TORONTO — At its core and in its simplest form the Winnipeg Blue Bombers stumble out of the starting gate and 2-5 start is about football’s basics — too many mistakes and too many penalties deeply impacted by a swack of injuries.
That’s the stuff this squad has been attempting to address again this week heading into tonight’s affair with the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field after last Friday’s loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders ended a modest two-game win streak.
Yes, this is a different squad than last year and there’s a different vibe now than with the crew that went to four straight Grey Cups, winning two, while compiling a 51-17 record heading into this season.
And let it be known ‘different’ doesn’t mean anyone in the Blue Bombers clubhouse doesn’t have the deepest conviction this bunch can get things right again and get this train back on its rails.
That’s massive, too, because that belief and faith is part of the foundation in Bomberland.
Deatrick Nichols
“We still have faith in here. No one has tapped out,” defensive back Deatrick Nichols told bluebombers.com. “We’re still here and that’s all that matters. As long as we’re here mentally and physically we’ll be all right. We’ve just got to ride through this storm.
“Every road is different. Last year, or ’21 or ’19… they’re all different. Every year you’re facing something new. We’re 2-5 but we’ve still got a lot ahead of us. That B.C. team in 2011, they won (the Grey Cup) starting out 0-5, so anything is possible as long as you keep your faith, keep working and keep your head down.
“Our mindset is to be in the year we’re in now, not in the past. The past can’t win you or lose you anything. It’s just the past. You’ve got to play this season and be where your feet are.”
Here’s where the Blue Bombers collective feet are heading into tonight:
At 2-5 they have already lost more games than in each of the last two seasons — 14-4 in 2023 and 15-3 in 2022. Their injured list now features 13 players, including seven starters in Kenny Lawler, Dalton Schoen, Celestin Haba, Cam Lawson, Miles Fox, Jamal Parker and now Kyrie Wilson.
They are winless on the road at 0-3, 1-3 in their own division and after this game have a home-and-home series with the B.C. Lions, with a bye week in between.
What’s critical here — and go ahead and roll your eyes at how cornball this might sound to outsiders — is the faith that still remains in the room. Faith this is still a talented bunch; faith this team can still be in the discussion come November and the start of the Grey Cup derby.
And where does that faith come from?
Willie Jefferson
“It’s just the team,” said defensive end Willie Jefferson at the team’s hotel in downtown Toronto on Friday. “We’ve got a lot of veterans on this team and we knew it wasn’t going to be a perfect season. We knew there were going to be injuries. We knew there were going to be ups and downs, bumps and bruises.”
“We’ve put a ton of work in together. We all enjoy being together, we all love coming to work and working together,” added guard Pat Neufeld. “We sacrifice a lot as players to do the right things. It’s hard sometimes, but it’s the struggle that makes it beautiful.
“No one is down on their luck. No one is counting each other out. We’re in a tough place right now and we know that. But it just takes one win to get this going again.”
It just takes one to get it going again, but it’s going to take a run to get this thing back to .500. The Blue Bombers need more of their young charges to step up, but more production from their star power — guys like Zach Collaros, Nic Demski, Brady Oliveira, Adam Bighill, etc — would be massive in that, too.
“As a head coach you’re always trying to observe any little changes or things that may signal something different is going on, but they just show up every day with the same attitude and willing to work,” said head coach Mike O’Shea when asked what he sees from his group that still has him believing. “They put in a ton of time and they enjoy doing it together, so there’s no reason NOT to believe it.”
BAILEY CUT LOOSE: The Argos released former Blue Bomber receiver Rasheed Bailey late Thursday and, naturally, a potential return was a topic of conversation at the media availability a day later.
And, also naturally, that’s not something anyone is going to bite on with the Argos game on the horizon, although Bailey’s agent did reach out to the club.
“We’re focussed on this opponent,” said O’Shea. “Certain things come to mind the first time you hear about a guy getting released that you’ve had a relationship with. You feel for him personally. Then you realize we also have our own work cut out for us. And then, also, the group of receivers that came in this year for camp are pretty damn good so I don’t know where it all fits yet.”
“We just heard about that yesterday and the story broke this morning,” added Zach Collaros. “Obviously you feel for ‘Sheed — a great friend and a great teammate. All of us have been in that position at some point in our career, so it’s tough.
“With your question, I haven’t thought a ton about it. We’re just getting ready for this game against a great opponent, so that’s where our focus is.”