Friday, August 19, 2005

Renegades "miss a lot of opportunities" in Winnipeg

Despite 38-17 setback to Blue Bombers, Ottawa still in first place

Yo Murphy led the Renegades in receiving yards with 116 on seven catches. The veteran also had the only Ottawa touchdown of the night in Winnipeg on Friday night.

WINNIPEG - The Renegades will head into the mid-way point of the season and their first bye-week still in first place, but tripped up and humbled after a 38-17 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers here at Canad Inns Stadium on Friday night. The Bombers never trailed and were led by a two-touchdown effort from Chris Brazzell, who had 135 receiving yards on four catches, to seal their third win of the second. The second consecutive victory for the Bombers came on a night where Winnipeg did not allow an Ottawa touchdown until the final minute of regulation and the home side took full advantage of each of the three Renegades turnovers.

Despite the loss, the Renegades are still in atop the standings in the CFL East Division and go into their off week knowing that five of their last nine games will be at home.

"We're still in decent position," said Renegades head coach and general manager Joe Paopao after the game. "We could have made a move (in the standings) but we came up short."

If the Renegades could have produced in the red zone the way they did everywhere else on the field, this one wouldn't have even been close.

Ottawa had nine more first downs (26-17), more total yards (418-395) and controlled the time of possession (33:38 to 26:22).

But on each of their appearances inside the Winnipeg 30, the Renegades had to settle for field goals. Mark Irvin hit from 15, 17 and 15 yards - each time signifying that Ottawa squandered opportunities to score while getting the ball at or inside the 10-yard-line.

"We didn't finish drives," admitted Renegades starting quarterback Kerry Joseph, who went 30-of-42 for 311 yards and a touchdown strike to Yo Murphy with under a minute to play in the game. "We moved the ball up and down the field but just couldn't find a way to punch it into the end zone."

Joseph was intercepted three times and the first two came off passes that were deflected off his receivers' hands and into Winnipeg defensive backs. The final pick was taken into the house by Omar Evans to seal the game late in the fourth quarter.

"We can't turn the ball over like that against a team playing well," said Paopao. "We missed a lot of good opportunities but full credit to hose guys. They had the momentum right before the half and kept it."

It was 13-7 Winnipeg with eight seconds remaining in the second quarter following Irvin's second field goal. Just as the fans were filing for the concession stands, Brazzell hauled in a 75-yard touchdown catch from Kevin Glenn for the play of the night that lifted the Bombers to a 20-7 advantage at the break - and they never looked back.

"Great throw, great catch," said Paopao of the biggest gain of the evening.

Renegades running back Josh Ranek was an effective weapon for Ottawa out of the gate and for most of the night. He rushed 14 times for 82 yards and also caught 11 balls for 78 yards.

The top receiver for Ottawa was Murphy, who grabbed seven balls for 116 yards, including a 43-yarder. He also had a 54-yard touchdown reception called back in the fourth period due to a holding penalty.

Flags were costly for Ottawa. The team was assessed nine infractions for 95 yards, many of which came at critical times. Another 38-yard strike to Jason Armstead (five catches, 45 yards) was negated because of a penalty.

It was a very windy evening in southern Manitoba and the game opened with Dave Donaldson needing to hold the ball on the tee for Pat Fleming, who kicked the ball off into a swirling Winnipeg wind to open the Week 9 affair.

After Bishop's Gaiters product Gilles Colon brought the low kickoff back to the 41-yard-line, the Bombers began at their own 46.

The opening snap could not have begun better for the Renegades.

Jamie Stoddard, 17-yard reception

Fumble forced by Sean Weston, recovered by Banks and the Renegades went to work after only a play from their own 47. Back-to-back Josh Ranek handoffs took Ottawa to the Winnipeg 50 after a pair of consecutive seven-yard pickups.

Joseph went to the air next to Jason Armstead for an 11-yard strike and just as the Renegades were gaining momentum, Winnipeg retaliated with a turnover of his own.

Joseph was picked off by Wes Lysack on a toss that was intended for Yo Murphy - and went off the fingertips of the veteran. Lysack, the former Calgary Stampeder, brought the pick back 61-yards and three minutes into the issue, the Bombers had First-and-10 on the Ottawa 26-yard-line.

The Bombers ensuing play was a touchdown scamper by Charles Roberts brought back on an offsides penalty, putting Winnipeg back to 1st-and-15 from the 31. Winnipeg settled for a 28-yard field goal for the first points of the night and 4:42 into the game, the Blue Bombers led 3-0.

Ottawa's second possession had the Renegades move the sticks once before Fleming blasted a punt directed out of bounds, sticking to the strategy the Renegades had hinted they would use heading into the game - keeping the ball out of the hands of Keith Stokes, an electrifying returner who was the league's top special teams player a year ago.

It didn't matter for the Winnipeg offence.

The Bombers began at their own 35 and marched for an eight-play drive that culminated with an outstanding on-target strike from Kevin Glenn to Milt Stegall in the end zone to put Winnipeg up 10-0 on a record setting touchdown.

The score, coming on a series that ate 4:42 off the clock, allowed Stegall to surpass legendary Stampeders receiver Allan Pitts for second-most touchdowns in the CFL history (118).

Winnipeg led 10-0 after one.

Ottawa's defence stopped the Bombers to open the second period and the Renegades took over a little over a minute into the quarter at their own 41 and with the wind.

Joseph and the Renegades did not disappoint.

After a first down, on a toss to Frank Cutolo, playcaller Tommy Condell opened up the razzle dazzle with a flea flicker call that Joseph went deep to Yo Murphy on that set up a 15-yard Mark Irvin field goal to cut the Bombers advantage to a touchdown, 10-3, with 10:10 left in the second quarter.

Ottawa's defence rose to the occasion on the ensuing drive, with D'Wayne Taylor stuffing Roberts for a loss of five; then Matt Kirk brought Glenn down at the line of scrimmage.

After the Renegades took a holding penalty to pin themselves at their own nine, Joseph went to the air again. His first strike was to Cory Hathaway on a screen for 29 yards; next to Ranek on another screen for 11; followed up by a 25-yard pass to Murphy that got Ottawa to Winnipeg's 36 in three efficiently plays.

But Ottawa came up empty-handed after Irvin's second attempt, from 41-yards, went off the left goal post to keep the Blue Bombers up 10-3 with six minutes remaining before the break.

The Renegades defence stood tall again.

For the second consecutive week, Bo Rogers recorded an interception, picking off Glenn and returning it 17-yards to get to the Winnipeg 24. But the Bombers defence kept Ottawa at bay, again, sacking Joseph and putting the Renegades out of field goal range leading to a single. Winnipeg came back with a Troy Westwood field goal (21-yards) and Ottawa took over down 13-4 with two minutes left.

The Renegades offence, again, looked great crossing mid-field and getting into Winnipeg's zone. After getting to the Bombers 37, moving the chains on an illegal contact penalty and facing second-and-long, Joseph even went on his own, grabbing 13 yards on a quarterback draw to set up first-and-10 from the 11 with 30 seconds left in the second quarter.

Again, though, the Bombers didn't allow the Renegades to find pay dirt and Irvin finished the half two-of-three on field goals after he chipped home a 17-yarder to make it 13-7 with 11 seconds left.

Time for the break, right?

Not so fast. Glenn went to Brazzell on the 75-yard-touchdown bomb along the near sidelines and suddenly it was 20-7 - instead of a six-point game - after 30 minutes.

Irvin opened the third quarter with a 15-yard field goal to cut the edge to 20-10 after the Renegades' opening drive, and that is how the third period ended - with Winnipeg leading by 10.

In the fourth quarter, it was another Joseph interception, off another pass that went off the fingertips of a Renegades receiver that set up a Winnipeg touchdown with four minutes gone by in the final frame. A pass intended for Woodcock deflected into the air and Justin Coleman picked it off, which, moments later, became a five-yard Brazzell touchdown (No. 2 of the night) to put the Bombers up 27-10.

Evans' waltz into the end zone on the Joseph pick iced the win before a late touchdown to Murphy made the final 38-17.

"We still have half the season to go and we need the rest (during this bye week)," said Paopao. "It's obvious we'll have to make some (personnel) changes now due to injuries."

NOTES: A crowd of 26,595 was on hand Friday... The Ottawa secondary was in uniform before the game - but not with their game jerseys. The defensive backfield warmed up wearing light green t-shirts with the inscription "I Am The Playmaker" splashed across the chest. The group purchased the gear at a mall near the team hotel... Scary moment in the third quarter after a special teams play. Renegades linebacker Robert Grant was on the field and taken off on a stretcher in an ambulance after appearing to be close to motionless for about 10 minutes. The California native had movements in his hands, legs and feet but had a tingling sensation down both sides of his body. He was taken to Winnipeg's Health and Sciences Centre for precautionary purposes... Also on the MASH unit for the Renegades by the end of regulation was Greg Moss (left elbow), Cory Hathaway (concussion), Johnny Scott (leg) and Sean Weston (ankle).