Jefferson: “This is our opportunity.”

Bring the noise — the airhorns, the vuvuzelas, the drums, the 20-some-thousand fans all shouting expletive-deleted curses — all the stuff that comes with playoff football in enemy territory.

Willie Jefferson wants absolutely all of it. Every single taunt and every single jeer.

By now everyone knows the scenario heading into this weekend: the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be in Montreal to line up across the Alouettes in Saturday’s Eastern Semi-Final, marking the first time since 2019 they’ll open the Grey Cup playoffs on foreign soil.

And Jefferson & Co. cannot wait to climb into the ring at Molson Stadium and play the heel.

“You want to take care of home first. You want to take care of home, and we’ll get that, possibly, in three weeks. But right now you’ve got to be the villain,” said Jefferson in a chat with bluebombers.com following Wednesday’s closed practice. “You’ve got to be able to go to somebody’s house, kick their door in and take everything off their table. That’s how it is.

“This is going to be a great game — great atmosphere. We’re ready to hear all those horns, all that noise. We’ve got our backs up against the wall now and we’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this. And as long as we’re in the playoffs, we’ve got an opportunity.

“Underdogs? Call us whatever you want,” he added. “This is our opportunity. And so, offence, defence and special teams, we’re all going to bite down on our mouthpieces like I told you a few weeks ago and then we’ll line up and give it to them. That’s exactly how they want it. In their house. In that bird cage. Go over there and take them out.”

James Vaughters and Kyrie Wilson at practice this week

The Blue Bombers and Alouettes were both 10-8 this season and Winnipeg heads east this weekend as 5.5-point underdogs — the first time since the 2019 Grey Cup they have entered a playoff game not listed as the favourite.

All of which brings a collective shrug of the shoulders to everyone in blue and gold.

“I don’t care. I don’t even watch,” said dime back Redha Kramdi. “Like, who says we’re the underdog? The media?”

And when it was pointed out to him that the Vegas bookies have officially them as the underdog, he added:

“I can’t bet, so I don’t look at that. And I don’t look at the media. So, I don’t care, really. I just line up and play. When the ball is down, the referee blows the whistle and it’s 12 vs. 12 between the four white lines, everything is up.”

The Blue Bombers enter the weekend having won four of their last five games, even if people want to slap an asterisk or two on some of the wins — beating Saskatchewan as they rested some regulars, ditto with the win over Montreal last week when the Als rested starting pivot Davis Alexander. Or the win against Ottawa a few weeks back where the passing totals were a puny 54 yards on just three completions.

All of those things seem to be talking points everywhere but inside the Blue Bombers locker room.

“I don’t talk about us being favoured; I wouldn’t talk about us being an underdog. It doesn’t make a difference,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “In any game with this kind of implication it’s how are we going to execute… make sure we play hard, make sure we execute well, limit the mistakes, make the plays when they come your way.

“And how people view you is irrelevant.”

That’s long been O’Shea’s approach to everything — and especially so in the playoffs — in the 11 years he’s been the boss here. If it’s raining, it’s perfect. If it’s plus 30 and a heatwave, it’s perfect. If it’s minus 30 with frostbite warnings, it’s perfect.

If the team is 15-3 and playing at home as the heavy favourites, it’s perfect. And, if he’s taking a 10-8 squad on the road and trying to become the first crossover team to advance to the Grey Cup — this one in their own backyard — well, you know…

O’Shea

“It’s all perfect,” he said with a grin. “You work so hard during the season to get to this point that you’re in. Nobody’s happy just to be in, but I think they’ve seen throughout the season what this team is capable of when we play sharp, three-phase football.

“So, I think they’re really excited about their opportunity.”

OUCH REPORT: Wednesday’s practice was held behind closed doors, and the team departs for Montreal Thursday afternoon. Today’s injury report lists receiver Nic Demski as having not practised — he hasn’t since injuring his hamstring on October 11th — but his status for Saturday won’t be made official until the release of the depth chart on Friday.

SALUTED: Four Blue Bombers were named to the West Division All-Star team on Wednesday: Demski, linebacker Tony Jones, defensive halfback Evan Holm and kick returner Trey Vaval.

Demski led the club with 67 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns despite missing the last two games of the regular season.

Jones led the team with 104 total tackles – 102 on defence, two more on special teams — while adding three quarterback sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. His 102 tackles was the sixth highest in franchise history, behind only Barrin Simpson (112 in 2007, 110 in 2006), Greg Battle (108 in 1989), Henoc Muamba (106 in 2016) and Adam Bighill (105 in 2018).

Holm, selected as the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Defensive Player this year, finished with 55 defensive tackles, adding six more on special teams, and led the team with four interceptions while chipping in with six pass knockdowns, a tackle for loss and two forced fumbles.

Trey Vaval

Vaval, named the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Rookie Player and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, led the CFL in punt returns (75) and punt return yards (957) and ranked fifth in kickoff return yards (918, on 37 returns). He also led the CFL in missed field goal return yards with 391, having established a new Blue Bombers record in that department, eclipsing Albert Johnson III’s total of 277, set in 2000.

Vaval led the CFL with four kick-return touchdowns this season – two on kickoff returns and one via punt and missed field goal returns.

NOTABLE: Related to the above… the four Blue Bombers named to the West All-Star squad is the lowest total since 2015 when defensive end Jamaal Westerman and cornerback Johnny Adams were honoured.

Just to put that number in further perspective, the club had 15 players named to the West team in 2021, nine in ’22, 11 in ’23 and seven last year.

It also marks the first time since 2015 no Blue Bombers offensive lineman was honoured on the divisional all-star team.

SOUND BITE: Kramdi, when asked by CJOB’s Derek Taylor if he thinks his team can win three games from here on in:

“Yes we do. Yes we do. I think we do.”

And what makes you confident?

“Zach Collaros. Honest answer,” added Kramdi. “He puts in a lot of work and I’m happy to follow him. He just puts in so much work and he’s someone I like to follow. He’s a great leader.”

SUDDEN VICTORY SEASON: Here’s O’Shea when asked by Taylor Allen of The Free Press how different playoff football is from the regular season:

“There’s a lot more emotion tied to it, I would imagine. The finality of it is there. It looms. So, there’s got to be a little more pressure.

“… By the time guys get to this level they’ve played in big games. They’ve felt the emotion. They’re prepared that way.”

O’Shea added this when it was suggested that part of the demeanour of his squad at this time of year is shaped by the veterans who have been through so many playoff battles before:

“That’s probably a big part of it. They know what to expect. They’ve been there before. They’ve done it. They’ve also had some failure, too, that they learn from. Each one of those playoff appearances is a good learning experience.

“But we’re a new team and they have to move forward and they did that a long time ago. At certain points they’re going to draw on a past experience, for sure. That’s what allows you to grow.”