Labour intensive
It’s like the playoffs already with Blue Bombers and Roughriders readying for Classic clash
WINNIPEG — While the Winnipeg Blue Bombers enjoyed a little downtime after capping the first half of the season with another thrilling win, the standings in the West Division got even more congested.
Who could have guessed the Bombers would be heading into Labour Day with a 7-2 record and it would only be good enough to tie them for second place?
It’s been that kind of year in the Wild West, with the Bombers, Calgary Stampeders (7-11) and Edmonton Eskimos (7-2) all off to torrid starts, and a mad dash to the finish line is looming in the second half.
Then there’s this little wrench that has been thrown into the moving parts — The Saskatchewan Roughriders are suddenly playing great football and are creeping their way into the playoff conversation.
This is, of course, highly relevant because the Bombers play their next two games against the Riders (4-4). The Bombers will take a five-game winning streak into Regina on Sunday for the Labour Day Classic to face a Saskatchewan team on a two-game roll of its own.
The Riders have won their last two games by a combined total of 95-39.
They hammered the Eskimos 54-31 in Edmonton on Friday and blasted B.C. (5-3 at the time) 41-8 at home the previous week.
Their offence has been surprisingly good under veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn and they are just one victory away from matching their 2016 win total.
They are 3-1 at home — their only blemish was a 43-40 overtime loss to the Bombers on Canada Day — and they are always favourites in the Labour Day Classic, where they hold a 35-19 edge over 54 previous instalments.
While the Bombers broke an 11-game Classic losing streak last season with a 28-25 win, their first since 2004, it has never been easy for them on Labour Day.
This year will be the first Classic played in the brand new Mosaic Stadium and it is sure to be a wild place full of rowdy Riders and Bombers fans.
What we’re saying here is that nothing is going to come easily for the Bombers this season.
They have played very strong football over the first two months of the season. They are averaging 34 points per game in total and the offence is responsible for 32 of those points.
Quarterback Matt Nichols and running back Andrew Harris are having career years behind a strong offensive line, Justin Medlock has kicked three last-play, game-winning field goals and the Bombers have been finding different ways to win every week.
And yet, even at 7-2 they are a long way from sewing up a playoff spot, let alone first or second place and a home game in November.
These two games against Saskatchewan — in Regina on Sunday and back in Winnipeg the following Saturday — will set the tone for the second half of the season.
Two wins and you can start planning for a postseason appearance.
Two losses and who knows might happen down the road.
If I were a wagering man, I’d bet on a split in the homeand-home, which will certainly make for a dogfight for playoff position over the final seven games of the season.
The Bombers have a bye after the matchups against the Riders, so they can it all on the line in the two games. Essentially, these games, and all others against West Division opponents down the stretch will be playoff games.
You have to like the Bombers chances in that scenario, given their ability to win close games, to come back from late deficits and to keep calm and cool under pressure during the first half of the season.
However, one or two slipups could mean the difference between hosting the West final or semifinal and going on the road, possibly even crossing over to the East Division.
That brings up an interesting point, as it did last year.
Because of the CFL’s lopsided playoff structure, there’s a good chance the team finishing fourth in the West is going to have a better record than any of the teams in the East. That team would still have to win two games on the road in the East to get to the Grey Cup — a feat that has not yet been accomplished in nine crossover years — but playing Ottawa and Toronto would be a far sight less intimidating than going to Edmonton or Calgary.
The Bombers are likely giving no thought whatsoever to the crossover when they are in the mix for first place, but you can bet the Riders have their eyes on it.
They’re just two points back of the B.C. Lions (5-5) for fourth place right now and have two games in hand.
After finishing 5-13 last year, that crossover possibility must look mighty appealing. Especially since they have a better record right now than any team in the East.
You can’t say this every year, but given the records of the teams involved, this Labour Day matchup should truly produce a Classic.