Bombers focus on ‘bigger things ahead’ Blue and Gold can lock up playoff spot with win over Elks By: Joshua Frey-Sam Posted: 7:19 PM CDT Thursday, Sep. 26, 2024

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This article was published 26/09/2024 (687 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While the weather begins to cool as fall sets in, the heat is only cranking up in the Canadian Football League.

“I normally like when the weather starts to cool off a bit,” said Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ defensive tackle Jake Thomas after Thursday’s walkthrough session. “You get into September, October, November, that’s kind of when you want to be peaking as a team.

“Usually this time of year, the games start to mean a lot more for standings so that always is good, as well.”

It’s crunch time with only four weeks remaining on the shrinking regular season schedule. The stakes will be higher when the Bombers (8-6) clash with the Edmonton Elks (5-9) at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday (7 p.m.) than what they were when these two teams met less than a week ago.

Last time around, the chatter surrounded the opportunity for the surging Elks squad to shake the West Division standings and muddy the playoff race with a win.

That discourse quickly fell silent as Winnipeg downed Edmonton 27-14 at Commonwealth Stadium in the first half of this home-and-home.

Now, the Bombers are alone in the driver’s seat of the West Division playoff race and can punch their ticket to the dance this week, while the candle that is the Elks’ post-season hopes is beginning to flicker.

It was all Bombers in Oil Country as the defence generated six turnovers and two sacks, making life miserable for quarterback Tre Ford. Meanwhile, the offence cruised on the strength of 18 carries for 127 rushing yards and two touchdowns by Brady Oliveira, who has placed himself in the running for Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row.

That’s led to one major change in the Elks’ starting lineup as they try to exact some revenge on Big Blue, which we will get into with this week’s edition of Five Storylines:

WIN AND IN

The Bombers have spent most of the season pulling themselves out of the 0-4 and 2-6 hole they dug to start the year.

Now, staring down at the rest of the West Division, the Blue and Gold can complete the season-long comeback and clinch a playoff berth with a win Friday night.

The Bombers have qualified for the post-season the last seven years under head coach Mike O’Shea, the most consecutive appearances by a Winnipeg coach.

True to the club’s identity, neither players nor coaches were aware of their playoff scenario entering this week, nor did they appear to care much.

“I think we’ll be worried about the next game, honestly,” said Zach Collaros when talking about how the team will feel if it clinches another post-season berth. “The goal is the goal, and you gotta start by getting to the playoffs, obviously, but we think we have bigger things ahead of us.”

A win would also put Winnipeg one step closer to the No.1 seed and a first-round bye to the West Division Final. The club already owns the season series over the B.C. Lions (7-7), Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-7-1) and Calgary Stampeders (4-9-1).

BRING OUT THE BROOMS?

Speaking of season series, Winnipeg is threatening to complete another season sweep of the Elks.

History is certainly not on Edmonton’s side to prevent it from happening as the Bombers have won the last 11 meetings between the two clubs, a stretch that dates back to 2019.

The Elks’ last win against the Blue and Gold came on Nov. 3, 2018, and their last win in Winnipeg came on June 14, 2018.

BACK TO THE VET

A week after handing Ford the keys, Edmonton is going back to its veteran pivot with its back against the wall.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson is expected to start for the Elks. The 36-year-old entered in the fourth quarter of last week’s contest in relief of Ford, who struggled to move the ball on the Bombers’ defence.

It’s been a back-and-forth on who’s under centre for the Elks this year. Bethel-Thompson started the first eight games but was benched in Week 8. Ford — the twin brother of Bombers’ defensive back Tyrell Ford — played well in relief and started in Week 9 but was injured, leading the vet to take over once again.

Interim head coach Jarious Jackson went back to a now-healthy Ford last week but after a rough outing believes Bethel-Thompson gives his team the best chance to win.

“With Ford, there’s a lot of off-schedule plays that you got to be concerned about, that you have to have answers for, built into your defence,” said Bombers’ defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger. “Whereas, with Bethel-Thompson, maybe you don’t have the same type of off-schedule type plays, but his experience, his awareness, his ability to anticipate coverage and break down coverage, will be a little bit different.”

GROUND AND POUND

Winnipeg won the war last week, but Edmonton did win one battle in the trenches.

The Elks could hang their hat on a strong run game led by Justin Rankin, who rushed for 157 yards on 14 carries — a mind-boggling 11.2 yards per tote. Rankin had five carries in which he rushed for at least 10 yards, while Kevin Brown was efficient in a complimentary role, running five times for 26 yards.

The Bombers were excellent in bottling up the dual-threat ability of Ford (two carries for nine yards) but have placed an emphasis on not being gashed on the ground again.

“Edmonton does a great job in investing in their run game, so they’re unique that way,” said Younger. “The style of backs kind of changes the timing of each run play. We didn’t get the outcome we wanted as far as the yardage is concerned, and we definitely have to detail and be sharper in that area of the game.”

MILESTONES WATCH

Entering the night with 31,722 career passing yards, Collaros needs just 19 more yards to surpass Darian Durant for 17th most in league history.

With 844 receiving yards on the season, rookie receiver Ontaria Wilson needs 156 yards to reach the 1,000-yard plateau, which would make him the third rookie receiver in Bombers history to accomplish the feat. Dalton Schoen (2022) and Chris Matthews (2012) are the only other two rookies to reach the mark in franchise history.

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam