Bombers tinker with lineup heading into Edmonton

By: Ed Tait Posted: 3:07 PM CDT Friday, Oct. 10, 2014

They’ve been reluctant to call it anything but the next game on the schedule. In fact, that’s been their modus operandi since the beginning of the season.

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They’ve been reluctant to call it anything but the next game on the schedule. In fact, that’s been their modus operandi since the beginning of the season.

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They’ve been reluctant to call it anything but the next game on the schedule. In fact, that’s been their modus operandi since the beginning of the season.

But with the calendar having turned to October and the season fading away, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers also realize the window of opportunity on a CFL playoff berth is about to slam down on their fingers if they don’t stop their recent five-game losing skid.

And the next opportunity comes Monday in Edmonton against the Eskimos.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
The offence works through some plays this morning at the Bomber practice at Investors Group Field. — BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The offence works through some plays this morning at the Bomber practice at Investors Group Field.

The Bombers, even after dropping five straight and six of their last seven to fall to 6-8, remain just two points behind the 7-7 B.C. Lions in the West Division with just four games remaining.

“That’s what you get in the CFL… there’s so many games it seems like you’re always still in it,” said Bomber defensive back Johnny Sears, Jr. “We’re coming in that this team (Edmonton) has been up and down, but we’ve just been down. It’s not that we have a point to prove, it’s just that we’ve got some things to show still that we can get it done.

“We’ve got to get back to the bar we set ourselves. We felt coming out we had a great team. I still think we’ve got a great team, it’s just about jelling and putting things together again. But that was then… this is the same team but it’s a new time of year. Bodies are a little sore… whatever it may be we’ve got to move past that and play better all the way around. We’ve got to bring everything this week.”

The Bombers will tinker with their lineup in order to find a spark both on offence and defence. Running back Paris Cotton and slotback Nick Moore have been added to the offence, bumping Nic Grigsby and Aaron Kelly while Cordaro Howard looks to be starting at right guard. Cory Watson, who did not practice on Thursday, was working today and is expected to go. Ditto for Demond Washington. Defensive end Jason Vega also returns.

Bomber head coach Mike O’Shea said that Kelly comes off for Moore, who is second on the team in receiving to Clarence Denmark, for a number of reasons. The biggest?

“It’s a collection of things. Some of it has to do with who Drew (Willy) is finding and Romby is the guy who’s got the most speed of the group,” said O’Shea. “So in order to pull coverage off the top you need a guy who is able to do that.

“Early on in the season Markus (Howell, the receivers coach) pulled those guys together and said we’re going to look at this weekly in terms of who’s up. They all signed up for that.”

Meanwhile, the Bombers made one addition to their practice roster today, adding import linebacker Will Smith (6-2, 220, Texas Tech). A seventh-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, Smith was cut in August and later signed to the Cowboys practice squad before being released.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait