By Jack B. Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Week 16: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Regardless of who has lined up under centre for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the team has survived offensively on big plays all season long. Whether it’s been long runs by Fred Reid or deep balls to Terrence Edwards, the Bombers have shown a real tendency to rely heavily on explosive, downfield plays.
One of the Bombers’ newest and most dangerous downfield threats is wide receiver Greg Carr. After bursting onto the CFL scene in week 13 against the Alouettes with four catches for an amazing 185 yards and two majors, Carr has been an integral part of Winnipeg’s passing attack.
Carr the Giant
At 6-foot-6 and 214 lbs., Carr presents a size mismatch for almost any cornerback in the league. Couple that size with good speed, nice hands, and the ability to go vertical for high balls, and you have all the makings of an impact receiver.
Last week against the B.C. Lions, Carr was instrumental to Winnipeg’s improbable comeback victory in overtime, catching five passes for 103 yards and a crucial touchdown. Most of those yards were made over man coverage by virtue of Carr’s physical stature and body positioning. No doubt, he was an impossible match up for the Lion’s secondary.
Alouettes’ CBs De’Audra Dix and Mark Estelle should see most of the action matching up against Carr this weekend when the Als host the Bombers at McGill Stadium. But shutting down a big, dangerous receiver like Carr is rarely the task of one player.
Deep passes require time for routes to develop, and it will be incumbent defensive line to quicken the stopwatch on Bombers’ QB Steven Jyles if they want to take Carr and the deep ball out of the equation this weekend.
Follow Anwar
With his mobility and arm strength, Jyles has a unique ability to buy time for deep throws by escaping the pocket to extend plays. Simply put, the Alouettes’ defensive front cannot allow Jyles to make plays outside the pocket. The Bombers have too many weapons active on each play to cover them effectively for any amount of time.
Safety presence over the top will also go a long way towards limiting Carr’s yardage. Both Matthieu Proulx and Étienne Boulay have great range to collapse space around deep passes and to make windows for delivery almost impossible for Jyles.
If the Alouettes are able to shut down Greg Carr and the Bombers’ other big play threats, they’ll be in the driver’s seat in the East Division with a league-high 11 wins.
The Alouettes will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Percival Molson Stadium this Sunday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. (RDSHD, TSNHD, NRJ, CJAD 800).
