The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are going to run the football.
There’s no secret here, it’s what they do.
Bombers running back Andrew Harris is leading the CFL in rushing yards, and quarterback Chris Streveler has the sixth-most.
They’ll throw in a running play using the likes of Nic Demski or Lucky Whitehead every once in a while, too.
The Calgary Stampeders are well aware of how dangerous the Bombers’ multi-headed rushing attack can be and they know that stopping their guests when they pound the ball on the ground Saturday night at McMahon Stadium won’t be easy.
Defensive line coach Corey Mace, though, laid out what he wants from his players in the simplest of terms.
“Whoever has (the ball), get there as quick as freaking possible,” Mace said. “Everybody talks about Andrew Harris and obviously he’s a heck of a back. Demski’s dangerous, he’s got some carries and then you’ve got a third back there with Streveler. He does a lot of dangerous things and he has his whole career.
“We’ve got to be on it. We’ve got to be ready to play physical upfront and get rid of the big guys upfront. It’s going to be a battle and then finding the ball carrier and making sure we finish. It’s going to be a gang-tackling type of game.”
The Bombers are leading the CFL in rushing yards – they’re averaging 148.9 yards on the ground per game – and rushing attempts, and are running the ball even more than normal in the time since Matt Nichols went down for the season and Streveler took over at QB.
The Stampeders, meanwhile, are allowing their opponents the second-least rushing yards per game in the entire league.
They’ve had luck stopping Harris in the past, although he did rush for 100 yards when the Stamps and Bombers played back in August and the running back also ran for 71 yards in last year’s West Division Final and 86 yards against the Stampeders a few weeks earlier. There used to be a narrative that Harris was ineffective against the Stamps, but that’s just not really accurate anymore.
Streveler, meanwhile, hasn’t actually started a game at quarterback against the Stampeders, so Saturday is the first real chance to see how his run-heavy style translates against the Stamps.
“It all comes down to playing smashmouth football,” said the Stampeders’ Wynton McManis, who has been playing middle linebacker since Cory Greenwood went down. “They want to run it down teams’ throats and do (catch-and-run) plays and try to get you with bad eyes, so you just come to play and stay downhill and you’ll be just fine.”
The Stampeders were obviously not in the mood to share the specifics of their plan to stop the Bombers’ run-game, but it sure feels as if Saturday’s pivotal West Division matchup would be a good time for them to try to get out to a big lead as early as possible.
If the Stamps can force the Bombers into a situation where Streveler has to try to mount a comeback through the air, the Calgary crew is going to like its chances. Fall behind, and it’s all-but-certain the Stamps are going to have to contend with the Bombers pounding the ball on the ground over and over again.
“We didn’t have (an early lead) last game and we were able to fight our way back. It is tough, though,” said Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson. “If they have the lead they can call a few more things. It’s important to get the lead but it’s certainly not going to end the game after 20 minutes. We’re going to have to play 60.”
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
