Bombers bash Stampeders’ cup dreams
Winnipeg pivots team up for huge second-half surge in West semifinal
Just when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers needed it most, the two- headed quarterback monster emerged and unleashed its wrath on the Calgary Stampeders.
The Bombers absolutely crushed the defending Grey Cup champions on their home field Sunday, getting a terrific passing performance from quarterback Zach Collaros and a gutsy and powerful rushing game from his backup, Chris Streveler.
Collaros threw for 192 yards and a touchdown and Streveler ran for 82 yards and a major as Winnipeg won the West semifinal 3514 at Mcmahon Stadium and moved on to next Sunday’s West final in Regina against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“I don’t think so,” Collaros said when asked if he had ever been part of a one- two quarterback performance like that before.
He then nodded his head toward Streveler, who missed the Bombers’ season finale with a sprained ankle and a reported broken bone in his foot and was not even guaranteed to be healthy enough to play.
“But this guy is a warrior. Toughest guy in the league.”
The Bombers trailed 148 at the half but they dominated in every way in the second half, outscoring the Stamps 27- 0. Streveler had a quiet first half but wound up being a lethal weapon in the second half, when he had 72 of his rushing yards.
“It’s kind of unique,” Streveler said of the quarterbacking situation. “Whatever you have to do to win a football game, everyone on this team is more than willing to do it.
“This week I had my mind set that I was gonna try to play. I just wanted to be out there with the guys because I know how much they fight and how hard they work. Everyone is fighting through stuff right now and I’m not any different from them. If
I can be out there I’m gonna do everything I can to be out there.”
Collaros hit Darvin Adams with a 71- yard touchdown pass, Streveler had a 24-yard touchdown run and Mercy Maston and Nick Taylor had interceptions in a brilliant second half for the Bombers.
Nic Demski added a touchdown on a 33-yard run and Justin Medlock hit four long-range field goals.
The Bombers defence had a stellar game, holding 2018 most outstanding player Bo Levi Mitchell to just 12 completions on 28 pass attempts and a paltry 116 yards.
The defence picked Mitchell off three times — cornerback Mike Jones had the first one at the Bombers seven-yard line in the first quarter when Calgary already led 7- 0 — and forced a safety when Mitchell was called for intentional grounding in the end zone.
“( Head coach Mike O’shea) keeps preaching to us ‘ Play a perfect game,’ ” said Maston, the Bombers’ strong side linebacker. “We damn near played one.”
The Bombers had 384 yards of offence, while the Stamps, who played in four of the last five Grey Cups and won two of them, had just 207.
“We showed our heart today,” Demski said. “In the playoffs it comes down to whoever wants it more and we showed we wanted it more today. We proved it.
“We put plays together, put drives together. We had same big plays out there. We did what we had to do.”
All of the Bombers had to be inspired by Streveler’s performance when he was clearly not 100 per cent healthy. He ran the wildcat formation to perfection and simply would not be denied first downs.
“Strev’s a dog, man,” Demski said. “He has all the respect on this team. He comes in, he plays with his heart, he’s athletic and he runs people over. How can you ask for anything more than that?”
Then there’s Collaros, who was acquired at the trade deadline on Oct. 9 from the Toronto Argos, shortly after original Bombers’ No. 1 quarterback Matt Nichols had season- ending shoulder surgery.
Collaros only practised with the Bombers for two weeks before playing his first game — a win over the Stamps on Oct. 25 — and then found himself starting in a playoff game.
His strong arm proved to be important, especially in connecting with Adams twice for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Next week he’ll be going full circle to Saskatchewan, where he started the season as the Roughriders’ No. 1 quarterback.
In the first game of the year he took a brutal hit from Simoni Lawrence of the Hamilton Tiger- Cats, was placed on the six- game injured list with a concussion and was later traded to Toronto. He was still rehabbing with the Argos when they traded him to the Bombers.
“I don’t know if it’s odd,” Collaros said. “I was fortunate enough a month ago that I was traded at the deadline to this great organization with these great teammates and it just so happens we’re going back to the place where I started the year.”
Collaros is now 2- 0 as the Bombers’ starting quarterback and he’s now a win away from the Grey Cup. The Bombers will need to win in Saskatchewan against the 13- 5 Roughriders, who’ve had a week of rest, but if they play anything like they did on Sunday, they’ll have a great chance of pulling it off.
“I just want to say ( Collaros) coming in and being able to fit in so seamlessly with our quarterback room has been so great,” Streveler said. “I’m happy for him. He’s been through a crazy season.”
The Stampeders got a touchdown on their first drive of the game, after a 47- yard pass interference penalty was called on Mike Jones.
On third down, receiver Reggie Begelton took a handoff on a sweep and beat Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson to the edge before strolling in for the touchdown.
They were in position to make it 14- 0 but Jones, making his second career CFL start. made two big plays, first knocking down a pass in the end zone ( he actually dropped an interception) and then picking off a pass on the next play, out-fighting receiver Josh Huff for a ball they both appeared to have their hands on.
That was the real defensive turning point for Winnipeg.
The safety came on the next series and when the Bombers got the ball back they drove down field for a 34-yard Medlock field goal to make it 7-5.
Mitchell led them on a six- play 42 yard drive that culminated in 19-yard touchdown by Begelton to make it 14- 5 but the Stamps never scored again after that.
In fact, Mitchell did not complete a single pass in the third quarter and finished with just five completions in the fourth quarter.