BOMBERS NEED TO BE BETTER THAN JUST GOOD
There were fumbles, some dropped passes and at least one shotgun snap that went awry.
But, rusty as they looked in practice on Monday, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers came back from their first bye week of the CFL season with a hunger in their eyes.
“You could tell we had a bit of rust,” running back Andrew Harris said. “But the enthusiasm and the energy are there. That’s the biggest thing. Sometimes you come off a break and (guys) are a little bit lethargic, a little lazy.
“Guys were flying around, excited to be here and ready to get after it.”
They’ll need it. Because the Bombers return to a West Division where good isn’t good enough.
Challenging for first place was the pre-season goal, but Calgary is way out in front at 7-0 with Edmonton next at 5-2.
You don’t have to be rocket surgeon to know what that means for the 4-3 Bombers.
“You can’t look too far ahead, especially in the West right now,” quarterback Matt Nichols said. And then he did just that. “In my mind, at minimum, you’re trying to get to 10 wins,” Nichols continued. “There’s a good chance you’re going to be in the playoffs at 10. ”
To do that, the Bombers need to get on a roll. Two straight wins against Toronto is a good launch point, but the fact remains this team hasn’t really beat anybody very good. This week offers a step in that direction.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats pay a visit on Friday, and while their 3-4 mark doesn’t scream Grey Cup contender, they’re better than their record.
After dropping three in a row, the Ticats got some snarl back with last week’s dismantling of Johnny Manziel and the chaotic Montreal Alouettes.
You’ll recall, too, how the Bombers limped out of Steeltown on the business end of a 31-17 drubbing in Week 3.