Messam in a rush to play Bombers
Off to hot start, Stampeders’ back has history of good games against Winnipeg
It’s a testament to the season Jerome Messam put together in 2016 that there’s a sense he still has an extra gear to hit this season.
Through two games, Messam has piled up the third-most rushing yards in the CFL and has already scored a touchdown. Not bad, considering the Calgary Stampeders have played both their games against the Ottawa Redblacks, the reigning Grey Cup champions and a team that has historically done well against the Stamps run game.
Messam ran for 65 yards in the season opener in Ottawa and 51 yards in Week 2 at McMahon Stadium. Again, those numbers are good, but Messam said Monday that he’s happy to have the Redblacks in the rear-view mirror.
“They play us tough, they run a lot of stunts up front that are not the best to run against,” Messam said. “So it was hard to get yards against those guys. I’m excited to be playing Winnipeg.
“Ottawa is very stout against the run and I’ve historically had great games against Winnipeg, so I’m just excited to go out there and compete again, but it is going to be refreshing to not have to play the Redblacks.”
It’s tempting to wonder how many more yards on the ground Messam might have run for in Week 2 if the offence had more time with the ball in the game’s third quarter.
Messam started off the second half picking up 11 yards on three carries, but a combination of special team’s touchdowns, a 62-yard touchdown by Stamps backup QB Andrew Buckley, and a long stretch of Redblacks possession meant the 32-year-old’s last touch on the ground came with 13:47 left in the quarter.
That’s not likely to happen often, and head coach Dave Dickenson acknowledged that those sorts of stretches can throw an offence outof-whack, even if he wants more from the run-game.
“We didn’t have the ball a lot, and a lot of times you have trouble setting up your plays,” Dickenson said. “Ottawa’s always done a good job taking away our run game, and so we were able to mix it up a little bit.
“(The run game) is part of our game (where) we want to be tops in the league, and we’ve got a ways to go to get there.”
While Dickenson’s no-doubt right that there’s still a lot of improvement needed, there’s evidence to suggest that Messam could be in for a big game on Friday in Winnipeg, assuming the offensive line is healthy enough to give him a chance.
After opening the 2016 season with a 16-yard performance against the B.C. Lions, Messam bounced back with his highest rushing total of the year the next week when he ran for 137 yards against the Bombers. He also put up 65- and 71-yard rushing games against the Winnipeggers later in the year.
The Bombers only gave up 23 yards on the ground in their season opener Saturday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but Messam and the Stampeders are a completely different challenge.
Messam, for his part, seemed to be relishing the chance to move past the Blue Bombers.
“Body feels good, mind feels good,” Messam said of his attitude heading into the game. “We’re undefeated so everybody’s here to work hard, but at the same time we work hard and we play hard, so it’s just having some fun.”