Alouettes lose control in Winnipeg
Bombers rebound from 12-point deficit with two minutes left to secure victory
The Alouettes might have hit rock bottom Thursday night at Investors Group Field, somehow blowing a game they seemingly had in their control.
The visitors had a 12-point lead, 40-28, with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They went into a prevent defence and allowed what should have been a meaningless touchdown in the final minute.
But then Winnipeg completed an onside kick, Brandon Alexander recovering the ball. From there, the Blue Bombers methodically moved down the field, aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty against Chris Ackie along with an offside infraction.
Following a 14-yard run by quarterback Matt Nichols, Andrew Harris scored on a two-yard run on the final play, the Bombers capturing an improbable 41-40 victory before 25,931 delirious spectators.
Instead of entering the first bye week in their schedule with a 3-3 record, the Als fell to 2-4, losing their third game on the road. Winnipeg is now 3-2.
The game didn’t begin well for quarterback Darian Durant and the Als’ offence. For the second consecutive game, he was intercepted on the second play.
This time, defensive-end Jackson Jeffcoat dropped into coverage and pilfered a pass for Nik Lewis at the Montreal 27.
After Harris ran for 11 yards, Nichols passed 14 yards to Darvin Adams. And on the next play, Harris scored on a two-yard run only 2:33 into the game.
But Durant and the offence didn’t lose their composure, going 80 yards in eight plays on their next possession. The visitors took advantage of Blue Bombers penalties, including an illegal block and pass interference against defensive-back Roc Carmichael. There was also a 21-yard pitch to Stefan Logan, a 13-yard run by Brandon Rutley and a 14-yard reception by Ernest Jackson.
It led to a one-yard run by J.C. Beaulieu. It was the fullback’s first career Canadian Football League touchdown, the play coming at 6:34.
On Montreal’s next series, the visitors went 45 yards in five plays to take a 14-7 lead at 10:56. Rutley ran off-tackle for an 18-yard gain and Winnipeg also was guilty of an unnecessary roughness penalty.
Durant passed 14 yards to B.J. Cunningham for the touchdown.
The Als have been notorious slow starters this season. The 14 points undoubtedly were a welcome sight.
But the Bombers had a short field as the opening quarter came to a close, scrimmaging from the Als’ 53. A horse-collar penalty against Chip Cox moved the ball to the 34. Then John Bowman was penalized for going offside.
Nichols eventually passed 10 yards over the middle to Clarence Denmark for the touchdown at 2:38 of the second quarter. Denmark beat Cox on the play. It made it a 14-14 game.
The Bombers were denied an opportunity to take the lead when Justin Medlock’s 48-yard field goal attempt struck the upright.
The Als took over possession on their 25. On the first play of the drive, Durant connected with Lewis for a 15-yard gain. The catch, the fourth of the game for the veteran, moved him into third in career receptions with 1,007, vaulting past Terry Vaughn.
The play was part of a six-play, 82-yard drive that ended with a 36-yard touchdown reception by Jackson at 14:05. Jackson beat cornerback Chris Randle on the play.
But the Als weren’t finished. An unnecessary roughness penalty against Winnipeg’s Frank Renaud put the Als in scoring position again at the Bombers’ 36-yard line. Boris Bede completed the half with a 28-yard field goal, sending the Als to their dressing room with a 2414 lead.
Head coach Mike O’Shea must have given his team quite the halftime speech. Winnipeg opened the third quarter with an eight-play, 80-yard drive that included a pair of passes to Harris, good for gains of 10 and 15 yards.
Backup quarterback Dan LeFevour came into the game and ran twice consecutively. On the second play, he ran around the righttackle for an 11-yard touchdown at 3:50, reducing the Als’ advantage to 24-21.
Bede’s 35-yard field goal, following a 41-yard run by Beaulieu, gave Montreal a 27-21 lead. The kick came at 7:21.
But the home team came within three points again on Medlock’s 35-yard field goal at 10:11. The drive included passes of 13 yards to Denmark and 12 yards to Harris.
Medlock tied the score, 27-27, with a 27-yard field goal at 14:27.
But on the final play of the period, Durant passed to rookie receiver Eugene Lewis, making his pro debut. The ball was knocked out of his hands, but he somehow managed to bat the ball back into play before it rolled out of bounds. And it went directly to Cunningham, who ran to the Winnipeg oneyard line, making it a 74-yard play.
But the Als couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone following two runs by Rutley and had to settle for Bede’s eight-yard field goal at 1:42, making the score 30-27.
Medlock was wide right on a 37-yard attempt at 5:56, good for a single point, before Bede connected from 33 yards at 9:08, giving the Als a 33-28 lead. The Als put the game away with a late six-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 31-yard touchdown run by Logan at 13:20.
The Bombers, however, made it interesting in the waning moments, Nichols passing four yards to Ryan Lankford for a touchdown at 14:16.
The Als’ next game is at home on Aug. 11 against the Toronto Argonauts.