Matt Nichols didn't sound the least bit surprised the hogs rose to the challenge against what has been one of the most dominant defences in the early stage of the 2017 CFL season.

The quarterback of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers has come to expect greatness from his offensive lineman, but their ability to provide time for Nichols to get through his progressions was one of the big keys in Thursday's 33-25 victory over the Toronto Argonauts last week.

“We have one of the best offensive lines in the league,” said Nichols. “They kind of took over the game and were the difference-makers. That's what we expect out of them and they expect out of themselves.”

Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea also praised the work of his offensive line, but also made it clear that group has set a high bar for performance.

“They were pretty excited about (the challenge), but they just played more to their standard than they maybe did in the first couple of weeks,” said O'Shea. “Anytime you can hold a team to no sacks is pretty special for an O-line.”

The Blue Bombers (2-1) travel to Vancouver this week to take on the B.C. Lions on Friday, with kickoff slated for just after 9 p.m. CT.

COVERAGE WOES GET ADDRESSED

O'Shea said following Thursday's game that he didn't expect the film study to be pretty for his return coverage teams and that proved to be the case.

Argonauts speedster Martese Jackson, who spent time on the Blue Bombers practice squad last season, torched the Blue Bombers for a punt return touchdown and had a kick return major called back because of a controversial penalty call.

“A mistake here or there and that's all it takes against a good returner,” said O'Shea. “Toronto has got a good returner and everybody is going to have a good returner at this level. We made a couple of mistakes, overlapped a little bit of coverage and got creased.”

In all, Jackson racked up a combined 339 return yards against the Blue Bombers.

“He was a new guy we hadn't seen a lot of and he did a good job. You have to tip your hat because he had an outstanding game,” said Blue Bombers special-teamer Mike Miller. “He's very shifty, an explosive athlete.”

The Lions have an impressive returner of their own in Chris Rainey (who is averaging 23.1 yards per game on kickoff returns through four games), so getting things ironed out in coverage is going to be an area of focus this week.

“He's probably one of the best returners in the league. He's a fast guy who is not afraid to find a lane and he's going to hit it hard. And he's going to break some tackles,” said Miller. “So we've got to make sure that we're sound in our lanes and that we make sure we don't let him make any big plays.

“We've got to make the adjustments and make sure we're not making those mistakes.”

THORPE GETS 1st TEAM REPS

There was a notable change with the Blue Bombers No. 1 offence on Monday, as T.J. Thorpe replaced L'Damian Washington at slotback.

Thorpe injured his knee during a pre-season game against the Edmonton Eskimos, but appears ready to be activated from the practice roster this week.

Sure, there were some times when it was tough to stay positive, but Thorpe persevered and stayed ready for when he was healthy and his number was called.

“Dealing with all these injuries, I'd like to think that I'm a tough guy,” said Thorpe. “I play with a lot of passion and energy. When we get (to) game day, I'm looking to make big plays, big blocks. We shouldn't really miss a beat.”

What can Thorpe bring to the offence?

“We'll see. We're not quite sure yet,” said O'Shea. “We certainly know he's a smart football player. He's into it and always paid great attention to the details, even when he wasn't in. That allows him to get on the field and be in the right spot.”

O'Shea he wasn't worried at all about Washington, reiterating he believes in him as a player.

LULAY SHINES OFF BENCH

After Lions quarterback Jonathan Jennings went down on the first offensive play last week, veteran Travis Lulay came off the bench and led his team to an impressive victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Not only did Lulay throw for 436 yards through the air for three touchdowns, he rushed for another.

Depending on the results of an MRI for Jennings, Lulay could very well be at the controls on Friday when the Lions host the Blue Bombers.

“He's been in this league, been a good player and fun to watch for years,” said O'Shea. “When you sit back watching the game, it was pretty exciting stuff.”

Not to mention challenging stuff when it comes to preparing a game plan to try to keep him in check.

HASHMARKS

Blue Bombers running back Andrew Harris took a maintenance day, but should be back on the field Tuesday as preparations continue to face his former team, the Lions...O'Shea said following Monday's workout that non-import linebacker Jesse Briggs is “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury and wouldn't be available to play on Friday against the Lions...The Blue Bombers signed non-import linebacker Nehemie Kankolongo on Monday, presumably to help fill the void left by Briggs on special teams. Kankolongo spent last season with the Lions, appearing in 13 games and recording six special-teams tackles...The Blue Bombers also signed import defensive lineman and import linebacker and released non-import receiver Derek Yachison from the practice roster. Green had three sacks, an interception and 22 tackles in 13 games with the Blue Bombers last season, while Wilson came to training camp in Winnipeg in 2017 after spending part of last season with the Oakland Raiders in the NFL.

kwiebe@postmedia.com

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