Heavyweight matchup for Western CFL final

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This article was published 08/11/2024 (332 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The odds seem to heavily favour the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as they prepare to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL’s Western final at Princess Auto Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Bombers won the season series against their prairie rivals, rebounding from a Week 7 loss to sweep the Riders in the annual Labour Day Classic and Banjo Bowl. Those two victories were part of a late-season run for Winnipeg that included winning nine of its final 10 regular season games to clinch the West Division.

Experience is also an advantage for the Bombers, who will be playing in their sixth consecutive Western final, winning the last four. In fact, the home team has won eight of the last nine Western finals and are 15-6 dating back to 2002.

Add in the fact it’s a fifth straight sellout in Winnipeg, with a vast majority of the 32,343 in attendance rooting on the Blue and Gold, and a Bombers victory might seem like a slam dunk.

“Every team, every year is different, even if you have a great core back, a number of players back, because they still have to figure out, in their own way… how to become the team they want to be,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said.

“That’s what’s encouraging, is they’ve been through a season and had, like every season, a bunch of different trails and they’ve come through really, really well with it. The works been put in and watching them out there, watching them play, watching them work, put in the extra time, watching them interact with each other at the times where they’re not working, it tells me that they’re right where they need to be.”

It’s at this juncture, however, that we warn readers that objects in the rear-view mirror are closer than they appear.

The Riders were in prime position to compete for top spot in the West before suffering a midseason meltdown that included a winless streak of seven games. Seemingly down and out, Saskatchewan found a way to climb of the hole it built, closing the season with five wins in six games to finish just behind the Bombers.

History might also be partly on the visitor’s side. While it’s been tough sledding in recent years for team’s finishing second in the West, with no winners in the last 10 seasons, it was the Riders who last achieved the feat of coming out of the No. 2 spot and winning the Grey Cup in 2013.

“We’re about as hungry as you could get as a team and we’re about as locked in or as focused as you can get,” Riders quarterback Trevor Harris said. “If you don’t tune in tomorrow, and you’re a CFL fan, I think your pulse is gone. It’s going to be a heavyweight fight.”

With that, let’s dig deeper into this one with the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

STAYING ON TOP

The Bombers can become just the third team since the CFL was formed in 1958 to make it to a fifth straight Grey Cup. The other two clubs were Edmonton (1977-82), who made it to six straight, and Hamilton, who made it five in a row between 1961 and 1965.

If you know anything about the Blue and Gold, they don’t put much stock into making history or setting records. They do, however, have a ton of pride and don’t think for a second avenging back-to-back losses in the Grey Cup won’t be their main motivation this postseason.

This is a different team from previous years and one that O’Shea predicted at the beginning of the season would face unique challenges in their journey back to the championship game. They survived an 0-4 start and a slew of injuries, their depth now battle-tested at the most important time.

Despite finishing first in the West for a fourth straight year, because things didn’t go as smoothly as other seasons, there seems to be a renewed chip on the club’s collective shoulders. Saturday is an opportunity to prove to the rest of the league that the Grey Cup still runs through Winnipeg.

SOMETHING TO PROVE

Speaking of something to prove, look no further than a Roughriders team that has clearly seen enough of their prairie rivals playing in the Grey Cup and would enjoy nothing more than to spoil the party.

“Since I’ve been (in the CFL), I’ve only beaten them once,” said Riders halfback Rolan Milligan Jr., who has been with the club since the 2021 season. “I got that chip on my shoulder. I know my guys have chips on their shoulders.”

The Riders last made the playoffs in 2021, where they would narrowly lose to the Bombers, 21-17, in the Western final. Since then, the Bombers have won the last seven games against Saskatchewan in Winnipeg.

A majority of those losses were in a different era. With first-year head coach Corey Mace now at the controls, the Riders are a much more focused and disciplined team.

It will be up to Mace to not only ensure the moment isn’t too big for his players, but also for himself, too, as he coaches his first road playoff game in front of the loudest fans in the CFL.

“My wife asked me the other day, ‘do you still get nervous for games?’ Yeah, I still get nervous for games,” Mace said. “I think it’s just part of the nature, same as when you played. But once the game starts, you settle in.”

COLLAROS AND COMPANY

It’s become cliché to say it’s been an up-and-down season for Winnipeg’s offence. Another common narrative this year has been the equally inconsistent play of QB Zach Collaros.

Indeed, it’s been an interesting season for the league’s two-time Most Outstanding Player, as Collaros has seen a significant dip in touchdown passes (17) and a concerning increase in interceptions (15) in 2024. But count out the future Hall of Famer at your own risk, as no one is more fitted for a high-pressure game than No. 8.

“I don’t care what statistics Zach has had to this point, he’s still Zach in our minds,” Mace said. “We got to be on it and if he presents an opportunity for us, we have to take advantage of that.”

Interestingly, while Collaros’s 15 interceptions tied a single-season high, his 4,336 passing yards was a career-best. And while giving the ball away has been an issue this year, a majority of his interceptions occurred earlier in the season, with just two picks thrown in his last six games.

The Riders still pose a serious challenge, even if Collaros has played smarter with the ball in recent weeks. Nobody forced more turnovers than Saskatchewan this year and only the Edmonton Elks had more interceptions, with just one more than the Riders’ 24, including Rolan Milligan Jr. finishing with a league-high eight, plus another in last week’s Western semifinal win over the B.C. Lions.

“It really starts with the offensive line and how well they’ve been playing,” said Collaros.

BATTLE IN THE TRENCHES

Speaking with veteran O-lineman Chris Kolankowski earlier in the week, he talked about the level of physicality ramping up in the playoffs and how playing the Riders would only take that violence to another level. He noted that in games against Saskatchewan, there seems to be an effort to make the opponent feel each down.

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Kolankowski added. “This is why you play the game, to feel those emotions.”

You often hear the team that wins the battle at the line of scrimmage — or what is often referred to as the trenches — will win the game. That will take on an even greater meaning in this one as both sides try to establish their punishing run attack.

Brady Oliveira led the CFL in rushing for a second straight year, eating up 1,353 yards in 2024 en route to earning his second West nomination for MOP. But as good as the Winnipeg native has been this year, he’s racked up just 49, 42 and 43 rushing yards, respectively, in three games against Saskatchewan this season.

Saskatchewan boasts the CFL’s best run defence, giving up just 80 rushing yards per game. The Riders limited the Lions to 11 carries for a combined 41 yards, with lead back William Stanback rushing for just 27 yards on seven runs.

Meanwhile, the Riders will counter with a two-headed monster in A.J. Ouellette and Ryquell Armstead, a duo that ripped off a combined 94 yards and two TDs in the victory over B.C.

HINDERING HARRIS

The real threat on offence and a key to Winnipeg’s success will be hindering the play of Harris. Harris had resurrected his career, rebounding from an injury earlier in the year to now playing some of the best football of his career.

The Riders are a perfect 5-0 in the last five games started by Harris, who has averaged nearly 300 passing yards over that stretch to go with seven TDs compared to two interceptions.

“He’s the key to that offence,” said Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson. “If we can get to him, make it hard for him to find his targets early, we can knock some balls down, get him moving around and not be able to just nickel and dime us down the field, we can have a good game.”

The Bombers registered the fewest sacks this season, the result of a system that prioritizes pass coverage over rushing the QB, with Winnipeg often just sending three rushers on most plays. But there’s been a shift in Saskatchewan’s O-line that the Bombers hope to take advantage of.

With left tackle Trevor Reid injured, centre Logan Ferland has been moved to right tackle, with Trevon Tait moving to left tackle and Peter Godber taking over at centre. These are all experienced players who have played in various spots on the O-line, but that’s still a lot of moving pieces ahead of such an important game.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton