Bombers edge Alouettes, but pass interference challenges rise to the fore Friday night

While the Winnipeg Blue Bombers managed to edge the Montreal Alouettes 24-16 Friday night, the officials and the coaches wound up being the game's biggest story. Late in the fourth quarter, Winnipeg head coach Mike O'Shea successfully challenged a non-call and got it changed to pass interference, keeping a drive alive that eventually led to the go-ahead touchdown from running back Nic Grigsby. After that, Montreal tried to put together a go-ahead drive of their own, and they might have been able to succeed if head coach Tom Higgins had challenged a deep incompletion that appeared to involve pass interference; Higgins kept his flag in his pocket, though, only throwing it (unsuccessfully) after quarterback Jonathan Crompton was picked off on the next play. That produced another Winnipeg field goal and one more Montreal drive that ended in an interception. The Bombers had some good moments Friday, particularly from defensive back Maurice Leggett (who had all three picks on the night), but it's the coaching decisions from Higgins and the calls and non-calls of pass interference that this one will be remembered for.

The on-field non-call that was overturned and became pass interference against Montreal may be the biggest moment for reviewable pass interference so far, a rule change that was only brought in ahead of this season (and one that saw the CFL become the first prominent football league to do so). It may not be remembered as a laudable one, though. While there was contact from Alouettes' defensive back Billy Parker prior to the ball's arrival, the contact seemed rather mild to many observers; TSN analyst Glen Suitor in particular said he didn't find it at all likely the call would be overturned. It should be remembered that Suitor's playing career was as a defensive back, so he may have a higher tolerance for pre-catch contact than many, but many Twitter critics agreed with him, and went on to question the entire concept of reviewable PI:

However, it may be Higgins' decision not to throw the flag that proved even more vital in the outcome here. The contact against receiver S.J. Green on that late deep ball certainly looked more substantial than the earlier play that was in fact overturned. If Higgins had challenged, that easily could have been overturned; if it hadn't been, that would raise serious questions about the officiating. Instead, Higgins kept his flag in his pocket until the next play, which wasn't particularly close. That decision, and the other questionable late-game calls Higgins has made over the last couple of weeks, plus the Alouettes' current six-game losing streak, may start turning into calls for his head.

Beyond that, there were some promising signs for the Alouettes in this one. They got an impressive quarterbacking showing from Crompton, who got to experience his first major CFL action after Alex Brink struggled early. The Tennessee product turned in a pretty good performance, completing 18 of 29 passes (62.1 per cent) for 266 yards. Yes, he was charged with three interceptions, but all of those bounced off the hands of his receivers into the hands of Leggett. All in all, he provided them with at least some potential for the future. The rest of the Montreal team needs some work, though; the running game was missing in action, with RB Brandon Whitaker collecting only 25 yards on 13 carries, and the defence had some stout moments, but wasn't great late in the contest. While the Alouettes looked better than they had, it's still not entirely surprising that they lost here. However, the manner in which they lost may prompt closer examinations of the roles of both Higgins and the league's officials.