The occasion probably could have called for a little sip of bubbly or, at the very least even a half-hearted cheer.
Oh sure, making the playoffs in the Canadian Football League may be old hat in places like Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton, but when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers advanced to the postseason dance for the first time since 2011, it not only ended a sorry drought, but was a critical step in bringing the franchise back to respectability.
Yet, there were the Bombers at a chilly practice Tuesday going about their business as if having their postseason ticket punched was no big deal. And actually, if you’ve been listening to this bunch dating back even to their 1-4 start, it is exactly that.
This crew expects more than just to qualify for the Grey Cup derby. It wants to be a legit contender when the real games begin in mid-November. And so when they officially qualified for the playoffs Monday after the Toronto Argonauts fell to the Calgary Stampeders, well, let’s just say the reaction from the Bombers seemed to be a collective shrug of the shoulders.
“We had a smile about it today,” began head coach Mike O’Shea, “but the guys are very focused on B.C. this week and understand how tough this next one will be… beating a team back-to-back, going out to B.C. after beating them in the tough contest it was.
“I expect them to be pretty fired up and we will be, too.”
“It felt great, obviously, knowing that it was official,” added quarterback Matt Nichols. “But my immediate reaction was we still have a lot more work to do. I mean, we’re not satisfied with just being in the playoffs nor, I’m sure, is anyone else. You’re still jostling for position and everyone’s goal, behind Calgary right now, is to get a home playoff game.
“That’s our goal and I’m sure that’s B.C.’s goal, so I’m sure it’s going to be another tough one this week.”
Yes, even with the playoff berth in the back pocket there is still some heavy lifting to do if the Bombers want to play host to the West Division Semi-final on November 13th. Winnipeg could finish anywhere from second in the West to fourth and then cross over to the East Division. So the next step in this process is to have a playoff game at Investors Group Field and pray the weather offers some sort of advantage.
“(Making the playoffs) is great,” said Andrew Harris. “It’s something you set out to do at the beginning of the year – make the playoffs and get to the Grey Cup – but it’s one step at a time and we took the right step. We’ve just got to build off that. These next three games are huge for us. We’ve got to give all we’ve got to build up and peak at the right time again.
“Nothing changes. We still want to win these next three games; we want a home playoff game.”
Andrew Harris
“It’s a little chilly right now and we know that’s an advantage for our club. We’ve got to keep building and keep getting better every week,” said Harris.
The Bombers are 8-2 in their last 10 after their 1-4 start and, along the way, have won in just about every manner imaginable. They’ve won with defence, cranked out some big offensive numbers when needed, and got some solid special teams play that was massive in critical moments.
But they’ve also posted phenomenal numbers in the turnover-ratio department: the Bombers are +27, almost doubling the second-ranked team – the Stampeders – who are at +14.
“The team’s just been playing great all round,” said Nichols. “We’ve been playing great on defence, special teams and offence. It just seems like we have guys stepping up and making plays when we have big plays to be made.
“That’s what winning football is. It’s never one person. This team has a lot of confidence. We’ve got a lot of young guys that maybe took a few weeks to get up to speed and find that confidence and once we found it, we realized we have the talent to play with everyone and it just comes down to executing and being able to not make those mistakes to be a good team.”
BOMBER REPORT
NEW FACE ON BOARD:
Tori Gurley suited up for the first time as a member of the Bombers on Tuesday and got a lot of work with the No. 1 offence. Coach O’Shea said Gurley has been diving into Paul LaPolice’s playbook, but would not confirm yet whether he will be in the lineup for Friday’s game in Vancouver.
“I’ve been here from sun-up to sundown,” said Gurley of his cramming of the new offence. “It’s one of those things that I take pride in. They have me here to come out and play, so it’s my responsibility to learn the plays and go above and beyond.
“I sat down and spoke with all the quarterbacks and my receivers coach and we’re chipping away with it a little bit at a time.
Gurley, who let his feeling show on his exit from Toronto and arrival in Winnipeg in this piece for bluebombers.com on the weekend, was all smiles after practice on Tuesday in meeting with the media.
“It feels great,” he said. “The coaches and the players have done a great job of welcoming me here. The environment is different; we have that mentality of trying to do something special around here.
“The Blue Bomber fans are crazy. I had a hot dog during the game the other day and it was fantastic, so a shout-out to the guy at the hot dog stand. He was a great person as well.
“I got here early on (Saturday) and was studying and didn’t get a chance to eat. I saw a fan eating a hot dog, so I had to go get one as well.”
Asked if he can play slotback or wide receiver, Gurley added:
“I play everywhere, wherever coach needs me to play. Special teams… whatever it takes. When you’re around a team that’s this special, I just want to be a part of it. So, if they need me to feed the team hot dogs or water or whatever it takes to win, I’m for it.”
JOHNSON SPEAKS:
Bombers defensive back Bruce Johnson, suspended last Friday for two games by the CFL after testing positive for a banned substance, faced the media for the first time after practice on Tuesday.
“I’m very apologetic about all this,” he said. “I talked to my coaches, my teammates and we’re all on one accord, so we’re all trying to move on and get closer to the playoffs and get a home playoff game.”
Johnson said he did not appeal the suspension.
“It’s just a messed up situation,” he said. “Everything is unintentional. Like I told my teammates, just be careful what you do around here, be cognizant of what you do and everybody should watch out for each other.
“It means a lot that they’ve got my back and are very supportive and they just didn’t throw me out to the wolves. I’ve been talking with a lot of guys and everybody is just getting through this with me.
“It’s not the best situation, but you can always learn from this. I’m going to move forward after this.”
OUCH REPORT:
The Bombers practiced without Maurice Leggett and Ian Wild on Tuesday. Both will be given every opportunity to heal before the club makes a call on whether they will be in the lineup on Friday.
TD MACHINE:
Bombers receiver Clarence Denmark pulled in his seventh TD in eight games in the win over the Lions, adding to what is already a career high. Denmark had three TDs in each of the last two years.
“He’s a pro’s pro,” said Nichols of Denmark. “He comes out here and works hard every single day. He’s not a big talker. He just goes about his business and is always doing things the right way. He’s just a guy that you can always rely on and he always seems to come up with the tough catch.
“The touchdowns have been huge, but there was a play last drive in the Calgary game when we were going in for the game-winning drive and third-and-10, guy on his back, he made a great catch on a dig route. Those are the types of plays he comes up with. He’s a guy you can lean on when you need a big play.”
MATTY ICE?:
Bomber players often refer to Nichols as ‘Matty Ice’, but he was more than a little nervous after the trick play was called in Saturday’s win over the Lions. Nichols caught a TD pass from Rory Kohlert after LaPolice dialed up the play they’ve been working on all year near the B.C. goal line.
“It was crazy because from the time the play is called to the time all of a sudden you’re in the end zone with the ball is about a 15-second span, so you don’t have too much time to think about it,” said Nichols. “Luckily I probably didn’t think about it too much. I told those guys it’s nerve-racking when you see that ball come to you and you know you’re wide open and you’ve got to catch it.
“It was great to make that play. It was a big momentum play for us. It got the crowd into it… it was big for more than just getting the seven points.”
