This is how it used to work for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ seasons past – say, from 2012-15: A bye week late in the Canadian Football League season was simply painfully prolonging the inevitable autopsy on another campaign gone awry.

But with the club now holding down second place in the West Division and moving closer to a home playoff date, the timing of the second bye of the season couldn’t be more perfect.

Yes, if the Bombers win this Saturday against the Ottawa REDBLACKS and get some help from the Saskatchewan Roughriders in their game later that night against the B.C. Lions, the West Division Semi-Final will be at Investors Group Field on November 13.

At any rate, the Bombers are heading to the postseason for the first time since 2011 and, after enjoying some time away from the game last week, will be back on the field Tuesday in preparations for Ottawa this weekend.

Here’s our post-bye week Bombers refresher as the club hits the home stretch:

3 THINGS WE’VE LEARNED AFTER 16 GAMES

1. Nobody forces turnovers like the Bombers’ defence and special teams. That’s been a common storyline in these parts since a Week 3 win in Hamilton back on July 7^th, the first of five games this season in which the Bombers forced six opposition turnovers.
   Winnipeg is now at +31 in the takeaway-giveaway department – Calgary is second at +22 – and on pace to break the club record of +29, set in 1987. The other part of a juicy ratio like that is protecting the football and the Bombers 23 giveaways is second fewest to Calgary’s 22.
   Put those two numbers together, and the points generated and lost from mistakes, and Winnipeg’s turnover-points ratio is +97.
2. Matt Nichols was decent in his seven starts last year – he was 2-5 and, give or take a couple team meltdowns, could have at least been around .500 – but his transformation this summer/fall has been impressive.
   Nichols came to the CFL with great credentials and was hyped as the next starter in Edmonton. But injuries derailed that and when he re-signed in Winnipeg in the offseason he was seen as a solid insurance policy to Drew Willy.
   Funny how sports work sometimes, isn’t it? Nichols replaced Willy on July 28^th and has been such a good fit in helping this team to a 9-2 record with him under centre.
   This is Nichols’ team now and his timing – he is a free agent this winter – couldn’t be more perfect.
3. We hear a lot about draft and develop in this town, and it most certainly now applies to the football squad, too.
   The Bombers have 13 Canadians from their last three drafts currently on their roster/injured list/practice roster with three of them – centre Matthias Goossen, guard Sukh Chungh and safety Taylor Loffler – all starting. That trio’s rapid ascension to the top of the depth chart is impressive, but it’s the work of some of the foot soldiers on special teams like Jesse Briggs, Garrett Waggoner, Christophe Normand, Brendan Morgan and Derek Jones that has been critical this year.

3 THINGS STILL TO BE DETERMINED

1. There’s still some heavy lifting to do – and Lord knows head coach Mike O’Shea won’t let his troops look beyond Tuesday’s practice and Saturday’s game – but the Bombers have a shot at hosting a playoff game for the first time since the 2011 East Final. If they can secure the West Semi-final that would be a stretch of 1,819 days between playoff games in this town. Hello.
2. He’s been absolutely worth every penny spent this year, but Justin Medlock is also now close to making history. He has 55 field goals this year – already a Bomber club record – and the CFL record is 59, set by Dave Ridgway in 1990. He’s an under-rated directional punter but, most importantly, for a franchise that needed a difference maker on special teams, he has been money.
3. The Bombers hope to have receiver Darvin Adams back at practice this week and his return should spark a passing attack that is now flush with depth. Adams was posting career-best numbers when he was injured in the summer – he had 36 catches for 503 yards and three TDs in just six games – and was morphing into the consistent deep threat this franchise has craved for years.
   With Clarence Denmark doing his TD thing (eight scores in nine games), Weston Dressler leading the team with 887 yards, Tori Gurley serving as a big target and Ryan Smith all in the picture, the coaching staff is going to have some tough – and enviable – decisions to make.

THE BASICS

Record: 10-6
Streak: 2W
Points for: 454 (5^th)
Points against: 411 (3^rd)
FYI: The Bombers last posted an 11-win season in 2003 (11-7) and last finished with 12 wins in 2002 (12-6).

IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR

Game 1 – Montreal 22 at Winnipeg 14, June 24^th

In a nutshell: The Bombers stumble 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, July 1^st

In a nutshell: Winnipeg drops its second straight and 13^th of its 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, July 7^th

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, July 14^th

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, July 21^st

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, July 28^th

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, August 3^rd-4^th

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, August 12^th

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

Game 9: Winnipeg 32 at Montreal 18, August 26^th

In a nutshell: Justin Medlock hits six field goals, Leggett adds another pick six and a nine-play drive that ate 4:37 of clock late helps the Bombers to their fourth-consecutive win.
Record: 5-4

Game 10: Winnipeg 28 at Saskatchewan 25, September 4^th

In a nutshell: A long Labour Day Classic curse of 11 years ends as Medlock hits from 42 yards out – his seventh of eight tries – with no time remaining to seal the Bombers’ fifth-straight win.
Record: 6-4

Game 11: Saskatchewan 10 at Winnipeg 17, September 10^th

In a nutshell: The Bombers force three more turnovers, but lose Andrew Harris and Ian Wild to injury. Winnipeg’s sixth win in a row is the longest streak since the 2001 season.
Record: 7-4

Game 12: Toronto 29 at Winnipeg 46, September 17^th

In a nutshell: Winnipeg rallied from being down 10 (29-19) with 27 unanswered points en route to another victory. Timothy Flanders rushes for 102 yards and a TD, Denmark scores again, Quincy McDuffie scores on a kickoff return and Medlock connects on six field goals to push the win streak to seven.
Record: 8-4

Game 13: Winnipeg 34 at Calgary 36, September 24^th

In a nutshell: The win streak screeches to a halt in dramatic fashion. The Bombers rallied from a 24-0 deficit to take a 34-33 lead with 20 seconds left, but can’t hold the lead as Rene Paredes nails a 52-yard field goal with no time left.
Record: 8-5

Game 14: Edmonton 40 at Winnipeg 26, September 30^th

In a nutshell: Winnipeg drops its second straight, piling up 15 penalties for 166 yards as Mike Reilly, Adarius Bowman and Derrel Walker chewed up the defence.
Record: 8-6

Game 15: B.C. 35 at Winnipeg 37, October 8^th

In a nutshell: The home side jumps out to a 24-3 lead, but takes its foot off the gas as the Lions rally. The game features a fake field goal and a TD pass to Nichols from Rory Kohlert in a couple of special plays, but the Bombers need a big stop from Leggett and a break on an apparent Harris fumble late to seal the deal.
Record: 9-6

Game 16: Winnipeg 35 at B.C. 32, October 14^th

In a nutshell: The Bombers do their turnover routine again, forcing another six while rallying from down 10 points late to win a critical road game against the Leos that gives them sole possession of second in the West Division.
Record: 10-6

WHAT’S LEFT

Game 17 – vs. Ottawa, Saturday, Oct. 29
Game 18 – @ Ottawa, Friday, Nov. 4

FYI:

5 NOTABLE NUMBERS

146: Points generated off turnovers by the Bombers this year, most in the CFL.
99.3: Matt Nichols’ QB rating, courtesy a 68.9 completion percentage and a 15:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
7: Interception totals for both Maurice Leggett and T.J. Heath, tied for first in the CFL. Leggett has also returned three of those for TDs.
1,547: The Bombers penalty yardage total this year, third most in the CFL.
4-4: Winnipeg’s home record this season. A win Saturday against Ottawa would give the club its first winning home season since going 5-4 in 2011.