It is, admittedly, an odd talking point to open with, but we’ll go there anyway as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers completed their final full practice behind closed doors today in advance of Thursday’s huge showdown with the B.C. Lions…
Might it be said that these Blue Bombers, even with all their roster continuity, are still very much a work in progress through their first seven games of the Canadian Football League season?
Consider this as fuel for the discussion: the lineup the Blue Bombers field for the rematch with the Leos could feature as many as six different starters compared to the crew that took to the field in a 30-6 loss to B.C. back on June 22nd.
That loss jolted so many in Bomberland because it was both so lopsided and was pockmarked with so many uncharacteristic gaffes. But it also featured a lineup without receiver Kenny Lawler, defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, linebacker Kyrie Wilson along with cornerbacks Winston Rose and Demerio Houston. Redha Kramdi, it’s worth noting, has also taken over the starting dime back chores since that night.
Granted, the Lions were without a couple of key pieces in receivers Dominique Rhymes and Keon Hatcher, but the potential of a half-dozen changes to the Blue Bombers lineup is a significant storyline heading into an early-season battle between the West Division’s two heavyweights.
“The attitude and energy different players bring speaks a lot. It’s not always about the Xs and Os. Having different guys in the huddle does different things,” explained receiver Drew Wolitarsky. “Having Zach (Collaros) in the huddle in 2019, for example, changed a lot of things instantly. We missed the energy of those guys.
“Practising against (Winston) Rose this week… I’m out there working harder just to get open because he’s such a veteran. It’s like, ‘Damn, this is really hard’ because he’s not biting on my moves and he’s just so steady. It’s the same with Kyrie, he’s sniffing out plays while running around and it’s super cool to see that because he’s had such a rough go.
“It does make a huge difference having those guys out there; guys you trust to make plays.”
All of this isn’t to diminish in any way the work of those who have stepped in for the walking wounded, especially in a building where the head coach despises any media designation between 1s – the starters – and the rest of the lineup.
But there’s a very real sense the Blue Bombers have been far from their best this season as they slog through the summer months dealing with injuries and trying to find the best personnel combination. And, again, that doesn’t make them any different than any other team.
What is different is the standard this team has set over the last few seasons while appearing in three straight Grey Cups and winning two championships. And any deviation from that – like the loss back in June or the late collapse to the Ottawa RedBlacks – fuels the narrative, the outside noise, that the Blue Bombers aren’t what they used to be.
“We know we’re a good football team,” said defensive end Willie Jefferson. “It’s just that when you’re going against a good team and you don’t play well, things get highlighted. That’s also where the fans and the media step in and point those things out.
“We hold ourselves to a high standard on offence, defence, and special teams because we’ve played so well the last few years. We’re still doing that – we’re going to keep that high standard and hold each other accountable inside this locker room. That’s why we’ve just got to handle our business. We’ve got to eliminate the mental mistakes and the things that put us behind on the scoreboard and just go out and play Winnipeg Blue Bombers football.
“We’re still finding those little pieces that complete us,” he added. “For the offence, it’s finishing drives, staying on the field longer with those key plays. For the defence, it’s getting off the field on second down and getting back to being dominant, being dominant on second down and especially in the fourth quarter and second half. We’re getting there.”
The shock and disappointment from that loss to the Lions in June has been trumped by the reaction in the Blue Bombers locker room. Again, it’s the high standard conversation and it’s why the return of veteran pieces can help keep that bar set up in the stratosphere.
That’s accountability. And that’s also what will make how the club responds Thursday so fascinating.
“We owe each other more than that last game,” Wolitarsky said. “All of us were disappointed, not just in the team, but in ourselves. I could have given more… I messed this up or I wasn’t clear on a certain read. I felt that and I know a lot of guys felt that, too.
“We just weren’t ourselves. We can say it was just a ‘bad day at the office’ but we don’t want to cling to that. We needed to keep fighting to make it at least a close game and we just didn’t feel like we fought to the end.
“We’ve had a great week of practice. We owed it to each other coming into this week and you could sense that out there and see that this week. We’ve won a lot of football games here. Lost very few. And when we do lose, it hurts us, man, because we’ve set such a high standard.
“We just don’t want to get spoiled, bro, because when we get spoiled, we lose.”
