CFL.ca
CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO – With the 2014 calendar year coming to a close and the focus shifting to the off-season, CFL.ca takes a league-wide look at what went down in 2014 — one team at a time. Next up is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Bombers’ season was a tale of two halves, as the team jumped out to an impressive 5-1 start and looked to be a contender for the CFL West Division – before losing 10 of its remaining 12 games, coming back down to earth and missing the playoffs.
That doesn’t mean last season was without success for the Bombers, a team that came into the year looking to establish an identity. Led by rookie head coach Mike O’Shea, the Bombers did just that, also developing what could be a future franchise quarterback in Drew Willy.
| CFL.ca Season Rewind |
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 The Stampeders are champions after a season full of peaks and valleys for every team in the CFL. Follow along as CFL.ca takes a look at the season that was and looks ahead to 2015 where every team hopes to stand at the top of the heap in Winnipeg. CFL.ca Season Rewind |
Overview:
The Bombers entered the 2014 season looking to transform their identity, a feat they managed almost instantly out of the gate with an unexpected 45-21 win over the Toronto Argonauts.
Drew Willy was superb in throwing four touchdown passes and for more than 300 yards, while the Bomber defence stifled Ricky Ray and one of the league’s top offences, while Investors Group Field celebrated a new era in Winnipeg football with a blowout win.
The hot start continued with wins in three of the next four games by a margin of 26 points, leaving the Bombers with a 5-1 record and well in the race for tops in the West Division.
Starting with a six-point loss to Saskatchewan in which Drew Willy was picked off three times, however, the Bombers began to falter. They’d split their next two after that with a loss to Toronto and a win over Montreal, following that with eight straight losses before a triumphant road win over Calgary in their season finale.
Consistent heavy pressure on Willy and some crucial mistakes by the first-time starting quarterback caused the team’s undoing down the stretch, but 2014 ultimately left the Bombers with hope for the future.
The Good:
The Bombers’ fast start out of the gate re-captured the spirit of Winnipeg’s enthusiastic football fan base, as a brand new head coach, general manager and starting quarterback reinvigorated the organization. An eight-game losing streak derailed the Bombers’ season in the end, but fans briefly got a good look of what this new regime in Winnipeg will be all about.
Along the way, the Bombers seemingly confirmed their belief that Drew Willy is their franchise quarterback of the future, as the 28-year-old in his first year as a full-time starter finished third in the league in passing yards.
They also developed a young receiving core that took a much-needed step forward, as Clarence Denmark was a top-three CFL receiver after logging his first career 1,000-yard season, while Rory Kohlert and Aaron Kelly improved significantly with some added responsibility.
While Nic Grigsby was the talk of the town for the first half of the season, his eventual departure led to the emergence of Paris Cotton, who the Bombers seem set on as their future starting running back.
The biggest bright spot for the Bombers may have come on special teams, where Lirim Hajrullahu was a top candidate for Most Outstanding Special Teams player in 2014. Hajrullahu is only 24 and in his first CFL season set a team record and also tied a rookie record for field goal percentage at 87 per cent.
The Bad:
When the tough times hit after a 5-1 start, the Bombers were able to bounce back with a win over Montreal and stay in the hunt in a highly-competitive CFL West. The season slipped away after that during an eight-game losing streak however, as some of the team’s shortcomings proved impossible to overcome.
The Bombers struggled to run the ball for some time, eventually leading to the demotion of Nic Grigsby and the insertion of Paris Cotton as the team’s starting running back. Their defence, while strong in defending the pass, failed to stop the run, surrendering a league-worst 135.9 yards per game on the ground.
The biggest issue may have come with ball protection, where either the offensive line didn’t protect well enough or Drew Willy held onto the ball for too long. The Bombers were sacked a league-worst and franchise-worst 71 times in 2014, and while Willy proved durable enough to handle the pressure, that kind of beating isn’t conducive to quarterback success.
Perhaps the extra pressure made an impact, but Willy finished the year with the second most interceptions in the league and one of the worst touchdowns to interceptions ratios, with 14 touchdowns to 16 interceptions.
Highlight of the Season:
All of the Bombers’ season highlights came early in the season, where it’s difficult to pick between a blowout win over the Argos in the season opener and tight last-second victories over the Alouettes and Ticats.
In the end, a 27-26 road win over Hamilton had to have been the most exciting moment of the season for the Bombers, as it was the result of a 94-yard scoring drive in the dying minutes of the game, capped off by a last-play touchdown pass from Drew Willy to Nic Grigsby.
That win moved the Bombers to 5-1, leaving them within close striking distance of their West Division competitors at the top.
Potential Departures:
The Bombers are a full season removed from last year’s shuffling of the deck with a new GM, head coach and franchise quarterback, which means 2015 will be a pivotal off-season in determining the future of this team.
| CFL.ca Bombers Columnist |
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Bob Irving |
With that said, don’t be surprised if a high number of the Bombers’ 16 pending free agents are elsewhere next year, as Mike O’Shea and Kyle Walters look to continue building the Bombers in a different image.
Brian Brohm is likely to be back and competing for the second string quarterback position behind Willy, while Desia Dunn and Ian Wild are key defensive contributors that would help provide some continuity in 2015 should the Bombers bring them back.
Glenn January is a key piece of the Bombers’ O-line and is due to become a free agent, and so is Aaron Kelly after a strong 2014 campaign, particularly out of the gate.
Here’s the list of Blue Bombers due to hit free agency on Feb. 10, 2015:
Brian Brohm, QB, International
Romby Bryant, WR, International
Matt Bucknor, DB, National
Brett Carter, SB, National
Mike Cornell, LB, National
Desia Dunn, DB, International
Gord Hinse, OL, National
Glenn January, T, International
Aaron Kelly, SB, International
Dan Knapp, OL, International
Josh Portis, QB, International
Johnny Sears, DB, International
Devin Tyler, OL, International
Carl Volny, RB, National
Demond Washington, DB, International
Ian Wild, LB, International
Why they’ll win the Grey Cup in 2015:
The Bombers’ season turned out disappointing, particularly compared to such a promising start out of the gate. Not all is lost however, as the team seems to have at least part of the foundation in place to be successful not just in 2015, but for a long time to come.
That all starts with Drew Willy, who appears to have the making of a Grey Cup-winning quarterback. He’s got the size and arm strength along with the mobility to make plays with his legs, while football instincts helped the Bombers win some tight games last season thanks to his late-game dramatics.
Winnipeg’s run game was an issue throughout 2014, but the late-season emergence of Paris Cotton provided a spark that could carry into 2015 as the Bombers look to become a better-balanced offensive team.
The Bombers do have the horses on offence, with Willy and Cotton joined by Denmark, Nick Moore, Kelly and Kohlert – the question will be whether that unit can take a step forward and become more polished as a whole.
If Willy and that offence can take the next step, the Bombers could build on the glimpses they showed in 2014 and expand them over an entire season.
