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Bombers prepare for West Division final in quest for fifth consecutive Grey Cup berth

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2 weeks ago

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Bombers prepare for West Division final in quest for fifth consecutive Grey Cup berth

A weeklong break to open the Canadian Football League playoffs has become a rite of passage in these parts.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished atop the West Division with an 11-7 record, marking the fourth year in a row they’ve paced the five-team group. The award for finishing first remains a fortuitous one, with the Bombers earning a bye in the first round of the post-season, jumping straight to the Western final, which they’ll host next Saturday, Nov. 9, at Princess Auto Stadium.

While things might feel a little old hat by now, that doesn’t mean these aren’t exciting times for the Blue and Gold. Though they’ve been to this dance before, there’s always a new move or two to spice up what, ultimately, amounts to an extra week of preparation.



John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS files

Willie Jefferson says the Bombers worked for everything they achieved this season and now is the time to take advantage of the bye week on and off the field.

“Each one’s kind of felt unique. This one’s been unique in the sense where the regular season came right down to the wire,” Bombers veteran defensive tackle Jake Thomas said following a closed practice Thursday. “There wasn’t a plan set in stone, saying we’re going to do this for the bye week or things like that. I’ve kind of learned over the last little bit what I need to do to for my body to feel the best it can be for playoffs. Because sometimes rest is good, but sometimes you don’t want to rest too much, because you’ve kind of been used to the season. Every year you kind of add something.”

The difference Thomas was referring to this year was the fact the Bombers had to play to the very last second of the regular season finale to clinch first, with kicker Sergio Castillo booting home a 51-yard field goal with zeroes on the clock to defeat the Montreal Alouettes and edge the Riders for first place. The victory capped off a stellar turnaround for the Bombers, who opened the season 0-4 and then 2-6 before charging back with nine wins in their final 10 games.

Over the last three seasons, the Bombers were able to clinch the division with at least a game remaining on the schedule, some years even more. That meant being able to build a plan early and execute it well before this week, which clearly isn’t the case this season.

“It’s just a change in perspective. We had to absolutely work for everything that we got this year. We had to fight for first in the West. We got it. Now we got the bye week. We worked for this,” Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson said. “That’s exactly what Coach (Mike) O’Shea told us this morning. Don’t take it for granted. This is what we wanted. We had to go get it. We went and got it. We just need to take advantage of it.”

For Jefferson, that means extra time to hydrate, rest, stretch, lift at the gym and get whatever treatment he might need to be ready. It also means spending time with his teammates, understanding each new year brings about change and the roster today won’t be the same next year.

“You want these last two weeks to be memorable, not just on the field, but with the guys off of it, too,” added Jefferson.

The Bombers don’t know who their opponent will be just yet. They’ve already started watching film on the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders, with the winner in Saturday’s Western semifinal in Regina moving onto Winnipeg.

Both teams present unique challenges, and both have defeated the Bombers exactly once this season, with Winnipeg claiming each season-series two games to one. Saskatchewan narrowly edged B.C. for second place — earing the chance to host the semifinal game — by a single point.

The Bombers fell to the Riders in their first meeting, 19-9, in Week 7, before returning the favour with a sweep of the annual Labour Day Classic and Banjo Bowl. Those back-to-back victories, however, were by a combined seven points.

The Lions also drew first blood, narrowly beating the Bombers, 26-24, in Week 3. Winnipeg rebounded with a dominating 25-0 win in Week 9 and then beat B.C. again two weeks later, 20-11.

“Honestly, we watch both equally. We try and watch what they do best against us in the games we’ve played them,” Bombers veteran O-lineman Patrick Neufeld. “And then when those games are played on Saturday, we’ll watch those pretty intently.”

The Lions have found new life under quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., who lost his job earlier in the season after the signing of Nathan Rourke to a multi-year contract. Adams was given back the offence for the final regular season game after Rourke struggled to find traction through eight starts, and after a stellar performance in a 27-3 win over the Alouettes, head coach Rick Campbell has decided to ride the hot hand.

Saskatchewan had a chance to clinch first in the West had the Bombers not pulled some late-game heroics versus Montreal. It would have been quite the in-season rebound for the Riders, who snapped out of a seven-game winless funk by winning four of their final five games.

“Both defences present different challenges. They’re different defences, but they’ve attacked us in different ways and had success,” Neufeld said. “No matter who’s going to be in here, it’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere and our fans are going to be really looking forward to it.”