror, the Bombers get 4-straight games at home.
– The players don’t like to use it as an excuse, but many have privately admitted that the 4 road games were a real grind.
– A sellout in their home opener next Thursday against Edmonton would make it a franchise record-tying 8 consecutive sellouts, and the players can feed off the enthusiasm that naturally comes with a long-awaited home game.
– The Bombers defence, led by Jonathan Hefney and Jason Vega, played its best game of the season in the loss to Toronto, and finally resembled the passionate, fiery bunch that wore the Swaggerville label last season.
– Winnipeg’s special teams were superb against the Argos, shutting down Chad Owens, while Justin Palardy kicked 5 field goals, making him 10 for 11 on the season.
– The injury list can only get shorter, can’t it? You would have to believe it couldn’t get much longer. Safety Ian Logan, defensive tackle Brandon Collier and slotback Terrence Edwards all left the Toronto game, joining offensive tackle Andre Douglas, slotback Cory Watson, quarterback Buck Pierce, running back Chris Garrett, linebacker Marcellus Bowman and defensive backs Alex Suber and Brandon Stewart in sick bay.
Did I miss anybody? Glenn January missed the first two games, running back Chad Simpson, who looked sensational in Toronto, missed the first three games. Virtually ALL of these players would be in the starting lineup if healthy.
– An 0-4 start doesn’t have to mean you are out of it. The 2008 Bombers, under Doug Berry, started 0-4, and were 2-8 at one point before rallying to finish 8-10 and made the playoffs.
– And who can forget the BC Lions starting 0-5, then 1-6, before storming back to finish 11-7 and go on to win the Grey Cup.
Glass half-empty (and these aren’t opinions, they are statistical facts):
| The Bad: Injury Woes |
|---|
 QB Buck Pierce headlines a long list of injured Bombers that also includes Safety Ian Logan, defensive tackle Brandon Collier, slotback Terrence Edwards, offensive tackle Andre Douglas, slotback Cory Watson, running back Chris Garrett, linebacker Marcellus Bowman and defensive backs Alex Suber and Brandon Stewart. |
– The Bombers are 0-4. They have scored the fewest points in the CFL, 78, and have given up the most, 141.
– Winnipeg has the worst offensive production in the CFL, averaging 301 yards per game.
– The Bombers have only recorded 6 touchdowns in 4 games.
– Winnipeg’s red-zone efficiency is among the poorest in the CFL.
– Winnipeg is a minus 5 in the takeaway-giveaway category, committing a league-high 15 turnovers.
– The Bombers have been outscored 39-7 in the first quarter of their games (tough to always have to come from behind)
– The Bombers’ offensive line have given up the most sacks in the league with 14.
– Bombers quarterback Alex Brink was 9 of 34 passing in Wednesdays 25-22 loss to the Argos
My message:
So, my message to Bombers fans (and I realize how deeply frustrated they are right now because expectations were high coming off a Grey Cup appearance in 2011) would be: “Don’t give up on the season”
I’ve watched this league for a long, long time and I’ve seen many teams recover from poor starts and salvage their years. I believe the Bombers have enough talent to do that’, but I would add one qualifier. They will need one of their quarterbacks, Alex Brink or Joey Elliott to play productive, winning football over the next 4-6 weeks while Buck Pierce is out. Because if that doesn’t happen, all bets are off.
