Unbeaten blue bombers yet to play their best football
West leaders aren’t looking past Argos as they aim for first 4-0 start since 2003
They’re 3-0, have scored 12 offensive touchdowns, and their defence has allowed only one major against.
They’re the trendy pick to win the 2019 Grey Cup.
But you won’t find members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers patting themselves on the back at this point in the CFL season.
“We’ve had some good success so far, but I don’t think we’re playing our best football by any means,” Bombers coach Mike O’shea said Thursday, a day ahead of a matchup with the 0-3 Toronto Argonauts at IG Field.
“Every time we run the film, the guys are understanding that they can do better. They’re not ones to rest on what they did the week before.”
The Bombers have been installed as 11.5- to 12.5-point favourites over the Argos and it would be a major shock if Winnipeg were to lose on their own home turf.
That’s no guarantee, however. The Bombers need to keep their game at the high level they established last Friday night in a 29-14 win over the previously unbeaten Ottawa Redblacks. The Bombers moved the ball efficiently on offence, on the ground and through the air, hit on some big plays, and shut the opposition down with stifling defence.
There were few holes in that performance, and yet you get the sense this week of preparation was all about taking it to another level.
“We hold ourselves to high standards and we have high expectations for ourselves on a weekly basis,” Bombers starting quarterback Matt Nichols said. ”For us, it’s just all about getting better week to week and playing better than we did the week before. Ultimately, that’s going to get you to where you want to be.
“It’s having leadership within the coaching staff and the veteran leaders that, regardless of if you’re winning games or not, we always expect to do better. When you have that mentality, you’re going to put yourself in a good position.”
The Bombers are looking to get to 4-0 for the first time since 2003 and are closing in on a couple of defensive records. They haven’t allowed a touchdown by the opposing offence in the last two games, nor in the last nine quarters. If they shut out the Argos offence again, they’ll set a team record for games without giving up a touchdown and tie the record for most consecutive quarters (13) without giving up a touchdown.
The Argos have scored only three offensive touchdowns all season, but their best game was last week — an 18-17 loss to the B.C. Lions — and the Bombers insist they won’t take the Boatmen lightly.
“They’re a talented bunch,” Nichols said. “They do have a lot of veterans out there, an explosive receiving corps, veteran coaching staff across the board that I know is going to have those guys ready to play. I’ve been in this league long enough that the records sometimes can be skewed or misleading. They’re a team that plays hard, runs around, and plays all over the whistle.”
The Argos lost their first game of the season 64-14 at home against the Hamilton Tiger-cats and then fell 32-7 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 3. Last week, they hung tough against the Lions but lost on a single point after a missed Lions field goal with no time on the clock.
“If you look at this last game, they had a real opportunity to win the game,” O’shea said. “When you take portions of each and every game, they’ve had times when they were playing winning football. I think it’s a matter of time. Their defence has improved, they’ve got a lot of weapons on offence. The only thing they haven’t done yet is put up a W. But they’ve had opportunities.”
If the Bombers really are going to be contenders for the Grey Cup this season — fans aren’t likely holding their breath considering it’s been 28 years since the last Cup win — this is a game they simply can’t lose.
Maintaining focus is of the utmost importance.
“You’ve just got to attack the week as executing well and doing all the right things and not really worrying about their record,” Bombers running back Andrew Harris said. “It doesn’t matter where you stand or where they stand, it’s just about coming out and being physical and playing clean football and trying to get a win.”
Every time we run the film, the guys are understanding that they can do better. They’re not ones to rest on what they did the week before.