Three or four days ago, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers route to the Canadian Football League playoffs was a complicated formula featuring a number of scenarios and possible tiebreakers.
Frankly, it was enough to give even a math major a migraine.
Now – thankfully – that picture is much clearer for the Bombers: win one of their final two regular season games – this Friday at home against the Calgary Stampeders or November 3rd in Edmonton – and they will have their playoff ticket punched.
Here is the official explanation, straight from CFL headquarters:
- Winnipeg Win OR Tie = Winnipeg clinches the final playoff berth and Edmonton is eliminated from playoff contention
- Winnipeg Win + BC Loss = Winnipeg finishes third and BC becomes the crossover team
“We knew going into the bye we were playing some good football and the last thing we said to each other was when we come back we’ve got to keep winning football games,” said Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols following practice on Monday. “That hasn’t changed at all. We’re trying to prepare for a tough game and trying to get another win this week.
“I think I’ve talked about it a few times where you can never count on any team in this league to do you any favours. I mean, the last three or four weeks there have been probably five or six games that if they had gone a little different, we’re probably already in the playoffs. That just shows you that you can’t count on other people to do it for you. For us to control our own destiny, that’s what you want. We need to win another football game.”
A couple of factors to consider as it relates to the matchup with the Stampeders:
- The Stamps have lost two straight after Saturday’s 29-24 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. These two teams met in Calgary in late August and the Bombers held at 15-12 lead at the half before falling 39-26, as Stampeder QB Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 452 yards and three touchdowns.
- The Bombers haven’t beaten Calgary in Winnipeg since their 2009 home opener when a squad coached by Mike Kelly and with Stefan LeFors at quarterback won 42-30. Since then, it’s been a run of nine straight Ws here for the Stamps.
The Riders win in Calgary on the weekend eliminated the possibility of a home playoff game at Investors Group Field for the second straight November. The Bombers will either finish third and travel for the West Semi-final, finish fourth and head east as a crossover team, or could still miss the playoffs if they finish 9-9 and get into a three-way tie with the Eskimos and Lions.
“The West has really been crazy this year,” said linebacker Adam Bighill. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a photo finish coming in to the end. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and it’s why we play the game. We put the pressure on ourselves to make it happen. Our goal is to put the work in now throughout the week so we get what we want come Friday.”
Two familiar defensive faces returned to work on Monday in defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and linebacker/defensive back Maurice Leggett, although the veteran Leggett did not last long. Early in the session, he and Darvin Adams got tangled up on a deep ball, and after momentarily standing up again, Leggett dropped back down and slammed his hand on the turf in frustration. He was first helped off the field by the team’s training staff and later left the field on a cart. Head coach Mike O’Shea did not have an update on his status following the practice.
The uncertainty with Leggett aside, the Bombers are far healthier now than they were at this point last year.
“We’re decently healthy, which is very key at this point of the season,” said running back Andrew Harris. “We have a certain confidence and momentum. I know just today at practice with the vibe and the energy the guys are excited to get back after it. It’s the point in the season where teams are usually beat up. That’s the big thing on our side right now… we’re healthy and we’re ready to go. Friday can’t come soon enough.”
The Bombers returned to the practice field Monday for the first time since their 31-0 shutout of the Riders back on October 13th. Here are some other notes and quotes you NEED TO KNOW following the club’s first session after their bye week…
HELLO, MY NAME IS…:
It’s been a while since Jackson Jeffcoat suited up for a game – since the loss in Calgary on August 25th, to be exact – and so when the big defensive end walked up to a scrum of media following practice on Monday he jokingly opened with, ‘Hi… I’m Jackson Jeffcoat.’
The club has yet to confirm whether he will be activated for this Friday’s game, but Jeffcoat has declared himself good to go.
“I’m excited. I feel good. I feel ready to go. I feel good running around,” said Jeffcoat. “It’s good to be back out here with my teammates. It’s always frustrating with injuries, so I had to find the positives and figure out a way I could get mental reps, figure out ways I could stay focused, stay involved and whenever my body was feeling good be able to jump back in and play.
“So, it’s been tough. It hasn’t been fun… It has been fun seeing my guys have fun, make plays, take the ball away. It’s exciting. I just want to come in and keep that going.”
Jeffcoat’s return would be a bonus for the Bombers front seven – he had five sacks, two forced fumbles and two tackles for a loss in his 10 games before the injury.
WELCOME ‘HOME’:
Winnipegger and University of Manitoba product Geoff Gray practised for the first time as a Bomber on Monday.
“It was great to get back into it,” said Gray. “I feel good physically and the rust is coming off pretty quick. It’s good to get back going. It just feels natural.”
Gray, a 2017 first-round draft pick, officially signed with the Bombers last week after spending last season bouncing around the NFL, with stints with Green Bay, Cleveland and the New York Jets. He spent the bye week with his nose in the Bombers playbook and was getting help on the field from some of the veterans on the O-line.
“Everyone here has been super helpful so far… playbook, technique stuff and getting the layout,” said Gray. “They’re all great guys who like to help you out.”
Asked about walking into a different part of IGF – the Bison locker room is just a few yards away from the Bombers – Gray joked ‘it’s a different door, so I haven’t had any mix-ups yet.’
BATTLE READY:
The Bombers were mired in a four-game skid that had dropped them to 5-7 after the Banjo Bowl, but have since cranked out four-straight Ws. That, in a sense, has had them in playoff mode for a weeks.
“We’ve been feeling that pressure for over a month now and so in a game like this that does mean a lot, you don’t feel that in our locker room,” said Matt Nichols. “You don’t feel that the last four weeks where we felt like we were in must-win situations. So, for us it’s another game, another tough one that we plan on coming out and playing well in.”
HARRIS DOC:
Andrew Harris spent part of his bye week in Vancouver finishing up work on a documentary being put together on his life. The documentary is scheduled to be released on November 19th.
“It’s a deeper dive into my story, my journey, my upbringing, my life,” Harris explained. “It’s definitely something I’m excited about. We’ve been working on it for about two years now.”
KUDOS, BOMBER FANS:
We put out the call last week for help for Hall of Famer Gerry James, who was looking to raise funds by selling his Ring of Honour jersey to help cover costs revolving around surgery for his son.
Attention #Bombers fans: A message from Gerry James, who is looking for some help: pic.twitter.com/BZqu74rehg
— Ed Tait (@EdTaitWFC) October 18, 2018
James initially did not want to set up a GoFund Me page, but there is now one set up courtesy of the help of the Bomber Alumni and Global/CJOB and after a ton of Bombers fans wanted to chip in without the legend having to auction off his memorabilia. You can donate here.
NEW BLUE BLOOD:
The Bombers tinkered with their practice roster on Monday, adding receiver Kenny Lawler and releasing DE Patrick Choudja. Lawler (6-2, 203, Californina) was here just a week ago. A seventh-round draft pick by Seattle in 2016, he spent parts of the last two years on their practice roster.
