Bombers’ style an advantage in cold-weather playoffs

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This article was published 17/10/2016 (3282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With your Winnipeg Blue Bombers currently sitting alone in second place in the West Division, and on the verge of an 11- or 12-win season for the first time since 2002 or 2003, the biggest advantage that would come with a home playoff berth is this team could potentially play all of its games outside in November.

As well as the team has played this season, winning seven games in a row, and nine of their last 11 after starting 1-4, it’s a reasonable expectation with the cold weather and difficult conditions that often accompany playoff football, they should be even better.

Before we get into whether a team plays the right style of football or not, if you play football in Winnipeg, you practise in the cold more than anybody else — save for maybe Saskatchewan, which is not going to the playoffs. You may not like it, you may not find it enjoyable, but you get used to it and have more practices in it than all of your CFL opponents.

In addition to cold-weather familiarity, the undeniable advantage this team would have, if they are able to finish second and secure a home playoff date, is they already play the style and brand of football that succeeds in the cold, and they are built for difficult environmental conditions.

First, they run a balanced offence and are capable of increasing their run ratio even more as the weather requires. The cold tends to slow things down and make teams less explosive, so if you’re capable of grinding it out and controlling the clock, balance can make your team even more effective. With only two games remaining in the regular season, this team has already been dressing two capable tailbacks by choice, and it’s perfect practice for the direction they may wish to head during the playoffs. When the run game becomes more important, being able to platoon two effective backs increases your effectiveness.

In November, when conditions can be catastrophic, explosive plays that exceed 20 yards tend to decline dramatically. While the absence of a dominant, consistent deep threat has often been brought up as a shortcoming this season, Winnipeg’s style of a shorter, quicker, high-percentage passing attack is perfectly suited for the slippery conditions of winter. While most teams will have to dial back their vertical playbook for inclement conditions, this quick-hitting offence continues to get reps in preparation for November.

They say that in the playoffs, the margins for winning also become tighter and mistakes get magnified. If this is true, the biggest mistake that can happen on the field is turning the ball over, and that is something this offence just doesn’t do. If scores are lower in outside environments, and big plays fall off, winning the turnover battle becomes even more critical for victory, and this is a team that almost always wins that battle, and almost always wins (10-1) when they do.

Logic would also seem to indicate then, if you wield the top defence in the CFL at taking the ball away, you would also have a considerable advantage come playoff time. Almost like clockwork, defences in the post-season tighten up and dramatically impact the outcome of games, and this is a defence that could legitimately become the stuff of nightmares for opponents once they are put into a win-or-go-home scenario.

Overall, fundamental football wins games in the playoffs. Having a balanced offence that can road-grade up front and hand off the ball to multiple capable backs is significant. Having a quarterback at the helm who rarely makes bad decisions and doesn’t force the ball downfield or throw it up for grabs is even bigger. Add to this a defence that takes the ball away more than anyone. If this team manages to hang on to its current position, playing at home in November could be exactly the edge they need to make it to Calgary. And doesn’t Calgary have an outdoor stadium?

It’s hard not to be enthusiastic about this team’s potential, especially the way they should prosper if things get ugly outside.

Doug Brown, once a hard-hitting defensive lineman and frequently a hard-hitting columnist, appears weekly in the Free Press.

Twitter: @DougBrown97