The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats by a score of 33-25 in overtime to win the 108th Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field. Below are my thoughts on the game.
What a comeback
The Blue Bombers went down 22-10 with 12:03 remaining in the game after Michael Domagala booted a ten-yard field goal for Hamilton.
Zach Collaros threw two interceptions in the second half and would likely have tossed a third had Kenny Lawler not (intentionally?) taken an offensive pass interference penalty in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter. The offence looked out of sync and the hometown crowd in Hamilton was going nuts, anticipating their first championship in 22 years.
I questioned Mike O’Shea’s decision to kick a field goal midway through the fourth quarter but it ended up being the right decision. It made the score 22-13 before Nic Demski caught a 29-yard touchdown pass and Castillo chipped in a 45-yard field goal to take a late 24-22 lead.
The game ended up going to overtime, but Winnipeg was exceptional when it mattered most. What was an underwhelming first three quarters became an instant classic. The Blue Bombers dominated the 2019 Grey Cup from start to finish. They completed one of the greatest comebacks in Grey Cup history to win it all in 2021.
Different script. Same result.
A Mighty Wind
The wind was a big factor in Sunday’s game with gusts reportedly reaching almost 50 kilometres per hour at field level. Kicks into the wind fell ten to twenty yards shy of normal ranges, which had a major impact on the game. Winnipeg won the coin toss and deferred to the second half and took the wind in the fourth quarter.
Winnipeg didn’t always handle the wind well — for one, why did Marc Liegghio kneel immediately at the end of the third quarter instead of running around to take time off the clock? I wasn’t sure about the decision to give up the safety either as Winnipeg still had to kickoff into the wind on the following play, which Hamilton returned across midfield.
Even so, O’Shea’s decision to take the wind in the fourth quarter was brilliant. It wouldn’t have been possible for Winnipeg to complete the comeback in the fourth quarter had it not been for the wind, there’s no question about that.
Un-knee-ded concession
Many will blame Hamilton’s Jaelon Acklin for not catching a potential touchdown pass with ten seconds remaining, but Tim White conceding a single with 1:52 remaining was the real backbreaker for Hamilton.
White has Olympic-level speed — seriously — and had a ton of space in front of him. I don’t know whether or not he was told to kneel by his coaching staff, but the single point gave Winnipeg a three-point advantage at 25-22. Had that not happened, Domagala’s 13-yard field goal with six seconds remaining would have won Hamilton the game.
O’Shea called it a “smart decision,” suggesting that Hamilton made the right call in order to gain field position.
“There are multiple decisions you could make on any of those single plays and just because the outcome doesn’t work out, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good decision at the time,” he said. “I think a lot of coaches get skewered because people have the benefit of time to mull things over. … You guys judge things on outcomes, not in the moment.”
Hold the line
Winnipeg’s offensive line allowed a league-low 16 sacks this season while opening holes for the league’s second-best rushing attack, which averaged 119.7 yards per game. This is why it was surprising to see Hamilton’s defensive line control the line of scrimmage for most of the first three quarters.
Zach Collaros was sacked by Ja’Gared Davis early when Jermarcus Hardrick got beaten off the right side and Andrew Harris had a tough time finding room to work in the first half, rushing for just 32 yards on nine carries.
The line improved as the game went on as Harris had rushing lanes in overtime and Collaros had time to operate late in the fourth quarter. This was particularly true in overtime when Harris rushed for two first downs and Collaros had plenty of time to connect with Darvin Adams for the game-winning touchdown.
Harris to the Hall
Harris has been noncommittal about his future, which is understandable given his age. The eleven-year veteran will turn 35 in April and was effective when healthy this year, but missed seven games due to a pair of injuries. If this is the end of the line for the Winnipeg native, allow me to be the first to congratulate him on a remarkable career.
9,661 rushing yards (sixth all-time, first among Canadians), 5,223 receiving yards, 16,160 all-purpose yards, 83 touchdowns, three Grey Cups, one Grey Cup Most Valuable Player award, two Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian awards. What a résumé.
He was held in check at times on Sunday but played well in overtime, finishing the game with 18 carries for 80 yards and two receptions for three yards.
Harris was one of three players who created a renaissance for Canadian running backs in the CFL alongside Jon Cornish and Jerome Messam. He told the media this week that he’s proud of the influence he’s had on the position and there are a number of young Canadians who will be ready to carry the load after he retires.
Holy moly, Jeremiah Masoli
Dane Evans had a rough start on Sunday, completing four-of-nine pass attempts for 24 yards and one interception before leaving the game with an apparent neck injury.
Jeremiah Masoli came in and completed 20-of-25 pass attempts for 185 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also ran the ball well, carrying the ball six times for 35 yards.
The nine-year veteran was pulled after just one quarter in the East Final, which couldn’t have been easy. This is Masoli’s eighth season in Hamilton and he was desperate to bring a championship to Steeltown. He fell just short, but he should still be commended for a great performance in trying circumstances.
Dimes for Darvin
Darvin Adams had a relatively quiet regular season but came to play on Sunday, leading the team in receiving yards and catching the game-winning touchdown.
“I told you guys: the game on the line, I’m going to Darvin,” said Collaros in his postgame press conference.
Kenny Lawler led the CFL in receiving yards, Nic Demski had a career year, and Rasheed Bailey was great. It was nice to see Adams — who is just three weeks away from turning 32 — turn back the clock for a big game. His overtime touchdown catch will be remembered as one of the biggest in club history.
Sssssssergio!
Winnipeg made a trade with B.C. for the rights to veteran placekicker Sergio Castillo in mid-October and it paid huge dividends on Sunday.
Castillo was paid a handsome $7,000 per regular season game, per sources, and made almost $30,000 in playoff bonuses as a result of Winnipeg winning the Grey Cup. That’s a heavy investment, but clearly he was worth every penny after making all five of his field goal attempts in the Grey Cup.
A tale of two cities
The Blue Bombers and Tiger-Cats met in the Grey Cup for the second time in as many seasons, marking the twelfth time they’ve met in the big game overall. How’s this for a stat? 11.1 percent of all Grey Cup games have been played between Winnipeg and Hamilton. That’s pretty wild.
Winnipeg won the first meeting between the clubs in 1935, becoming the first western team to capture the Grey Cup. They’ve gone 8-4 overall in head-to-head meetings including the 2019 and 2021 title games.
Game recognizes game
Longtime CFL defensive back Tom Europe, who played safety on Winnipeg’s sensational team from 2001, took to Twitter after Brandon Alexander lit up Tim White midway through the first quarter.
Alexander continues to get noticed for his tremendous play at safety. Taylor Loffler was excellent there for Winnipeg for three seasons (2016-18) but Alexander provides the same physical presence while providing better cover ability.
Osh makes history
Mike O’Shea is now one of four Winnipeg head coaches to win multiple Grey Cup games alongside Reg Threlfall (1939, 1941), Bud Grant (1958, 1959, 1961, 1962), and Mike Riley (1988, 1990).
He also joined some elite company after winning the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL’s Coach of the Year on Friday night, becoming the third Blue Bombers bench boss to win the award and the Grey Cup in the same season. The others are Cal Murphy (1984) and Riley (1988, 1990).
Here’s another remarkable O’Shea stat, courtesy of Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun: O’Shea is now six-for-six in Grey Cup games. He won all three of his appearances as a player (1996, 1997, 2004), his only appearance as an assistant coach (2012), and both of his appearances as a head coach (2019, 2021).
That’s not bad for a guy who started his head coaching career with a 12-24 record.
They made it
O’Shea spoke earlier this year about the importance not just starting the CFL season, but finishing it. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season and could easily have disrupted the 2021 campaign had strict protocols not been in place.
Aside from the Elks outbreak that caused the postponement of one game, the virus had virtually no effect on teams. Only a handful of players entered COVID-19 protocol outside of Edmonton — two in Calgary and three in Toronto — and the league was never forced to play a game despite marquee players being absent as the NFL has had to do at times.
Well done to all involved. Let’s hope this awful pandemic is over — or at least seriously diminished — by the time the 2022 season rolls around.
End of an era
As my colleague Justin Dunk wrote before Sunday’s game, it seems the Ticats have reached the end of an era. Head coach Orlondo Steinauer appears set to accept a job at the University of Washington, while offensive coordinator Tommy Condell is rumoured to be heading back to the United States.
Hamilton has made the playoffs every season they’ve had Steinauer on their coaching staff (2013-16, 2018-present). The club’s never been considered the CFL’s model franchise, but they’ve had a ton of success backed by a rabid fan base.
It’s a damn shame that era appears to be ending without a Grey Cup title. They almost completed the comeback in 2014, a lost blowout in 2019, then gave up a sizeable lead in 2021.
Halftime
The Arkells did a great job with the halftime show. Call me old school, but I love groups with real instruments. Give me guitars, trombones, saxophones, and violins any day.
I’m also a big fan of the Grey Cup featuring Canadian acts whenever possible. The Super Bowl has featured Canadian acts at halftime, including Shania Twain and The Weeknd. If they can feature Canadian talent, so can the Grey Cup halftime show.
Heartbreak for Ted
You can’t help but feel bad for Hamilton defensive tackle Ted Laurent. The ten-year veteran and five-time all-star was unable to play on Sunday after undergoing an emergency appendectomy earlier this week.
Laurent missed two games to start the season due to a knee injury, during which the Ticats allowed 6.2 yards per carry. Hamilton’s defence allowed just 3.8 yards per carry after he returned, which illustrates how effective the six-foot-one, 300-pound defender is at stopping the run.
The Montreal native was in the lineup when Hamilton lost the 2014 Grey Cup to Calgary and the 2019 Grey Cup to Winnipeg. With his 34th birthday fast approaching, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll get another shot at winning a championship.
Laurent is an elite player with a first-class reputation. Of all active CFL players without a Grey Cup ring, an argument could be made that he deserves one the most.
Next up
This is where I usually preview Winnipeg’s upcoming game, but of course the 2021 has come to and end. I’ll have the team’s full free agent list up at 3DownNation on Monday — spoiler alert: it’s really long — though I expect the Blue Bombers will be able to re-sign many of their key players.
There is a head coaching vacancy in Edmonton and general manager vacancies in Edmonton and Ottawa. John Murphy was recently let go by the Argos, which means there is another high-level personnel job open in Toronto.
Winnipeg senior assistant general manager Ted Goveia and assistant general manager Danny McManus should receive consideration for both GM openings. Interestingly, Arash Madani of Sportsnet reported that Edmonton will pursue Mike O’Shea as a head coach and general manager, which is wild.
Do I think O’Shea will leave Winnipeg? No, but this is the CFL — anything can happen.
Stay tuned, folks. The upcoming CFL off-season will be short and action-packed.
