Bombers 34 - Riders 15 -- Grey Cup Preview?

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/stor ... tball/home

Riders record 7 - 3 - 0

Lions record 6 - 3 - 1

Bombers do us a favour.

..................

Roberts runs for three touchdowns as Bombers beat Riders
JUDY OWEN

Canadian Press

September 9, 2007 at 9:13 PM EDT

WINNIPEG — Charles Roberts sounded humble for a man who just ran for three touchdowns against one of the CFL's finest run defences.

Roberts rushed for three one-yard touchdowns as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 34-15 Sunday in a battle of CFL division leaders.

"With the offensive line that we have, a one-yard touchdown run isn't that hard to do," said Roberts, who has 12 rushing touchdowns this season.

"I was lucky to benefit from some pass interferences down there, and from one yard out, I'll take it."

Roberts ended up with 98 yards on 22 carries in front of a fifth straight sellout crowd at Canad Inns Stadium, which reached 29,783 fans with added seats.

He still couldn't reach the century mark against Saskatchewan's defence, which hasn't given up a 100-yard rushing game to a running back this season.

Winnipeg retained top spot in the CFL East Division with a 6-3-1 record.

The Roughriders fell to 7-3, but remained in first place in the West Division and the league after Montreal (6-4-0) defeated B.C. (6-3-1) earlier Sunday.

Head coach Doug Berry's speech to the Blue Bombers sounded strangely ominous after his team convincingly beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 34-15 in Sunday's battle of division leaders.

"He said, 'You guys are in trouble now,"' Bomber defensive lineman Doug Brown said.

"We're like, 'What, what, how's that man? We won 34-15, how are we in trouble now?' He's like, 'Well, 'cause now we've seen what we can do when we dominate in all three phases of the game.'

"So we've raised the bar and given everybody a little window of what we're capable of."

The victory was revenge for Winnipeg's defence, which allowed the Riders to score the winning TD with six seconds left in last weekend's 31-26 Labour Day Classic.

Milt Stegall caught his 141st career TD and Troy Westwood booted a pair of 12-yard field goals to round out Winnipeg's scoring.

Saskatchewan's points came off a two-yard TD run by Wes Cates and a 60-yard punt single from Jamie Boreham in the second quarter and an 11-yard TD reception by D.J. Flick late in the fourth.

"(Winnipeg) controlled the line of scrimmage," said Riders head coach Kent Austin, whose team had 16 first downs compared to Winnipeg's 31.

"There were so many errors. We didn't tackle well, we didn't cover well. They ran the ball on us and we couldn't protect the quarterback. Other than that, it was a good game."

Bomber quarterback Kevin Glenn completed 24 of 31 pass attempts for 279 yards and one interception before he was relieved late in the fourth quarter by Ryan Dinwiddie.

Kerry Joseph was 11-of-17 for 103 yards for Saskatchewan and was replaced in the fourth by Marcus Crandell, who threw the TD pass to Flick. He was 9-of-15 for 146 yards.

"They just flat out beat us and that was the difference in the game," Joseph said.

"(But) it's just a minor setback," he added. "We've just got to go back and put some more wins together like we did after our last loss. That's what good teams do."

Berry said having cornerback Juran Bolden and linebacker Ike Charlton return to the Bombers from the NFL last week helped the team.

Bolden, who played in the NFL the past five seasons, was a bit rusty, but Charlton, who tried out for the Detroit Lions after playing with Winnipeg last season and part of 2005, "didn't miss a beat."

"(Bolden) is going to be a great blend with the guys that we already have out there on the field," Berry said.

"It's hard not to want to get excited when he's helping motivate and make plays."

For the first time this season, the Bombers scored more than eight points in the first quarter.

Winnipeg's first two drives ended in a Westwood field goal and Roberts' first TD for a 10-0 lead that held through the end of the quarter.

Saskatchewan finished a 10-play, 85-yard drive eight seconds into the second quarter with Cates' TD plunge and Roberts' notched his second TD at 8:11.

Glenn threw his first interception in seven games, a pick by Jermaine Chatman that eventually led to Boreham's punt single and a 17-8 score at 12:38.

A fake field goal by Winnipeg — a direct snap to holder Jamie Stoddard and his nine-yard scamper — gave the Bombers a second chance that led to Stegall's eight-yard TD catch.

Roberts' third TD was the only scoring of the third quarter and stretched Winnipeg's lead to 31-8. Another Westwood field goal and Flick's TD finished off the game.

Notes: — Quarterback Kevin Glenn moved past Don Jonas into fifth place on the Bomber all-time passing yardage list with 12,376 yards a Saskatchewan receiver Matt Dominguez is doubtful for next week after injuring a knee in the fourth quarter.

[No Ordinary Joe]

Thank you, Winnipeg!

[WestCoastJoe]

Head coach Doug Berry's speech to the Blue Bombers sounded strangely ominous after his team convincingly beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 34-15 in Sunday's battle of division leaders.

"He said, 'You guys are in trouble now,"' Bomber defensive lineman Doug Brown said.

"We're like, 'What, what, how's that man? We won 34-15, how are we in trouble now?' He's like, 'Well, 'cause now we've seen what we can do when we dominate in all three phases of the game.'

"So we've raised the bar and given everybody a little window of what we're capable of."

"(Winnipeg) controlled the line of scrimmage," said Riders head coach Kent Austin, whose team had 16 first downs compared to Winnipeg's 31.

"There were so many errors. We didn't tackle well, we didn't cover well. They ran the ball on us and we couldn't protect the quarterback. Other than that, it was a good game."

I like these 2 coaches, Doug Berry and Kent Austin. They have those 2 franchises playing well and giving the fans lots to believe in. They also seem to have just the hint of a sense of humour, unusual in football coaches.

2 good coaches. 2 good teams. Good for the CFL. For too long, it has been other teams dominating the league. If the Lions didn't make it (and there is a pretty good chance of that happening), I would be content to see them play in the Grey Cup.

[cromartie]

I like these 2 coaches, Doug Berry and Kent Austin.

With all due respect, you can have Doug Berry. Much higher burnout rate going on there than with Austin. From what I see, Berry and Austin treat their players quite differently, and I think I'd rather play for Austin, and have Austin coach my team.

(Of course, I'd rather have Wally than either of them but - you know, speaking strictly as a comparison of the two.)