One more reason for Packer fans to root for the Blue Bombers (CFL

Pegger Packer · Aug 15, 2011

Awesome stuff, clearly the meeting with Dom Capers worked, as the Bombers are 6-1 and have the most dominant defence in the CFL.

If there was a single moment when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defence germinated from a very good defence to a spectacular one it might go back to last April.

That's when incoming Bombers defensive co-ordinator Tim Burke and Bombers linebackers coach Casey Creehan found themselves talking football in the office of Green Bay Packers defensive co-ordinator Dom Capers.

Now, not just anyone gets to fly down to Green Bay to talk football with the defensive co-ordinator of the defending Super Bowl champions. But Bombers GM Joe Mack isn't just anyone, having worked with Capers when Mack was the assistant GM of the Carolina Panthers back in the 1990s.

Mack set up the meeting for his new defensive co-ordinator, thinking Burke could only benefit from hearing the insights of Capers. He could have had no idea how right he would be.

An idea was born that day - the idea that Odell Willis could be for the Bombers under Burke what Clay Matthews is for the Packers under Capers - a monster pass-rushing machine. "They've got Clay Matthews and we've got Odell Willis," Burke said, "and so we thought maybe we could go down there and find out what they do to help (Matthews) do the things that he's been doing down there.

"They were fantastic. The Packers were really helpful and we brought those ideas back with us and that's kind of where the 'Jack' thing comes from."

The 'Jack' thing applies both to the hybrid defensive end/linebacker position the Bombers have created for Willis and a series of defensive schemes geared specifically to free him up to attack the quarterback. Matthews lines up predominantly as a linebacker, Willis lines up predominantly as a defensive end and no one is suggesting the latter is now on par with the former in terms of abilities.

But what is true is that both men have become arguably the most dominant defenders in their respective leagues.

With eight sacks after Week 6, Willis had one more than the entire Montreal Alouettes defence and was tied with both the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts.

It is a testament to just how dramatic has been the transition of the Bombers to what was a very good defence on a bad team last year to the very best part of the best team in Canadian football this season.

"You always have high expectations and you always want to go undefeated," Burke says. "But I have to admit I didn't expect us to be this good, this early. I kind of keep waiting for the bubble to burst. I don't want it to, of course. These guys are just playing their hearts out."

Part of the credit must also reside with Burke. In a winter where Mack made very few personnel moves you could argue that Mack's most important free agent signing was Burke.

Highly regarded across the league as a defensive guru, Burke takes little personal credit for what has occurred in Winnipeg this season. If there is anything that he is particularly good at, Burke says, it's nothing more than doing exactly what he did in Capers' office in Green Bay that day.

"I steal every good idea I've ever used," he says.

The idea he stole in Green Bay that day might just be the best one this season.

Read more: http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/sports/Bombers became great/5246109/story.html#ixzz1V7BY6bEu

beautifuleyes · Aug 16, 2011

Swag swag swag

One more reason for Packer fans to root for the Blue Bombers (CFL

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One more reason for Packer fans to root for the Blue Bombers (CFL

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