Blue Bombers preparing to do 'whatever it takes' to earn West bye
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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers can put the finishing touch on a surprising late-season rally by defeating the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday to clinch the West Division title.
Winnipeg claimed the top spot in the West and a first-round bye in the playoffs in three consecutive campaigns entering the year, and are coming off their fourth-straight appearance in the Grey Cup.
Quarterback Zach Collaros earned the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award in 2022 and '23, and running back Brady Oliveira was coming off consecutive 1000-yard rushing seasons.
All the pieces seemed to be in place for another season at the top of the league, but then the unexpected happened.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers battle through slow start
This rally to the top of the West Division seemed almost impossible a month into the season, after Winnipeg dropped their first four games in part due to a struggling offence.
“It’s hard to wrap your head around it,” Collaros said following their third straight loss to start the year. “It is what it is. We haven’t played good enough to win games.”
“I have a lot of faith and belief in this group," Oliveira said at the end of June. "I love every single person in this locker room and I know we can get it done. We’ve just got to find a way."
Injuries played a significant role in the slow start, as top weapons in every area of the offence missed significant time. Collaros missed two games with a thorax injury, top wide receiver Dalton Schoen played in only three games before a knee ailment ended his campaign, and Oliveira missed time with a knee injury.
The veteran running back kept his hopes up amidst the dismal start, and the results began to turn when all the weapons on offence started performing, Collaros most importantly.
"It’s going to be different this year, obviously, but I’ve got a lot of faith in this group. We’re going to get it together. We’re right there. Super close,” Oliveira said.
Performance starts to match belief
The Blue Bombers led the CFL with 33.0 points per game a season ago, and once the offence started to perform, the results started to show.
In their first eight games, in which the Blue Bombers went 2-6 and sat at the bottom of the West Division, Winnipeg scored 20.4 points per game.
In the nine games since, in which the team rattled off eight straight wins and held an 8-1 record overall, Winnipeg scored 28.4 points per game.
The offence has played better, but defence has been the calling card for Winnipeg's success during their turnaround.
On the current hot streak, they've allowed a miniscule 17 points per game. Their 19.9 points allowed per game for the season ranks the best in the league this year.
Bombers can complete turnaround with win vs. Alouettes
The Blue Bombers need a victory or a tie against the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday to clinch the top spot in the West and the right to host the West Final.
Montreal has the best record in the CFL at 12-4-1, and beat the Blue Bombers 27-12 in the season opener, as well as 28-24 in last year's Grey Cup.
Oliveira doesn't want to understate the importance of beating the Alouettes in the season finale.
“We’ve got a really big test ahead of us,” the Bombers running back said Wednesday. “We know what’s on the line here. It’s literally whatever it takes this week. Whatever it takes, you’ve got to crash out."
The last time the Blue Bombers lost a home game in the playoffs was in the West semi-final in 2017 against Edmonton.
"You need everyone’s best going into this game and understanding that going into Montreal to win this game and after that, we’ll have some rest. So, I need everyone’s best effort — like they give every single week. But be prepared to play the most physical game of your life on Saturday,” Oliveira said.
"I need everyone to do whatever it takes in this Saturday’s game, and everyone play their most physical brand of game," said Oliveira.
Head coach Mike O'Shea echoed the sentiment Oliveira provided.
“We understand the ramifications of the outcome of this game, but you really can’t think about the outcome throughout the week,” he said.
“So, prepare the way you should, play hard the way you should, play the game the way it should be played and the scoreboard at the end of the game will tell you what happened.”