Prognosis: 7-9 weeks

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/09/2011 (5304 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The starting quarterback has bruised ribs and is always one hit away, it seems.

The starting running back is done for the year with a torn ACL.

Special teams are back at the drawing board and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers depth chart — heralded as one of the biggest upgrades from last year’s squad — is stretched out as the injuries pile up.

Throw in the fact the Bombers (8-4) have dropped three of their last four games, including a 25-24 decision to the sad-sack Toronto Argonauts last Saturday, and the outlook for the final third of the 2011 CFL regular season is not as warm and fuzzy as it was in the summer.

And now, with the Alouettes (7-5) coming to town this Friday to avenge a loss two weeks ago (a 25-23 decision at Molson Stadium) and possibly move into a first-place tie with the Bombers, things appear to be getting quite uncomfortable for the Winnipeg side.

Welcome to adversity-ville. From this point on, it starts to get interesting.

“It doesn’t get any easier, we know that,” defensive back Jonathan Hefney said over the weekend. “Everyone is hungry now, right? Montreal will be looking to come in and try to beat us. Hopefully we have the same mentality where we’re looking to beat them back.

“This group can play better, and we will.”

With two-thirds of the season in the books, grading out the Bombers in real time is difficult on two fronts: One, it’s impossible to overlook the swarming, ball-hawking defence over the fast start to the season and not consider that group as a possible lynchpin to a long and prosperous November. No team outside of Saskatchewan has been able to neutralize the defence, so that’s reason for optimism.

However, the state of the remaining pieces is less than encouraging. September has felt like the genesis of a disaster on offence, with quarterback Buck Pierce’s ribs unable to see any quality rest time and other injuries starting to catch up with the once-invincible Bombers. Confidence in the special teams is waning and second-guessing of the coaching staff, a favourite vent for followers in 2010, has found life again.

Those dipped in Blue and Gold say all the concern is unjustified, that this bump in the road is largely due to injuries and once everyone returns things will get back on the rails once again. That logic is slightly flawed. The recent drop in play (minus the Montreal game) started before the injury bug hit, and was slightly masked by some Joe Lobendahn hustle and a favourable home schedule.

Injuries only provide a window of denial among believers, a convenient crutch to justify the leveling off of play and the limited results over the last month of action.

Plus there’s this simple fact to consider: Contenders don’t lose to the Argos.

Can you ignore the fast start to the season? No, but all those wins have done is put Winnipeg in a good position as the thermometer starts to fall. They mean nothing now. Summer fun is over.

To justify the belief they say they deserve, the players know they need to string some wins together again and show that they are the team they say they are.

“We have six games to go — we’re still in first place, we still control our own destiny,” receiver Terrence Edwards said. “We have to deal with some injuries now, but I don’t think anyone should be down on this team. I know we’re not.”

But, as Hefney deftly points out, it doesn’t get any easier.

The first dozen games told us a few things about the Bombers. The next six will say a lot more.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

LONG RANGE

FORECAST

In this topsy-turvy CFL season, it’s probably foolish to navigate the landscape and rank the teams from top to bottom. That doesn’t mean we can’t give it a shot, though. Twelve games are in the books — here’s where things stack up:

The contenders

1. B.C. Lions (6-6): Surprised? You haven’t been watching then. After starting with a 1-6 record, the Leos have won five in a row and are just two points out of top spot in the West. Solomon Elimimian is a defensive MVP candidate. Behold the hottest team in the league. No one wants to see them right now. Have they peaked to soon? That’s the big question.

2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-4): Yes, they took two from the Lions in August. That seems like ages ago, doesn’t it? Three losses to the bottom feeders have raised questions. Is Buck Pierce going to last? Who is the running back? The defence makes this team go and is the only reason it stays near the top of the table.

3. Montreal Alouettes (7-5): This is contingent on Anthony Calvillo’s health following a concussion last week (reports say he’s symptom free). The defence isn’t in the same zip code as the ones above, but they do know how to win. Don’t discount that element. The champs will have something to say about who gets to Vancouver.

The conundrums

4. Calgary Stampeders (7-5): Fifty-five points allowed to Hamilton? Something is not right here. Five wins away from home looks good but two victories in six tries at McMahon Stadium suggests they might not have it this season.

5. Edmonton Eskimos (7-5): Like others in this group, there’s a healthy mix of talent and inconsistency to measure off. They rank ahead of Hamilton because Ricky Ray (above) is a better quarterback than Kevin Glenn.

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6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-6): Let’s just go ahead and pencil in the maddening Tabbies for a .500 record at the end of the season. Playoffs? Yes, but they are strictly a dark horse at this point.

The chaff

7. Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-8): The wins over Winnipeg provided hope but it will take an epic collapse above them to see some post-season action.

8. Toronto Argonauts (3-9): Pigskin fans in Toronto — the few that are there — can look forward to checking out the surprising Buffalo Bills next month.