If it’s true that familiarity breeds contempt, then the Canadian Football League’s Western Semi-Final between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders should provide for some positively riveting drama.
And by ‘riveting’, we mean it should be a drag-‘em-out, slobber-knocking, no-holds-barred, bust-up that will be an absolute must watch.
The Bombers and Stamps – who met in Weeks 19 and 20 of the schedule and had their three head-to-head matchups this season decided by a grand total of seven points – will get it on again in next Sunday’s Western Semi at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
It will also be a rematch of last year’s West Final, which the Stamps won 22-14.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders secured top spot in the West, and a first round bye, with a 23-13 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday, with the Stamps then nailing down second spot with their 21-16 win over the B.C. Lions Saturday night.
That means for the Bombers to get to the Grey Cup and attempt to end a championship drought that dates back to 1990, they’ll need to win twice on the road – next Sunday in Calgary and, with a positive result, a week later in Regina in the Western Final – just to get to the title game.
And for the record, the last bunch in the CFL to accomplish that feat were the 2005 Eskimos, who won in Calgary, then B.C. before knocking off the Montreal Alouettes 38-35 in overtime to win the title.
The last non-first-place CFL team to win a Grey Cup were the 2013 Riders, who finished second and upended the Lions at home in the Western Semi, then upset the Stamps in the division final before beating Hamilton – at Taylor Field – to win the Cup.
The defending Grey Cup champion Stamps, meanwhile, will be hosting a playoff game for the eighth consecutive season and the 11th time in the last 12 years.
With all of that in mind, here’s an early-week primer to help set up the Bombers-Stamps Western Semi-Final matchup…
THE BASICS
Western Semi-Final
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11-7) at Calgary Stampeders (12-6)
When: Sunday, November 10th, 3:30 p.m. CT
Where: McMahon Stadium, Calgary
TV: TSN, RDS, ESPN 2, BT Sports
Radio: CJOB 680
Long-range weather forecast for Calgary for Nov. 10: High of -8C; normal high: +4C
Calgary at home: 7-2; Winnipeg on the road: 3-6.
The QBs:
Winnipeg: Zach Collaros/Chris Streveler – Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea has not confirmed his starter for the playoff game, although most expect it will be Collaros after his solid debut in a win over Calgary in the regular season finale.
Collaros made just two starts all season, finishing one. He opened the year as the Saskatchewan Roughriders starter, but took only a couple of snaps before being knocked out of the game by Hamilton Tiger-Cats linebacker Simoni Lawrence. Traded twice since – first to the Toronto Argonauts and then to the Bombers – Collaros returned in the Bombers regular season finale to throw for two touchdowns in a 29-28 victory over the Stamps. He is 1-1 in playoff starts.
Streveler did not dress for the last game after a gritty performance as the starter in the Bombers second last game – a 37-33 loss in Calgary. The Bombers were 3-5 in games Streveler started this year after Matt Nichols was injured.
Calgary: Bo Levi Mitchell is 11-3 in career starts against Winnipeg and 5-1 in playoff games (not including Grey Cups). Last year’s CFL Most Outstanding Player missed seven games this season with a shoulder/arm injury, but still threw for 3,464 yards with 19 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Mitchell has the best winning percentage for a starting quarterback in CFL history, having amassed a record of 77-18-2, including an 8-3 mark this year.
Bombers/Stamps MOP candidates:
Winnipeg: Outstanding/Defensive: DE Willie Jefferson; Canadian/Special Teams: FB Mike Miller; Rookie: WR Kenny Lawler; OL Stanley Bryant.
Calgary: Outstanding: WR Reggie Begelton; Defensive: CB Tre Roberson; Canadian: LB Cory Greenwood; Offensive lineman Shane Bergman; Special Teams/Rookie: LB Nate Holley
HEAD TO HEAD RECAP
August 8, IG Field | Bombers 26 Stamps 24
The Bombers had rocketed out to a 5-0 start to 2019, but stumbled during a two-game road trip to Southern Ontario that featured losses in Hamilton and Toronto – the latter which included the squad blowing a 20-point lead.
But they found their magic again on a perfect summer night in Winnipeg and in a game that featured Matt Nichols and Nick Arbuckle at QB for the Bombers and Stamps.
But it was the work of returner Janarion Grant – who was making his CFL debut – which was so instrumental. Grant returned two punts for touchdowns in the first half, covering 76 and 83 yards, and became just the eighth player in CFL history to accomplish that feat. He finished the night with 306 combined kick-return yards.
As well, Andrew Harris rushed 19 times for 100 yards while pulling in eight catches for another 44 yards. Arbuckle rushed for two TDs and threw for another for the Stamps, but was also intercepted once as Calgary turned the ball over three times.
October 19, McMahon Stadium | Stamps 37 Bombers 33
The first of back-to-back meetings between the two clubs took place in Calgary and with Mitchell back at the controls for the Stamps and Streveler behind centre for the Bombers.
Streveler served up a respectable effort, pushing, pulling and dragging defenders as the Bombers rushed for 191 yards, but managed just 137 through the air. The Bombers got TDs from Lucky Whitehead on a 25-yard run, and Kenny Lawler on a strike from Streveler as well as
Mitchell, as per usual, did his thing by throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns – all to Reggie Begelton.
October 26, IG Field | Bombers 29 Stamps 28
The Bombers captured the season series 2-1 in dramatic fashion with a Justin Medlock field goal on the game’s last play for the victory. But it was the Bomber debut of Collaros that had Bomber Nation buzzing – and still does as the playoffs are set to begin.
Suiting up for the first time in 134 days, Collaros threw for 221 yards and had two TD passes – one to Kenny Lawler and the other to Darvin Adams that is a play-of-the-year candidate – but also drove the Bombers into position for Medlock’s game winner.
Mitchell was brilliant again for the Stamps as he threw for 350 yards and four touchdowns – two each to Hergy Mayala and Eric Rogers – but the Bombers defence forced a two-and-out late in the fourth quarter to give the offence the ball back and the opportunity to move into field-goal range for the victory.
