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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

'A lot of football left'

Bombers focus on very real chance to earn a playoff spot

By: Ed Tait

Posted: 09/19/2009 8:01 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

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Last week’s Banjo Bowl blowout is just a memory for the Bombers, who are now focusing on the games ahead. (JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES)

THE sting from the Banjo Bowl blowout may linger for a spell.

After all, a 45-point loss to an archrival tends to scar an outfit.

But now that the mushroom cloud has cleared in Bomberland and the extent of the damage can be examined in full, the troops have emerged clinging to this reality: Even at 3-7, even with all the sideshows and distractions, even with players going AWOL and wanting a trade, the Bombers are -- get this -- two points out of a playoff spot.

No kidding.

"To be honest, I wasn't aware we were just two points out of the playoffs until the other day," said defensive end Gavin Walls. "I've been fortunate enough to play in this league for five years and I know we've got a lot of football left to still turn our season around.

"Nobody wants to start off slow year after year. But, sometimes, that's the reality of it. We have eight games left and it's all about how you finish the race. Look at Usain Bolt...

he's not a guy that leaves everybody behind in the beginning. He steadies and then he makes his run at the end. He's a finisher."

If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Bombers would be spectators along with the Toronto Argonauts, also 3-7, with the B.C. Lions a crossover team (if the fourth-place finisher in either division has more points than the third-place team in the other, it crosses over in the playoffs).

But the Bombers also have five of their remaining eight games at home -- including matchups with the Argos and Lions.

Interestingly, the Lions also announced Thursday that their starting QB, Jarious Jackson, could be out for a month with a rotator cuff injury.

That means Buck Pierce returns to the huddle after fighting concussion symptoms.

And the Argos have been playing better lately, but still have two games each against Montreal and Edmonton and another versus Saskatchewan.

In other words, hunker down for what should be a turtle-derby race to the last playoff spot.

"If you look at the rest of the league... we're 3-7, B.C.'s 4-6 and a couple more teams are 5-5. It's not like this is over with yet," said Bomber head coach Mike Kelly. "We control our own destiny. We don't have to worry about anybody else.

"We're going to keep talking about positive things. If we think in a positive way then I believe positive things will happen. If we let negativity overwhelm us then it will become a negative place and this is not a negative place right now."

Underdogs

Of course, it's worth noting here that of the Bombers' final eight games, three are against the Alouettes -- the best squad in the land -- including two on the road, starting with Sunday's noon date at Molson Stadium. Winnipeg is a 14½-point underdog.

"We understand where we're at," said Walls.

"Nobody's going to give us anything and so we need to put the pedal to the metal and not look back. It's like we're in a fight and somebody's knocked us down. Are we going to let them just pound on us or are we going to get up and keep fighting?

"It's been a hard first half or so.

There's been changes, trades and so much going on. But if we can look past these cloudy days and focus on what's ahead of us, we'll be OK."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

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