Kickoff: Friday, October 11th, 7:30 p.m. CDT; Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg, Mb.
TV/Streaming: TSN 1/5; RDS; CFL+
Radio: 680 CJOB
Game theme: Friday is the club’s annual ‘Intercept Cancer Game.’
Streaks: Wpg.: 8W; Tor.: 1W
Road/Home: The Blue Bombers are 6-2 at home and on a six-game unbeaten streak at Princess Auto Stadium after dropping their first two games in south Winnipeg to open the season. The Argonauts are 2-5 on the road, but won their last with a solid 33-17 over the B.C. Lions in Vancouver back on September 13th.
Scene Setter
It’s a narrative that should never, ever get old in these parts and a reminder the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are in the midst of one of the greatest runs in franchise history.
One more win and the Blue Bombers will lock up first place in the West Division for a fourth straight season — the longest stretch since the club finished first over a five-year span from 1958-62 and won four Grey Cups in an era which has forever been known since as ‘The Glory Days.’
Another eye-popping, jaw-dropping number to munch on as the Blue Bombers prepare to host the Toronto Argonauts — a stat that says everything about the organization, its rabid fan base and ‘Winnipeg’s Biggest Party’: Friday’s game will be the fourth consecutive sell-out and sixth crowd in excess of 30,000 this season.
And here’s the giant golden nugget for further context:
So, damn straight homefield advantage will mean everything in Winnipeg, whether it’s for the West Semifinal on November 2nd or, preferably, the West Final on November 9th.
“Massive. Best fans in the league. Loudest fans in the league,” said running back Brady Oliveira. “So, for us to have the opportunity to clinch first is massive. It’s monumental in this playoff run we’re going to go on. It makes the run or the path to the Grey Cup a little bit easier — I don’t want to say easier — but you play one game and you’re there: one game at home and you’re there in front of a sold-out, loud crowd.
“We understand the importance of that, and we want to make sure we secure that.”
Consider this, too: the Blue Bombers are 37-5 at home since the start of the 2019 season and 40-5 if the last three West Finals are included.
“(Homefield advantage) means everything, especially for us here because we have a unique crowd,” said receiver Kenny Lawler. “We have unique fans. They’re the No. 1 fans. They’re the best in the league and by far the loudest. When you have that during a playoff game it’s beneficial.
“It’s everything about Winnipeg at this time of year — you’ve got the wind, you’ve got the cold, you’ve got the sell-out crowd, you’ve got the fans with the energy and it’s just infectious. You feed off it.”
This bunch has had it drilled into them for eight straight double-digit win seasons to fixate on the here and now and of the dangers of gazing too far into the distance.
Still, those who have experienced a West Final here already want it again. And they want it for all the newcomers, too, because they are part of the moments that become memories long after a guy hangs up his cleats.
“Usually when I drive on Chancellor Matheson I get goosebumps on any normal game day,” said Oliveira. “And West Final game day? As soon as I pull out of my driveway, I have goosebumps the entire time. It’s hard to explain other than that — goosebumps on that entire drive to the stadium. Then when you run out of the tunnel it’s even louder.
“It’s a thing of beauty, man. It really is. It’s a game Winnipeggers need to experience. You need to be sitting in a seat at Princess Auto Stadium and experience it for yourself because it’s amazing.”
THE DEPTH CHART
The Blue Bombers have made two changes to the depth chart this week, both on the defensive side of the ball. On are DB Marquise Bridges and new linebacker Bryce Notree, who was just added this week following his release by the Montreal Alouettes last month. Off are safety Brandon Alexander and LB Michael Ayers, both of whom have been moved to the one-game injured list where they join defensive tackles Miles Fox and Kyle Samson.
The changes mean Jake Kelly will make his first career start at safety with Brian Cole sliding into the Ayers spot at weak-side linebacker.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
1. MORE ADAPTING, MORE IMPROVISING
They don’t hand out gold stars or weekly nods for the work of coaches, but if they did Blue Bombers defensive coordinator Jordan Younger and the defensive staff of Richie Hall, Darrell Patterson and James Stanley would have taken bows after last week’s win in Hamilton.
The Blue Bombers lost Alexander and Ayers in the game and were without defensive tackle Jamal Woods for a stretch, too.
Brian Cole
Those changes have carried over this week with, as listed above, Kelly stepping in at safety and Cole at linebacker. Winnipeg’s injured list features three other would-be defensive starters, too, in linebackers Adam Bighill and Kyrie Wilson and defensive tackle Cam Lawson.
All that change last week and it’s worth noting the Blue Bombers shut out Hamilton in the second half.
“It’s them. All I had to do was figure out where to put them,” said Younger earlier this week of adapting on the fly in Hamilton. “They actually had to execute the plays; they had to know where to go, what to do. The fact they take the time in meetings to play the game out mentally is what allowed them to go out there and still be able to execute.
“I’ve been a lot of places where you lose three guys and that third guy wasn’t even thinking about it but our third guy was ready, too. I’m really happy with them and proud of that.”
2. BUILT THE SAME
So much about these two squads are the statistically similar from what have been modest passing attacks to dominant ground games, to controlling both sides of the line of scrimmage.
-Toronto ranks first in the CFL in rushing at 126.1 yards per game; Winnipeg is third at 115, just behind Edmonton at 119.
-The Blue Bombers are eighth in passing at 256.4 with the Argos one slot behind at 254.7.
-Winnipeg is first in fewest offensive points allowed at 19.9; while Toronto is fourth at 24.5.
-Winnipeg is first in fewest offensive net yards allowed at 327.4; Toronto is second at 347.7.
-And against the run the Argos are the stingiest at 75.5 yards per game while Winnipeg is sixth at 104.4.
That last category will represent an irresistible force meets the immovable object scenario, with the Blue Bombers getting so much success from their ground game of late.
Centre Chris Kolankowski
On Wednesday Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was asked if the club had found its identity again after struggles to run earlier in the season.
“No, I don’t think we were lost. I certainly KNOW we weren’t lost, and I don’t think we got away from our identity. It was just the way the group came out of camp we had to do things a little differently and we firmly believed the pendulum was going to swing back.
“But you’re not waiting for it. You’re not just sitting there hoping, ‘Oh, I hope this swings back to what we know as Bomber football.’ You’re continually trying to win football games with the group you have available that week and using their best attributes.
“And here we are.”
3. WHATEVER IT TAKES
This has been a mantra in Bomberland for eons, but especially so this season on the offensive side of the ball. We wrote earlier in the week about the Blue Bombers chameleon-like offence and that could make them especially difficult to come down the stretch.
And ask those involved in the aerial attack and they’re convinced they’ve still got another gear to find — all of which could be massive if teams take away Oliveira and the ground game.
Kenny Lawler
“When we’re firing on all cylinders it’s hard to defend us,” said Kenny Lawler. “We play in a passing league and everybody around the league is passing the ball. I believe, the coaches believe, and the organization believes if you can’t run the ball you’re not going to have as much success as you want.
“We have the best O-line in the league by far. We have the best running back in the league by far. When you get that going for you in the CFL you’re a double-headed monster. That’s what we are right now.
“We’ve got Brady and the big boys up front doing it. In the perimeter we have the receivers doing it and we have the best distributor in the league.
The Last Word
“It’s great and hopefully we can have that opportunity here again this year. Any home game here is awesome. We’ve seen over the last few years our record at home speaks for itself. We didn’t get off to the best start here at home this year but the last few months it’s been such a great advantage for us.
“Credit the fans, first of all, for showing up and spending their hard-earned dollars. That’s not lost on the players. And then Wade and his staff have really provided a great game-day atmosphere here. There’s always a lot going on for adults and kids and I think he really prides himself on working to be a premier franchise.” — defensive tackle Jake Thomas on what homefield advantage means in Winnipeg.