We are already in single-digit temperature territory, the leaves are falling, and every rainfall comes with the possibility of turning into the white stuff.
And so, why are Andrew Harris and his Winnipeg Blue Bombers smiling from ear to ear?
“For whatever reason, myself personally, once it gets a little colder and the leaves start changing an there are rumours of snow coming down… that gets me excited,” said Harris after the Bombers completed their final on-field preparations for Saturday’s massive tilt in Edmonton against the Eskimos.
“I like the weather at this time of the season and no matter where you are situated, it’s gut-check time. You have to go into each game thinking it’s a must-win. Every game from now on influences where you are going to stand. The games early in the season are important, but at this point every game, every snap, definitely has implications on where you are going to standing for the playoffs and who you could be playing once you get there.”
The Bombers, at 6-7, not only trail the 7-6 Eskimos by two points, but are down a game in the three-game season series – with the final week of the regular season also involving a trip to the Alberta capital.
And so, the Bombers not only need to win this weekend in order to pull into a tie with the Eskimos, they need it in order to have a chance to break the tiebreaker, should it come down to that, in early November.
Now, a week ago Bombers offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick referred to the matchup with the Montreal Alouettes as a prize fight. Given the records and the stakes, this week’s showdown comes with considerably more hype.
“Another prize fight, man. Another chance to get in the ring and fight with a heavyweight contender,” Hardrick said Thursday. “And Edmonton is definitely a heavyweight contender. We’re a contender, too. The reality is the record doesn’t show it, but the guys in this room are excited. Any time we have to go into a hostile environment with our backs against the wall… I like the foxhole I’m in with these guys. I’ve been in the league for five years and Edmonton has been good for five years. Just going in there, or no matter where you play them, you better be ready… especially going into their house. Any time we go to Edmonton, whether it’s the first game or Game 18, it’s a heavyweight fight.”
The Bombers win last week over the Montreal Alouettes not only stopped the bleeding of a four-game losing streak, but changed the narrative – at least, temporarily – about this football team. It’s part of a broader subject that was broached with cornerback Chris Randle on Thursday, this notion that the four-game losing skid meant many in this town have abandoned the Bombers bandwagon.
“That’s not really our focus or our mindset,” said Randle. “There’s a sense of urgency. We understand our situation, we understand what we need to do and how we’re going to do it. Now we’ve got to go out there and make it happen.”
BOMBERS REPORT | September 27, 2018
The Bombers completed their final full practice today behind closed doors in advance of Saturday’s date in Edmonton against the Eskimos. Here are some notes and quotes from today’s media availability…
TAKE NOTE:
Read into this what you will, Bombers fans…
“I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m growing out my playoff beard already,” said Bombers RB Andrew Harris with a grin. “Every game is important to us. We’re playing a team that is ahead of us and has beaten us already. Absolutely it’s a big one for us. We like this matchup.
“We like playing in Edmonton and our track record the last couple of years has been good in there. Edmonton is in our way right now. We feel like we’ve had a good week of practice and the vibe in the locker room is great right now.”
OUCH UPDATE:
No update on the status of WR Nic Demski, who had not practised on Tuesday and Wednesday before Thursday’s closed-to-the-media session. Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said his availability might not be made official until the hours before kickoff on Saturday.
“He’s coming along,” said O’Shea of Demski. “I think he’s feeling better each day. We’ll give him whatever the time allotment is before we make a decision. We have a lot of trust in Nic to get the job done.”
MORE RETURNS:
The Bombers are averaging 10 yards per punt return, ranking fifth and are sixth in kickoff-return average at 20.8 yards. O’Shea wants more from those units.
“We’re middle of the road and probably haven’t given our team a big enough spark in games where we need it, which is what special teams is in charge of,” he said. “These guys understand. They want to be the reason why we win. They want to turn the tide in tight games and it hasn’t quite happened. I’d have to go back in each game because I’m probably not giving them enough credit, there have probably been several times where they had several good plays, obviously.”
QUOTABLE:
“They say when the temperature drops the real football starts. The season is just getting started. It’s getting a little cold out, a little chilly and that’s when you’ve got to ramp things up. It’s an exciting time.” – Linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox.
