Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea is never one to gush at a post-game press conference, but his demeanour was terser than usual after Thursday’s 30-27 win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“We won,” he said flatly. “They’re not changing the score now.”
A changing score was a major concern for the Bombers at the end of the football game. Up by a touchdown with just over a minute remaining, O’Shea elected to send out the field goal unit on third-and-two from the Ottawa 49-yard line. Sergio Castillo missed the ensuing 57-yard attempt to the left, and Redblacks’ returner Kalil Pimpleton took advantage, racing 117 yards to tie the game at 27 with 53 seconds remaining.
Given the circumstances, the long attempt raised eyebrows around the league. However, O’Shea defended his decision using far fewer words than the distance of the attempt.
“He’s good from that distance. (We’re trying to) put the game away,” he stated. “Pretty easy decision.”
Castillo tied a CFL record with a 63-yard field goal in Winnipeg’s Week 10 loss to Calgary and was a perfect six-for-six from outside of 50 yards to that point, including a 53-yarder early in the same game. However, long kicks are rarely attempted at that stage by teams with a lead due to the mismatch between speedy returners in space and generally bigger-bodied blockers on the field goal team.
The Bombers have one of the top QB sneak specialists in the CFL in Chris Streveler if the team had elected to gamble on short yardage. Alternatively, they could have trusted their defence and allowed Jamieson Sheahan to punt for field position. Instead, it seems that O’Shea felt the need to add points to his lead, responding to a query about his decision not to punt by saying it wouldn’t have resulted in a rouge.
“It’s way harder to punt that distance than it is to kick the field goal that distance,” he said. “I think there’s a reason why they always try the field goal instead of punt for the single in games.”
O’Shea acknowledged that the big return touchdown caused him a momentary lapse in focus, describing his internal thought process as “God, Jesus Murphy.” However, he praised his team for their attitude in bouncing back.
Quarterback Zach Collaros was intercepted on a deep pass on the very next play from scrimmage, tilting momentum further in Ottawa’s favour. But the defence stifled that by forcing a quick two-and-out, and the Bombers got the football back with 18 seconds left, just enough time to set up Castillo for a 47-yard game-winner.
The two-time Grey Cup-winning head coach insisted that the media should focus on the positives of that experience in their reporting, rather than fixate on the mistakes that forced the walk-off.
“I think that regardless of the outcome of the game and all the negativity that’s going to probably come out right here, what’s most important is the resiliency and the grit that our guys are developing and showing,” O’Shea said. “They’re not just learning it now, now they’re actually putting it into action, which is far more important than whether we won by three or we won by 23 — far more important. You can write about that.”
The Bombers have now officially crossed the mid-way point of their season and sit a game above .500, though it hasn’t been easy sledding. O’Shea was dismissive when asked about his team’s record, opting to focus on the process rather than the results.
“6-3 sounds better. 4-5 sounds worse. 5-4 sounds like right where we’re going to be, and as long as we’re growing, as long as we’re learning some of the hard lessons, some of those tough lessons that are going to toughen us up down this stretch or for the next game, then let’s go,” he said, adding that this win won’t be tinged by the late scare
“I think we’re going to enjoy it. It’s a win. What are we going to do? Dwell on some plays that we want to have back? That’s what tomorrow’s for.”
The Bombers (5-4) will return to action on Thursday, August 21, when they visit the Montreal Alouettes.