Off the Edge: Westerman looks to set tone in ferocious Bombers pass rush

“We want to put the quarterback in bad situations. We want to make him feel us around him.”

After doing a lot of things well last year, defensive end Jamaal Westerman believes the Winnipeg Blue Bomber defensive can do even more things better in 2017.

The Bomber defence underwent a learning curve last season adapting to the system introduced by new defensive coordinator Richie Hall. Having a better understanding of Hall’s schemes should help Winnipeg take another stride along the path towards this year’s Grey Cup.

“Being in Richie’s system for another year, you would expect the guys that have been here to take another step,” said Westerman. “You should understand it a little bit more, you should be able to play faster, you should be able to know why Richie is calling a play.”

One of the reasons the Bombers finished third in the West last season was the way they took advantage of the turnovers they created. Winnipeg led the CFL with 59 forced turnovers, 30 interceptions and five defensive touchdowns. On the downside, the Bombers were last in the league in net offence allowed (7,343 yards), passing yards allowed (6,033) and were third-worst in sacks (35).

A year’s experience will make the Bomber defence a little wiser, while the additional of new personnel will raise the talent level.

“Every year there’s new pieces, guys are gone and guys come back,” said Westerman. “Even the coordinator adds new things to the defence.

“Last year, from my first year here, we were better as a defence. We were able to communicate better. We really practised hard at taking the ball away.”

Jamaal Westerman says he believes better communication helped the Bomber defence improve drastically in 2016 (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

Westerman contributed to Winnipeg’s success by leading the team with eight sacks while making 44 tackles, forcing a fumble and knocking down two passes.

“Last year we probably missed more sacks than we got,” said the 6-foot-3, 245-pound native of Brooklyn, N.Y., who grew up in Brampton, Ont. “I can think of a game where I missed three sacks.”

While sacks make for a good statistic, Westerman thinks pressuring the quarterback is even more important. A harassed quarterback can release a ball too soon or overthrow a receiver, resulting in an interception.

“We want to put him in bad situations,” Westerman said. “We want to make him feel us around him.”

One player who can help give quarterbacks nightmares is defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo, who the Bombers signed over the winter after a stint with the NFL Arizona Cardinals. The Fresno State product broke into the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts in 2014. In two seasons with the Argos the 6-foot-6, 250-pound native of Livermore, Calif., started 35 of 36 games and collected 22 sacks.

In his first season in Toronto, Okpalaugo tied for third in the league with 12 sacks and was the East Division nominee for Most Outstanding Rookie.

Having CFL experience gives Okpalaugo a big edge, said Westerman.

“He loves to play football,” he said. “He wants to win.

“He had two seasons up here and played at an all-star level. Sometimes the young guys are still figuring out the game and how it’s played. He’s already seen those things. That allows him to play faster.”

Having Westerman and Okpalaugo bookend the Bomber defensive line should have opposition coaches staying up late finding ways to stop them.

“It makes it harder for offences to scheme,” said Okpalaugo. “When you have two guys who are able to rush off the edge and actually get there, that’s something teams have to look out for.

“A lot of teams try to use the back to chip (block), but not a lot of teams are going to be running a two-back set where they are both going to chip.”

Westerman (pictured) could benefit from the addition of Tristan Okpalaugo on the opposite end of the Bomber D-line (Photo: Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

His time in Toronto allowed Okpalaugo to acquaint himself with the league and the type of blocking he will face.

“I feel Like I know about the CFL, how teams run their offence,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got a feel for most of the tackles in the league.

“My rookie year I came in wide-eyed, not knowing much. Now I kind of have the concept. I can see plays as they form.”

Westerman said Okpalaugo is good in the dressing room and is a quick learner who works hard in practice.

“He has a non-stop motor,” Westerman said. “That should help the entire D-line because it just raises up the group.”

After a shaky 1-4 start, the Bombers finished last season with a 11-7 record and appeared in their first playoff game since losing the 2011 Grey Cup. Winnipeg looked poised to upset the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final, building a 25-12 lead at half time. But the Bombers managed to score only six points in the final two quarters and lost 32-31.

The Bombers believed they turned a corner last year but the new season will have its own peaks and valleys.

“The biggest thing is we are going to have to walk a new path this year,” said Westerman. “It’s kind of like walking on the beach in the sand. You walk one way (but) if you try to walk back in the same steps it’s hard to do because you’re slipping all over the place (and) there are different foot prints.

“It’s like that with the next season. You may want to walk the same path but there are going to be differences. Last year we had quarterback changes, we had certain injuries, we had a rain and delay, all types of things. This year there is going to be a whole different set of circumstances that we are going to have to go through.”