Just when you thought things could not get worse for the 2013 Winnipeg Blue Bombers it did in the form of a 37-14 drubbing at the hands of the Ticats who have won all 3 contests against the Bombers this season.
The score flattered the Bombers who have now dropped 6 straight games and look like a canoe without a paddle, a lemon without a peel, a car without wheels. You get the picture or in this case a picture without a frame.
The point is that the Bombers who have every reason to play hard be it for their fans, their family, their job, their careers or their self-esteem were flatter than a pancake and got squashed at every turn.
The first quarter was a disaster for the Bombers as the Ti-Cats scorched the Bombers secondary for a touchdown on their first possession. The Bombers lost 'starting' QB Max Hall to a hand injury on their first set of downs and they ran 5 plays in the quarter. The second quarter was not much better as Buck Pierce was intercepted for a pick 6.
The Ti-cats were up 24-0 before Sandro DeAngeo put the Bombers on the board with a field goal. There was even a case of insubordination after Alex Hall went offside and he was summoned to the bench by the coaches. He refused to leave the field thumbing his nose at authority and showing that this team is in complete disarray.
There is no fight, drive or passion left in the team. They made Hamilton look like a power house, which they are not despite the solid play of Henry Burris. Burris exposed the Bombers defense for over 300 yards while the Cats defense exposed Winnipeg's offensive line.
The offensive line which was truly offensive was unable to give any of the QB's enough time to set and throw or open up any holes for the running game. The highlight for the running game was a 44 yard TD run by Chad Simpson in the third quarter but the question is was the Cats even trying at that point.
The last two games either show that the players are not fazed by the firings of a CEO, GM and offensive coordinator despite the lip service they pay during interviews or it illustrates just how bare the cupboard is in Bomberville a town so devoid of talent that it is hard to give the Ti-cats any credit for chewing up and spitting out the Bombers like a fur ball.
The Bombers next test is against the 7-1 green Riders in Saskatchewan for the labour day classic which they have not won since 2004. Last year they eviscerated the Bombers 52-0 in a game that was anything but classic.
There is no relief in sight for this team as the off season is still 10 games away but one thing should be crystal clear for management and that is there needs to be wholesale changes in the player department with quarterback, secondary and offensive line being the weak spots on an already weak team.
Unfortunately, this could take several years to turn around, which would leave the club on the edge of a financial cliff that they may not be able to avoid falling off of…this time round.