Holes exposed in Bombers’ defence

Not good enough. That’s how defensive end Greg Peach described the play of Winnipeg’s first string defence during Friday’s CFL pre-season 26-15 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Winnipeg defence actually played more of its projected starters in the first quarter than the TigerCats offence did, yet Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros had no problem slicing and dicing the Bombers up and down the field.

There was no ‘This is only the preseason’ talk coming from Peach.

“We had our ones versus their ones and they out-performed us. That’s disappointing for sure,” Peach said. “You’re out here to win games and obviously, no one wants to lose. So that always sucks.”

It wasn’t the kind of start Winnipeg’s defence was hoping for after last year’s abysmal campaign under one-and-done defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry.

Collaros needed just three plays to move 46 yards and score a touchdown on the first drive and he marched them another 50 yards on the second possession that resulted in a field goal.

If that wasn’t enough, Collaros and the Ticats waltzed 85 yards on their final drive of the first quarter.

Add it all up and the Winnipeg defence that will likely be on the field for next Saturday’s regular-season tilt in Regina surrendered 181 yards of offence. Multiply that by four and you don’t get a pretty number.

Some will defend the Bombers by saying they were playing a vanilla defence.

Peach wasn’t buying into that theory. “That’s a very vanilla offence as well. That’s not Hamilton’s package,” Peach said.