Red-hot Bombers eye playoffs
Second half of the campaign will decide team’s fortunes and head coach’s future
WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have gone from 1-4 to 5-4 thanks to a four-game winning streak and, as a result, they’ve matched their victory total from last season.
The question now is, how far can they take this thing in the second half of the season, which begins next Sunday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium against the woeful Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 54th Labour Day Classic.
The Bombers are sizzling at the moment, thanks in large part to their defence, which has taken the ball away six times in three straight games. Matt Nichols has ensconced himself as the team’s new No. 1 quarterback, mainly because he’s doing whatever is necessary to win. The special teams units are dandy these days, as well.
All three played a role in Friday night’s 32-18 win over the host Montreal Alouettes. The game was closer than the score indicates, but the Bombers rose to the occasion when it mattered in the fourth quarter. This is a franchise that’s done the opposite for much of the past decade.
“It’s great for this team to just put it together,” said Nichols, who has thrown only one interception in his four starts — all wins.
“It’s been like that on this fourgame winning streak. It’s been offence, defence and special teams all chipping in and doing their jobs. I’m extremely proud of this team and looking forward to Labour Day.”
If the Bombers can whip the Roughriders like they should, it would not only end an 11-game losing streak in the Labour Day Classic, but it would also set a much needed tone for the second half. The Bombers, for the last month, have been busting the franchise out of nasty habits that had developed in the team’s culture after so many losing seasons. The next trend they need to obliterate if they’re going to make the playoffs is poor play down the stretch.
The Blue and Gold haven’t posted a winning record in the second half of a season since 2008, when they overcome a 2-7 start and went 6-3 over the final two months to squeak into the playoffs. The Bombers now have a 14-13 record in the first halves of three seasons under coach Mike O’Shea, but they are 3-15 in second halves. The most important stretch drive for O’Shea, whose contract expires in nine games, is about to begin.
Naturally, the Bombers believe they’re just getting started.
“We’re a cohesive unit,” running back Andrew Harris said. “When we face adversity, when our backs are against the wall, when we weren’t playing very well, we still stuck together. We still had each other’s backs.”
No doubt remembering how his rookie season of 2014 came crashing down after a 5-1 start, O’Shea wasn’t popping the champagne bottles on Friday night after producing the longest winning streak of his mostly rocky tenure.
“I’m pretty excited about the win we just got,” O’Shea said, “but I’m asking the players not to feel satisfied, so I can never do that either.”