Bombers lose Drew Willy, Darvin Adams and Paris Cotton in 38-8 Ticat thumping

Sunday was the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' worst day so far this season on a multitude of levels, and it's one that bodes poorly for them going forward. The 38-8 road humilation they took at the hands of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was their biggest loss of the season (albeit only by one point), and that's bad enough in its own right. It dropped them to 3-4 on the year and kept them firmly behind West leaders Calgary and Edmonton (both 4-2), and that's perhaps worse for a team that made so many splashy free-agent signings in hopes of contending at a home Grey Cup in November. However, the injuries the Bombers suffered Sunday to starting quarterback Drew Willy (knee), star wide receiver Darvin Adams (upper body) and starting running back Paris Cotton (arm/wrist) could be the worst news yet. If those players are gone for any length of time, the road ahead could get even tougher for Winnipeg.

The injury to Willy may be the most dangerous for the Bombers, as their offence is far different without him. Backups Robert Marve and Brian Brohm don't have a ton of CFL experience and haven't impressed much in the snaps they have received. In relief of Willy Sunday, they combined for just 67 passing yards, a 54.5 per cent completion rate, and an interception (thrown by Marve). Of course, Willy himself wasn't dazzling Sunday either, completing 16 of 27 passes (59.3 per cent) for 171 yards with a touchdown and an interception. That wasn't all his fault, though.

A major issue against the Tiger-Cats was the play of the Bombers' offensive line, which conceded seven sacks. The OL was a substantial problem for them in 2014, of course, when they allowed a league-high 71 sacks, and it's one they thought they'd solved when they spent big on linemen in free agency. The line has looked much better in several games this year, but it's struggled against strong defences, like those in Edmonton and Hamilton. Part of that problem may be that the Eskimos and Ticats rely on a lot of unconventional blitzes, and the Winnipeg line hasn't looked great at picking them up. All of Hamilton's sacks Sunday came from defensive linemen, with ends Justin Hickman and Eric Norwood picking up three and two respectively and tackle Ted Laurent adding two more, but the Ticats' propensity to add unconventional edge rushers caused the Bombers' line to focus on them, frequently providing more openings for the linemen. Winnipeg will have to do better on the line if they want to improve going forward.

The Adams injury also wound up hurting the Bombers Sunday, as he had four catches for 40 yards before his second-quarter exit and had posted a team-high 320 receiving yards to date. Adams has been the team's main receiving threat of late and their primary big-play threat, especially with slotback Nick Moore sidelined thanks to injury. If Adams is gone for any length of time, that could bode poorly for Winnipeg. The Bombers do have some other options, including Clarence Denmark, Rory Kohlert and Justin Veltung, but those guys will have to step up in a major way to fill Adams' shoes.

Cotton's production had been more inconsistent this season, but he is the team's leader in rushing yards (with 256) and their fourth-highest player in receiving yards (with 151). He also showed great potential last season, which is why they've stuck with him despite some early-season struggles. Winnipeg does have a capable replacement in Cameron Marshall (who had 39 rushing yards on seven carries Sunday; Cotton had just 12 on three before his exit), who some said should have replaced Cotton earlier in the year, but Cotton seems to have the better pass-catching skills, and he certainly has more game experience. At the very least, any prolonged absence for him reduces the Bombers'  running back options; at worst, it takes away their preferred starter.

The Ticats deserve a ton of credit here too, of course. Defensive back Emanuel Davis notched two pick-sixes, the defensive line dominated all day, and quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns (albeit with two interceptions). Hamilton ran their unbeaten record at Tim Hortons Field to 9-0 (eight regular-season wins and last year's East Final win), and they look like one of the league's best teams. However, Winnipeg's mistakes played a large role in Sunday's loss, which showed how far they still have to go to be a top team. Their injuries may hurt them even more going forward. Add it all up, and it was a disastrous day for the Bombers.