Roughriders feast on Nichols’ mistakes
Blue Bombers quarterback intercepted twice for touchdowns in the annual Banjo Bowl
WINNIPEG — The moment when Matt Nichols hit rock bottom came as he was on his knees, watching helplessly as Samuel Eguavoen of the Saskatchewan Roughriders returned his ill-advised pass 103 yards for an easy touchdown.
It was the second time in the first half of Saturday’s Banjo Bowl that Nichols was intercepted for a touchdown and it was clear he was about to get the hook from his position as starting quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Nichols knew it, the fans knew it, the Bombers and Riders knew it and for the first time this season, Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea knew it.
“I deserved to not be in the second half of that game,” Nichols said after the Bombers lost 32-27 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Investors Group Field.
Nichols had a horrible game. He completed 10 of 20 passes for 165 yards and three interceptions. The Riders scored 17 points directly off turnovers and what’s worse is that two of the pick-sixes came when the Bombers offence was in the red zone, looking to score.
In total, the Riders had 216 yards off Nichols three interceptions. That’s just crazy.
Truth is, he was fortunate it wasn’t worse. He was picked off two more times, but both plays were negated by Saskatchewan penalties.
“Overall, I didn’t play good enough,” said Nichols, who has thrown seven picks in the last three games. “I felt like I let this team down. This team deserved better than that today.”
Many of the fans got what they wanted to see when O’Shea pulled Nichols at halftime and put in rookie Chris Streveler.
The 23-year-old showed some promise again, but didn’t exactly have a great game either. He went 10-for20 for 160 yards and a touchdown, but also threw two interceptions.
“We moved the ball a little bit but I think there were some plays that I wish I had back,” Streveler said.
“I wish we could’ve put a couple more drives together there, especially at the end of the game with a couple of drive-to-win situations. We didn’t do that.”
It all added up to another humbling loss for the Bombers, a team that started the season with so much promise but has now fallen to 5-7 and is mired in a four-game losing streak.
They now have a bye week and O’Shea will have a major decision to make.
Does he go back to Nichols, who has experience and a decent track record as a starter but is clearly off his game, or hand the ball to Streveler to try to get the team back on the right path?
“I think our intention right now is to just take a deep breath,” O’Shea said.
“I can’t say for sure what the plans are going forward except we’re going to let the emotion of this loss disappear before we make any rash decisions. That wouldn’t be good for anybody.
“Matt deserves another chance to play and lead this team to victory because he’s done it so many times.”
Of course, O’Shea has always said he will make the decision that gives the team the best chance to win. At this point, that might just include starting Streveler on Sept. 21, when the Montreal Alouettes come to town.
Streveler has thrown nine touchdown passes against four interceptions in limited action this season and is certainly more mobile than the 31-year-old Nichols, who has struggled since suffering a knee injury in training camp.
Whoever gets the ball is going to have to dig the Bombers out of a big hole.
They’re fourth in the West Division, four points back of second-place Saskatchewan and have lost the season series against their Prairie rivals. They are just two points up on the fifth-place B.C. Lions and have a tough schedule ahead of them.
Saturday’s loss came on the heels of a 31-23 loss in Regina last weekend.