Bombers’ defensive blitz ‘came with a vengeance’

WINNIPEG Assistant coaches for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are only allowed to speak to reporters one day per week.

Usually, that’s not a day they look forward to.

Invariably, the co-ordinator who’s putting out the most fires is the one called onto the carpet.

As the Bombers returned to practice Tuesday, it may as well have been a red carpet Richie Hall walked out on.

The much-maligned defensive signal-caller, already fired numerous times over by the social media machine in his three years in Winnipeg, had a near-perfect game to answer for in Saturday ’s 30-3 road killing of Edmonton.

If the previous two games had provided hope for Hall’s defence, the last one had the effect of a rousing closing argument.

“We created a lot of havoc,” Hall acknowledged. “They did the job, against arguably the best quarterback in the league ... they’ve got so much offensive firepower – for them to come out with a dominating performance, that was pretty impressive.”

It had been eight years since a Winnipeg defence held an opponent to three or fewer points: a 31-2 win over Darian Durant and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2010.

This time it was Mike Reilly at quarterback and the Bombers were on him like bloodhounds on a wounded rabbit.

Four sacks, three interceptions (one of them off backup Danny O’Brien) and a seven-turnover day — so dominant.

And so different.

Did Hall’s defence blitz more or did it just seem that way?

“I don’t think we blitzed any more,” he said. “The results might have been different ... I couldn’t tell you the numbers or anything. But even when we brought four people, those four came with a vengeance.”

Asking some players, though, brought a slightly different answer.

“Game plan heading in was to have a little bit more action,” is how middle linebacker Adam Bighill put it. “We gave them different looks they weren’t ready for and we were able to get pressure on the quarterback.”

Corner Kevin Fogg figures he saw more blitzes in a game against Hamilton earlier this season, but acknowledged “we were in man (coverage) a lot” in Edmonton.

“That then puts the pressure on the DBs to make sure we’re in the right position ... to make plays,” Fogg said.

Nobody made more than Fogg, who completed the unnatural hattrick: an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble, with the cherry of a touchdown on top, earning him a nod as one of the CFL stars of the week.

“Trusting our game plan,” he said. “Trusting our own abilities. And trusting the next man beside you. When you can trust the next guy beside you, you have nothing else to worry about but doing your own job.”