Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca
TORONTO – Blowing a 17-point lead against the Lions last week did not sit well with the Blue Bombers. In their first taste of action since the disappointing 20-17 loss, in which Winnipeg was shut out in the second half, Matt Nichols and his squad took out their frustration on the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday afternoon.
Their 38-20 victory was never in doubt as the offence connected early and often in a game where the Argos were never able to get in the game.
“This was an urgency game for us and we came out and played like it,” said Nichols, who threw for 245 yards, two touchdowns and added another one on the ground. “You can go two ways after a game like that. We could have felt sorry for ourselves, (but) that was great to see the guys come out and respond.”
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Nichols fed touchdown passes to Andrew Harris and Darvin Adams, while Nic Demski and Weston Dressler also pitched in on the aerial attack with big games.
“We’re dynamic, the running and passing game opens it up for each other,” Nichols said. “We’re a team that’s very balanced…. I could not be more proud of how our guys played.”
Aside from Nichols, Harris shouldered an enormous load for the Bombers offence. He added 161 yards to his league-leading total on Saturday along with a passing and rushing touchdown.
“The guy is an absolute beast, he takes the job very seriously,” Nichols said of his teammate. “He’s a freak, honestly, to do what he’s doing, it’s mind blowing.”
Harris, a Winnipeg native, now has 583 rushing yards through the first six games of the season along with seven total touchdowns. The 31-year-old is averaging more than six yards from scrimmage per play and out-gained the Argos by 154 yards on the ground on Saturday.
Nichols said a strong week of preparation was a key reason for the impressive performance in Week 6.
“Sometimes a game (like Week 5’s loss to B.C.) can be a turning point in a season,” he said. “It definitely wasn’t easy, there were a lot of points in that way where it could have gone the other way, but in each phase we took control when we needed to.”
