Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ defensive tackle Jake Thomas is learning first-hand about the CFL’s renewed emphasis on quarterback protection.
The veteran defender was penalized for unnecessary roughness early in Friday’s 14-11 loss to the Argonauts, delivering a hit to quarterback Chad Kelly well after the whistle on Toronto’s first drive. The play was blown dead as slotback DaVaris Daniels ran offside but it appeared Thomas didn’t hear the officials as he came through unblocked.
“I guess there was a whistle. I thought I was trying to stop, then he fell,” Thomas told 3DownNation post-game. “I guess the command centre overturned it. It wasn’t, I don’t believe, called on the field but I don’t know. I guess I just can’t touch him, try to avoid him.”
Thomas refused to use crowd noise at Princess Auto Stadium as an excuse for the error. Running back Deonta McMahon stepped in to reroute the 274-pounder at the last second, though he still delivered a blow to Kelly with his outstretched hands and sent the quarterback spiralling to the ground.
The Bombers have been fined for those types of hits twice this year, with Redha Kramdi delivering a late shot to Ottawa’s Dru Brown while sliding in Week 5 and Adam Bighill finishing an unnecessarily rough tackle against Saskatchewan’s Shea Patterson on the last play of the game in Week 7. However, they’ve more often been on the receiving end, with finable hits by Miles Brown of the Riders knocking out Zach Collaros and Chris Streveler in successive games.
Thomas can anticipate being on the receiving end of a fine himself, though he maintains both the penalty and any supplemental discipline are the result of changing standards for defenders rather than malicious intent.
“I think that’s the new standard — you can’t touch quarterbacks. This is the second one I’ve taken kind of like this in the last month or two, so I’ve just gotta do better,” he said. “I can’t make any excuses. It’s my fault.”
Winnipeg was penalized just twice in the loss for 25 yards. The second was an objectionable conduct penalty charged to the team’s bench following a critical late-game challenge. Upon replay, it appeared as though a player who wasn’t dressed squirted water at or on an official, though head coach Mike O’Shea didn’t confirm what the flag was for when asked after the game.
The Blue Bombers (10-7) will return to action when they visit the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, October 26 at 3:00 p.m. EDT.
