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Bombers head coach Mike Kelly holds court with the offence during Friday's practice, and Fred Reid (left) and Michael Bishop (right) like what they hear. (PHIL.HOSSACK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

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Ike Charlton (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

A rational type would take a step back, look at a mid-August Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Montreal Alouettes clash and offer up an indifferent shrug.

After all, it's just the seventh game in the marathon that is the CFL season, six of eight teams in this quirky little loop make the playoffs and the Bombers -- who stumbled through the first chunk of 2008 at 2-8 and still rebounded to host a post-season game -- are proof that panicking before Labour Day can only cause worry lines and ulcers.

That said, let's throw out this for debate: Given where the Bombers are in their maturation as a team this contest is as monumental as any. Why? Well, when you're 2-4, struggling to find an offensive identity and recently treated your home fans to one first down in the first half of a 19-5 loss to the Toronto Argonauts, while a season may not be lost in August, it can most certainly become seriously unravelled.

"This is big. We need it. We NEED this football game... bad," began middle linebacker Barrin Simpson. "Put it this way: On a scale of one to 10 for desperation, this one is like a 9 1/2.

"We want to get to 4-4 before our break (the bye week comes after next week's game in B.C.). And so we've got to go to work. We could be sitting really good if we could get to 4-4 before our break."

That, in effect, is the Bombers' mantra for the next week or so: Win back-to-back games for the first time this season and they set themselves up for a stretch run that will see six of the final nine games played at Canad Inns Stadium.

But for all their talk, the Bombers are facing an Alouettes team that is 5-1, throwing up its usual gaudy offensive numbers and playing some dandy defence. In fact, while the Bombers run the ball better than any other CFL squad, the Als are the stingiest run defence in the land. Montreal has surrendered an average of just 58 yards per game along the ground and held the likes of Calgary's Joffrey Reynolds (19 yards), Arkee Whitlock of Edmonton (29 yards) and Saskatchewan's Wes Cates (34 yards) to miniscule totals.

And if the Als take away the run -- as the Argonauts did effectively in back-to-back games against the Bombers -- Winnipeg will need to find some way to resuscitate an aerial attack that is averaging just 157.2 yards per game and has a league-low three receiving TDs.

"We've got to have 12 guys out there doing their best, understanding every play, every scheme," said Bombers quarterback Michael Bishop. "The identity could be great. I can't put a name on it right now, but I think once we have a break-out game we'll have something to call ourselves.

"Right now we're still learning each other. We understand you have to get that at a fast pace, but sometimes it takes time. We've just got to be patient. I have great faith in everybody on offence that we'll get it together. The pieces of the puzzle are there. I definitely think it's there. Now it's time to make it happen."

And so, just another August game? Hardly.

"Obviously we've got a lot of confidence on defence," said linebacker Ike Charlton. "We think we can go out and play well and dominate anybody. And once we get to the point where everybody on this team is feeling that way I really believe the sky's the limit and we can punish people.

"But we can't wait until Week 8, 9, 10... we've got to do it now."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Inside... two pages of Game Day coverage

Alouettes' Calvillo a living legend / D2

Bombers' three keys to victory / D3

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 15, 2009 D1