WR Bowman elevates production at right time
Off the field, this has been the busiest year for Adarius Bowman in his entire 10 seasons in the Canadian Football League.
He got married, kicked off Adarius 4 Autism and, more recently, announced the first baby Bowman is on the way.
It’s a good thing, too, as he had plenty to keep his mind off of how things weren’t going so well on the field. At least, not to Bowman’s standards.
After leading the league in receiving yards two of the past three seasons, narrowly missing out the three-peat with a second-overall finish two years ago, the six-footthree, 217-pound Oklahoma State product has looked anything but himself when it comes to his 2017 statistics.
With just 29 receptions for 293 yards and two touchdowns to show for half a season of work after getting derailed by a leg injury in mid-July that kept him out for six weeks, Bowman wasn’t on pace for anything but disappointment.
He came into Saturday’s game with just one 100-yard receiving game after starting out last season with four in a row on his way to a club-record-tying nine. That was back in Week 2.
And he couldn’t have picked a better time for his second, catching a crucial convert pass and making a 20-yard touchdown reception that forced overtime on the way to a 35-29 win that kept Edmonton’s dreams of a home playoff game alive.
“You start feeling the life of that home-field advantage,” said Bowman, who, along with the touchdown, had nine catches for 136 yards.
“It’s been a difficult year, but it’s all about overcoming adversity. It’s a team sport and we have our own individual adversity at times, so for me, it was just good to show up for my guys and be that leader that I am.”
Make no mistake, it’s not that Bowman’s been invisible this year. When he’s been healthy, he’s been out there running routes, throwing blocks and drawing coverage away from his fellow receivers.
He is, after all, the reigning CFL receiving titleholder, and you can bet more than a fair share of opposing game plans have focused on keeping him off the stats sheet.
The main beneficiary of that oftbackfired plan has been Brandon Zylstra, who has taken over the league-leading role this season with 1,514 receiving yards and two games left to go.
“That’s the thing, you can’t cover everybody. We have too many weapons on this offence,” said Zylstra, who saw a run of three straight triple-digit performances interrupted with three catches for 32 yards, but made the two-point grab that sent it to extra possessions. “That’s what I was talking with some of the (Lions) guys about after the game: ‘Yeah, you guys are double-covering me? You can do that all game, if you want. If you guys are going to open up Bowman and (Derel) Walker and the run game, you guys do whatever you’ve got to do, I guess.’ ”
The Lions were left picking their poison on Saturday, to Bowman’s benefit.
“We’ve been waiting for that, it was good,” Zylstra said with a smile. “I’m pumped for him to have another game like that, to catch a critical two-point conversion there, too, at the end. That was big time and I’m happy for him.”
He wasn’t the only one.
“It was great to see Adarius step up and make plays like we’re accustomed to him making,” head coach Jason Maas said after the game. “It was a big night for Adarius, and I’m thankful for it because I root for the guy, who has been an integral part of our organization for a long time.
“You always love seeing your veterans step up and make plays, particularly when people are questioning him, or he hasn’t produced like he’s normally accustomed to producing. So for him to step up on a big stage and make plays to help us win the ball game, I think it’s great.”