Another first-place showdown

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/08/2019 (2213 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the grand scheme of things, Friday night’s tilt between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Eskimos is a big one.

No, you can’t win the West Division in August, as the Blue and Gold will still have eight games left on their schedule after this week’s trip to Edmonton.

But with a win in Edmonton, the Bombers, now 7-2, would be two games ahead of the Eskimos (6-3) for first place in the division and own the head-to-head tiebreaker. And with a loss? Well, instead of enjoying a cosy lead, the Bombers would find themselves in a tie with Edmonton that could potentially set up a photo finish down the stretch.

“It’s got a little bit of added importance going down the line,” Bombers safety Jeff Hecht said after Wednesday’s practice.

“As the season progresses, you start to pay attention to those pieces of information that are relative to the standings in the more near-future now. But yet, it’s the same approach for everything. It’s just our next game and we got to win it, but the cherry’s on top, per se, if we can manage to get this one.”

To make first place even more appetizing, the Bombers (5-0) and Eskimos (4-0) are undefeated at home this season. Home-field advantage throughout the playoffs could make all the difference in a tightly contested West Division.

“It doesn’t matter where you are in the season, first place is a good spot to be,” Hecht said.

“If you start the year 1-0 and everyone else in the West starts 0-1, you’re in great shape. Most races are easier to win from the front. We need to be first at the end. That’s the goal, so being there now helps us towards that. Edmonton is a tough place to play. They’re some of the more rambunctious fans. Like, I’m from Edmonton, so I understand how those games go. And they’ve been playing high-level football on offence and defence as of late, so it’s going to be a tough game.”

Playing to stay in first isn’t uncharted territory for Winnipeg. Two weeks ago, the Bombers hosted the Calgary Stampeders in a battle for the division’s top spot with the hosts prevailing 26-24. But according to Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea, whether the game is for first or not, it’s not something the team thinks about during the week.

“In our room, we don’t talk about that,” O’Shea said. “We talk about beating Edmonton and how do we do that and what do we need to do. What focus do we need? Where’s our attention on our play to be a better team than we were last week? And to try and win a football game against a divisional opponent in Edmonton.

“It’s not really about our record or about their record or about first place. Wherever this game leaves us, that’s where it’ll leave us. We’ll put that one behind us very quickly and move on to try to win the next game.”

As for Edmonton, you wouldn’t think they’d be off to a better start this year over last after losing star quarterback Mike Reilly in the off-season to the B.C. Lions.

But 33-year-old CFL veteran Trevor Harris, who’s in his first year with the Green and Gold, is having arguably his best season. He’s thrown for 13 touchdowns, two interceptions and 3,051 yards.

It’s also helped that wide receiver Greg Ellingson left the Ottawa Redblacks with Harris to join the Eskimos. The pass catcher has 50 receptions for 690 yards and four touchdowns this year.

DaVaris Daniels and Ricky Collins are also in their first season with the team and proving to be valuable weapons.

Collins leads the team in receiving with 741 yards on 48 receptions and three touchdowns. Daniels has chipped in with 21 catches for 294 yards and a touchdown. It’s also helped Harris that the Eskimos have given up a league-low three sacks.

“They’ve done an unreal job of a quick turnaround, which on paper, looked extremely difficult,” Hecht said of the Eskimos, who were tied for last place in the West in 2018 with a 9-9 record.

“But I wish I had the answer to how they did it. And I’m sure other GMs and coaches also wish they had the answer to that question because it’s a little bit of an anomaly.

“Not to be in contention, but to be in contention and also have the great start that they’ve had. So, kudos to them. It looked like a monumental task for them to roll into the season in the shape that they have, but they seem to be getting better every week, so it’s a big game.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31