Ryan Smith (12) makes his entrance on the field before the game between the Montreal Alouettes and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field on Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Winnipeg, MB. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
They pulled in last weekend for one of the two pit stops built into the long, grueling, gear-grinding, fender-bending race that is the Canadian Football League season.
Now, it’s been said the first bye for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is both timely and unfortunate – if that makes any sense – for it came with this squad humming on a three-game win streak, but with their sick bay overflowing with starters.
But the week off does allow us to both look behind at the previous eight games and peer ahead at what is just over the horizon. With that in mind, here’s a bit of a refresher with the team scheduled to return to work on Monday…
3 THINGS WE’VE LEARNED
1. Talent Pool
Toronto Argonauts head coach Scott Milanovich made the comment last week prior to the Bombers win in the Big Smoke, indicating that head coach Mike O’Shea ‘had the talent to win’ for the first time in three years.
It’s an interesting statement not only because it comes from a respected coach and former Grey Cup champion, but because it comes from outside Winnipeg, where the opinions of this team are often, indirectly or not, influenced by a 25-year Grey Cup drought.
Blue Bombers management opted to be aggressive in free agency, seeking some proven fixes for a franchise that is in a five-year playoff drought by adding Andrew Harris, Ryan Smith, Weston Dressler, Euclid Cummings, Justin Medlock, Keith Shologan and Jeff Keeping.
Still, it’s the impact of the new faces – especially with all the injuries – that have helped steer this season away from dangerous waters after a 1-4 start. That’s a tribute to the scouting department for delivering that new talent to O’Shea and his staff.
2. Matt Nichols
Matt Nichols has a skillset that fits Paul LaPolice’s offence and a demeanor that helped breathe some life back into this season.
Nichols has the Bombers unbeaten in three games since replacing Drew Willy by protecting the ball, making quick reads, and delivering strikes. There’s also a fiery competitor bubbling not too far under the surface and that kind of leadership in the huddle has been massive in the recent run.
3. Defence
Winnipeg’s defence didn’t exactly wrap itself in glory through the first five weeks, getting manhandled a couple of times in losses to Calgary, surrendering over 500 yards in a loss to Edmonton, and being eviscerated by Montreal’s Kevin Glenn in the opener.
But the defensive transformation in recent weeks has been nothing short of remarkable. This is a ball-hawking unit that, despite a massive makeover in the secondary because of injuries, has 14 interceptions – double the next highest total of seven by Toronto – and leads the CFL with 27 takeaways, including 11 forced fumbles. Combine that with some tidy work by the offence and special teams over the last few games and the Bombers are a sparkling +12 in the turnover ratio.
3 THINGS STILL TO BE DETERMINED
1. Injuries & Additions
This from the good-problem-to-have department: the play of newcomers like Kevin Fogg, Terrence Frederick, C.J. Roberts and 
Taylor Loffler in the secondary and of a re-energized Clarence Denmark in the receiving corps means that when the Bombers return to work on Monday – likely with some more healthy bodies having exited sick bay – O’Shea & Co. will have some interesting roster decisions to make leading into next week’s game in Montreal.
Johnny Adams, who tied for the CFL lead in interceptions last year, has been practicing and waiting. Chris Randle could be close, ditto for Macho Harris and Julian Posey. But do the coaches mess with a winning formula in the air defence?
And Denmark’s production since his return – three TDs in two games – means it’s impossible to take him out of a receiving corps that should be getting Dressler and Smith back soon.
2. Quarterbacks
Drew Willy has been a pro since Nichols grabbed the No. 1 QB chores from him, but the move – as inspired as it has been for the team – also creates a potential salary-cap squeeze for the Bombers. The club is paying Willy a QB1 rate, while Nichols has some bonuses in his contract that will max out if he keeps playing.
Quarterback depth is massive in this league, but making all this fit under the cap might be GM Kyle Walter’s biggest challenge in the second half of the season.
3. What lies ahead
This latest three-game stretch has jolted the Bombers ’16 season back to life, but there’s still a ton of schedule ahead. Winnipeg is in Montreal next week before heading west for the annual Labour Day Massacre –er… Classic, against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
There’s opportunity to really make a run here to a playoff berth. But given where this team was just a month ago, there is also a worry that the road ahead might still have its share of potholes.
Mind you, given how O’Shea, Nichols, Denmark and this crew have maneuvered this car lately, there’s a great deal more fascination with the Bombers heading into the meat of the schedule than at any time in the last two-three years.
THE BASICS
Record: 4-4
Streak: 3W
Points for: 199
Points against: 193
FYI: The .500 mark is considered major progress after a 1-4 start. The Bombers have had a winning record through eight games just four times in the last dozen years – 5-3 in 2014; 7-1 in 2011, 5-2-1 in 2007 and 5-3 in 2006.
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR
Game 1 – Montreal 22 at Winnipeg 14
In a nutshell: The Bombers stumbled out of the blocks to open the ’16 season in a game delayed 65 minutes by lightning. Montreal held a 6 1/2 minute advantage in time of possession and registers six sacks.
Record: 0-1
Game 2 – Winnipeg 22 at Calgary 36
In a nutshell: Winnipeg drops its second straight and 13th of it last 14 visits to McMahon Stadium. Head coach Mike O’Shea calls quarters two and three ‘garbage’ as the Stamps put up 30 unanswered points before a late score by the Bombers
Record: 0-2
Game 3 – Winnipeg 28 at Hamilton 24
In a nutshell: The Bombers post their first ‘W’ of the season, riding six TiCats turnovers – including a Maurice Leggett interception return for a TD – to victory. The highlight of the night is Ryan Smith’s incredible ‘no-look’ touchdown grab on a pass QB Drew Willy drilled to his hip.
Record: 1-2
Game 4 – Edmonton 20 at Winnipeg 16
In a nutshell: The Eskimos crank out 501 yards of offence, including 465 through the air, in a game in which the Bombers took a 16-13 lead into the fourth quarter but couldn’t finish.
Record: 1-3.
Game 5 – Calgary 33 at Winnipeg 18
In a nutshell: The home woes continue with the Bombers falling to 7-23 at Investors Group Field. Not only that, the secondary is crushed with injuries to Chris Randle, Macho Harris and Julian Posey and with a to-be-determined answer from O’Shea on whether Willy would continue to start at QB.
Record: 1-4.
Game 6 – Winnipeg 30 at Edmonton 23
In a nutshell: Matt Nichols takes the first snap as the starting centre and throws for 304 yards and a TD pass to Darvin Adams in another contest delayed by lightning. It’s Winnipeg’s first win in Edmonton since 2006, but it comes at a costly price as Adams, Weston Dressler and Quincy McDuffie are all lost to injuries.
Record: 2-4
Game 7 – Hamilton 11 at Winnipeg 37
In a nutshell: Another lightning delay pushes kickoff to 10:08 – and O’Shea’s post-game press conference until 1:30 a.m. – but the team is all smiles after ending a six-game home losing streak by building a 34-0 lead at the intermission. The game marks the return of Clarence Denmark, who chips in with a TD.
Record: 3-4
Game 8 – Winnipeg 34 at Toronto 17
In a nutshell: Denmark goes off again, this time for two TDs, and the defence does the ball-hawking thing again by forcing six turnovers – including another Leggett interception return for a score – that led to 24 points. The result is Winnipeg’s third-straight ‘W.’
Record: 4-4
WHAT’S LEFT
Game 9 – @ Montreal, Friday, Aug. 26
Game 10 – @ Saskatchewan, Sunday, Sept. 4
Game 11 – vs. Saskatchewan, Saturday, Sept. 10
Game 12 – vs. Toronto, Saturday, Sept. 17
Game 13 – @ Calgary, Saturday, Sept. 24
Game 14 – vs. Edmonton, Friday, Sept. 30
Game 15 – vs. B.C., Saturday, Oct. 8
Game 16 – @ B.C., Friday, Oct. 17
Bye week
Game 17 – vs. Ottawa, Saturday, Oct. 29
Game 18 – @ Ottawa, Friday, Nov. 4
FYI: The next two games are on the road, with visits to Montreal and Regina, but five of the team’s final eight games are at Investors Group Field – with a bye week coming at a potentially beneficial time between Games 16 and 17.
6 NOTABLE NUMBERS
+12: The Bombers’ turnover ratio, top in the CFL.
0: Sacks surrendered by the Bombers in their last game, the win in Toronto. Matt Nichols has been sacked just five times in his three starts.
109.6: Matt Nichols’ QB rating, courtesy a 70.4 completion percentage and a 6:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That’s third best in the CFL behind Ottawa’s Trevor Harris (139.0) and Ricky Ray of Toronto (113.1).
17.4: Kevin Fogg’s punt-return average, 1st in the CFL. That number has also been hampered by two behind-the-play penalties that wiped out what would have been two return touchdowns.
4/2: Interceptions and interception returns for touchdowns by Bombers linebacker Maurice Leggett. Both totals lead the league.
3-1: Winnipeg’s road record this season. FYI: only once in the last nine years have the Bombers posted a winning record on the road, going 5-4 away from home in 2011.
