Taylor Elgersma hit-and-miss in Winnipeg Blue Bombers preseason loss to Roughriders (& eight other thoughts)

Photo: Matt Johnson/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in preseason action on Saturday night at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon by a score of 31-27. Below are my thoughts on the game.

Taylor-made

All eyes were on rookie quarterback Taylor Elgersma as he made his long-anticipated CFL preseason debut.

The native of London, Ont. entered the game on Winnipeg’s second series near the halfway mark of the first quarter. With most of the team’s starters still on the field, Elgersma hit Christian Fredericksen for what should have been a first down on second-and-eleven, though the rookie receiver was unable to complete the catch, forcing the team to punt.

Elgersma returned to the field late in the first quarter, at which point the Blue Bombers put in most of their second-stringers. On his first throw — a crossing route intended for Kevens Clercius — it looked like Elgersma didn’t notice defensive lineman Marcus Haynes had dropped back into coverage. The long-armed defender swatted down the pass and almost intercepted it.

On the next play, Elgersma looked for Dorian Singer on a curl but the ball was well short, hitting the dirt. Winnipeg was forced to punt.

The 24-year-old only had one chance to throw on his team’s next possession, though he was immediately flushed by Windsor product Liam Hoskins, who beat Gabe Wallace off the edge. Elgersma took off running but managed only three yards — seven shy of a first down. Thanks to excellent field position courtesy of a shanked Saskatchewan punt, eighth-round draft pick Brady Lidster was able to convert a 50-yard field goal.

Elgersma remained on the field near the start of the second quarter, though he held onto the ball for too long on first down and was sacked. On second-and-eleven, he finally completed his first pass, hitting Clercius on a crossing route for 19 yards. Two plays later, Elgersma generated another first down on a receiver screen to Gavin Cobb, though the drive ended two plays thereafter when Matthew Peterson dropped a screen pass out of the backfield.

The six-foot-five, 235-pound passer hit Joey Corcoran for a first down on Winnipeg’s next drive, though the gain was negated by an unnecessary roughness penalty on Wallace. Elgersma went back to Corcoran on the following play, though the three-yard completion fell well shy of a first down and the team was forced to punt.

On Winnipeg’s second-last possession of the first half, Elgersma danced out of the pocket and threw an arcing pass near the sideline to T.J. Davis on second-and-seven. The rookie receiver caught the ball but was unable to get a foot down in-bounds, ending the drive. The Blue Bombers technically got one more possession in the first half, though there were only 11 seconds remaining and two rushes were called to kill the clock.

At halftime, Elgersma was four-of-nine for 34 yards with one carry for three yards. Two of his throws had been dropped and he’d taken one sack.

Elgersma started the second half strong, hitting Singer on a 21-yard dig. He then muscled his way to a nine-yard rush before plunging for a first down on second-and-short. Having reached field goal range, the rookie passer kept the ball on a run-pass option, dropped it, then recovered it to avoid disaster — at least momentarily.

On second-and-five, Elgersma fired the ball near the sideline where it was intercepted by James Burgess Jr. The longtime NFL player was one of two Saskatchewan defenders with a shot at the ball, which was placed between two Winnipeg receivers. It’s unclear who was the intended target. Either one of the receivers ran the wrong route or it was simply an awful throw.

Elgersma’s best toss of the day came on the following drive on a corner route to Singer, which went for 23 yards. The pass demonstrated the impressive touch Elgersma has repeatedly shown in practice — he can zip the ball through tight windows when necessary, but he can also layer the ball effectively, dropping it over defenders and into the awaiting hands of the intended receiver.

The drive ended two plays later, however, when a receiver fell down and the pass was intercepted by first-round draft pick Malcolm Bell. It’s unclear if the throw would have been on-target had the receiver not lost his footing.

This marked the end of the third quarter and the end of Elgersma’s day. In nearly three quarters of work, he completed six-of-thirteen pass attempts for 78 yards and two interceptions. He also rushed four times for 18 yards.

Let’s be clear: those statistics are ugly. Elgersma’s performance was certainly better than his stat line, but it was still hit-and-miss.

The big-bodied passer was victimized by two drops, his second interception was likely the fault of his receiver, and he got no help from a stagnant ground game. At the same time, it’s hard to overlook his unforced fumble and that hideous first interception.

Though he’s been widely heralded as the future of the franchise, Elgersma was always going to experience growing pains. He’s yet to play a meaningful professional football game and this was just his fourth preseason game on either side of the border.

There’s a lot to like about Elgersma’s game but he’s far from a finished product. It’ll be interesting to see how he bounces back from this performance when he takes the field next week against the B.C. Lions.

Best on best

It’s rare to see two veteran-laden rosters face-off in the preseason, but that’s exactly what happened in Saskatoon.

The Roughriders opened their preseason schedule on Monday when they sent a relatively young roster to Calgary. As is fairly standard in the CFL, the team then dressed all of their veterans at home, minus those dealing with injury. The only projected starters who didn’t play were offensive linemen Zack Fry and Jermarcus Hardrick and defensive lineman Caleb Sanders.

Winnipeg left a few more veterans off the roster, though most of the team’s full-time starters made the trip. The only projected starters who sat out were receivers Ontaria Wilson and Nic Demski, defensive lineman Jake Ceresna, and defensive backs Jonathan Moxey and Trey Vaval.

Granted, many projected starters played only a series or two. Regardless, it made for relatively intriguing preseason action as both offences scored touchdowns on their opening possessions.

On the corner

Winnipeg started Warren Burrell and Ridge Texada at cornerback on Saturday, one of whom will likely be in the starting lineup come the regular-season opposite Jonathan Moxey.

Both players were targeted on Saskatchewan’s first offensive drive and allowed receptions. Texada gave up nine yards on a slant to KeeSean Johnson, then Burrell allowed a 48-yard catch to Johnson on a skinny post. Burrell looked like he was responsible for covering the deep-third of the field and Johnson exploited a huge seam between him and Redha Kramdi, who has moved from strong-side linebacker to safety this year. The five-play, 86-yard drive ended in a two-yard touchdown plunge from A.J. Ouellette.

Texada had a better showing on the next series, when Jack Coan fired a quick-hitter against the blitz and he got a hand up, popping the ball into the air and into the hands of Evan Holm, who returned it for a 55-yard pick-six. Texada also recorded an interception of his own late in the third quarter off a ball that bobbled by the receiver.

Burrell was in the area early in the third quarter when Coan hit slotback Johnny Johnson III for a 12-yard touchdown, though he was in coverage on the wideout. It’s impossible to say for sure, but Johnson III was likely the responsibility of fourth-round draft pick Ethan Stuart, who bit hard at the start of the play and charged upfield, leaving Johnson III uncovered behind him.

Burrell was undoubtedly in coverage when Schager hit hometown kid Daniel Wiebe for a three-yard score with 45 seconds left on the clock, which proved to be the game-winning score. The 25-year-old native of Suwanee, Ga. finished the game with two tackles.

Arguably the best play of the day from one of Winnipeg’s cornerbacks came courtesy of Major Williams. The 24-year-old out of NCAA Division II Carson-Newman University was left one-on-one against Siaosi Mariner on a deep shot late in the first half and didn’t blink, maintaining excellent position in coverage without making contact with the receiver.

Rushing ahead

The starting defensive end spot opposite Willie Jefferson remains up for grabs with potential suitors including Kydran Jenkins, De’Shaan Dixon, David Reese, Michael Ayers, Kemari Munier-Bailey, and Nuer Gatkuoth.

Dixon pressured Tommy Stevens late in the first quarter after Willie Jefferson flushed him from the pocket. The former Jacksonville Jaguar also had a great chance to sack Brayden Schager late in the third quarter as he fought through a hold from the left tackle and wrapped up the quarterback, though the passer out of Hawaii shook him loose. He finished the game with two tackles.

Jenkins made three tackles but didn’t flash in the passing game, at least not that I saw. The one time I noticed him was because he got absolutely rocked by running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon, who cracked the edge rusher while spilling out into the flat. It was an amazing block.

Reese flashed at the start of the fourth quarter when he beat Jaison Williams around the edge, though his sack on Schager was negated by a blatant face-masking penalty. The rookie edge rusher chased Tommy Stevens from the pocket on the next play, though he was called for a soft roughing the passer penalty. Winnipeg’s decision-makers will surely like Reese’s pressures. His penalties? Not so much.

Gatkuoth, the team’s first-round pick out of Wake Forest, did a nice job flushing Schager out of the pocket one the same play Ridge Texada made his interception. The Edmonton native finished the game with two tackles and one tackle for loss.

On the whole, the Blue Bombers didn’t have much success generating pressure off the edge until Saskatchewan went to their third-string offensive tackles. When they did disrupt the passer, it was almost always with all-out blitzes — something we’ve rarely seen from defensive coordinator Jordan Younger in the past. It’ll be interesting to see if this was an aberration or a sign of things to come.

Winnipeg’s two sacks came courtesy of second-year linebacker Jayden Smith, who sacked Jack Coan on all-out blitz near the end of the first half, and veteran defensive tackle Cameron Lawson, who got home on Coan after beating Darius Bell with a bull rush.

QB3

Bryce Perkins entered the game near the start of the fourth quarter and played relatively well, completing five-of-nine pass attempts for 67 yards and one interception.

After a couple of check-downs, the former UFL MVP hit Dorian Singer for 15 yards on a comeback route to generate a first down. He then broke contain and ripped off a 17-yard run that was negated by a holding penalty on Michael Chris-Ike.

Perkins had arguably the best throw of the game near the end of the drive when he ripped the ball into Joey Corcoran on an in-breaking route for 22 yards. He also threw a nice one to Kolby Hurford on Winnipeg’s final possession to convert on second-and-four.

The 29-year-old threw an ugly interception to Vi Jones to ice the game with 12 seconds left, though it’s tough to be too critical. Perkins had no choice but to let the ball fly and it was second-and-twenty.

Barring a surprising development, the third-string job appears to belong to Perkins by default (unless, of course, he ends up being the No. 2). Payton Thorne and Terry Wilson both left the Blue Bombers late this past week, which made little sense as it doesn’t appear either of them intends to retire.

Thorne and Wilson may have been in tough to make Winnipeg’s roster, but the preseason isn’t just about making your team — it’s also about showing other teams what you can do. By quitting partway through training camp, Thorne and Wilson have not only taken themselves out of the running in Winnipeg, they’ve also hurt their chances of signing a contract elsewhere. Neither are free agents, either, as they’ve both been placed on the suspended list.

White hot

Tim White only played one series on Saturday but he made a significant impact, catching three passes for 57 yards from Zach Collaros. The third grab was particularly nice as the ball was thrown well behind him and he rotated his body midair to complete the catch and prevent the defensive back from making an interception.

Dalton Schoen, Dillon Mitchell, Jerreth Sterns, and Keric Wheatfall all got chances to emerge as a go-to receiver for Winnipeg last year and fell short for a variety of reasons. White didn’t come cheap after getting cut by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but he’s clearly developed quick chemistry with Collaros. He only played one series on Saturday, yet finished the game as the fourth-leading receiver for either team.

Walking wounded

Staying healthy is a priority for any professional football team, particularly in the preseason. Kevens Clercius left the game after taking a nasty shot to his knee, though it didn’t appear Winnipeg suffered any other injuries. We’ll know more come the start of the practice week — well, knowing head coach Mike O’Shea, we’ll know a little more, anyway.

Next up

The Blue Bombers will finish their preseason schedule on Friday, May 29 when they host the B.C. Lions at Princess Auto Stadium. The team will then make its final roster cuts on Saturday, May 30 ahead of its regular-season opener against the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, June 5 at McMahon Stadium.

On a programming note, I publish these long-form analysis pieces immediately following every Blue Bombers game and have since 2014. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back. If you’re a first-time reader, please return for the rest of the year. It should be a good one as Winnipeg looks to bounce back from a fourth-place West Division finish and a first-round playoff exit in 2025.