Much appreciated, Calgary

Bombers can cinch first in Cowtown on Saturday Blue still control destiny thanks to Stamps' win over Als

By: Adam Wazny Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Monday, Oct. 31, 2011

What a difference 48 hours can make.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/10/2011 (5147 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What a difference 48 hours can make.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, still smarting from an unthinkable 27-22 loss to the Toronto Argonauts at Canad Inns Stadium Friday night, experienced a range of emotions over the weekend. The disappointment and anger from that loss quickly made way for big smiles and a new hope Sunday afternoon, as the CFL continues to prove itself a league no one can truly figure out.

By virtue of Calgary’s 32-27 win over the Montreal Alouettes at Molson Stadium, the Blue and Gold are back in the driver’s seat for first place in the East Division.

john woods / winnipeg free press
The Bombers' stunning letdown against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday doesn't sting quite as much now. Alex Brink (7) will probably start at QB in Calgary. — john woods / winnipeg free press The Bombers' stunning letdown against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday doesn't sting quite as much now. Alex Brink (7) will probably start at QB in Calgary.

Instead of Montreal just needing a victory next week, Winnipeg now enjoys that simple luxury. A win in Calgary this Saturday will give the Bombers their first division title (not to mention the important first-round bye that comes with it) since the 2001 season.

Sunday’s second chance at self control comes after the Bombers’ inability to take care of their own business against the last-place Argonauts Friday night. It’s a moot point, but had the Bombers managed to beat the lowly Argos, they’d be getting ready to host the East final Nov. 20 and not worrying about how the seemingly random CFL outcomes are going to fall for another week.

Now, as Bombers long snapper ChrisCvetkovic smartly alluded to, the Bombers have to win in Calgary — the club they were throwing all their love and support behind a day ago — before making East-final arrangements.

It’s a shot in the arm for the Bombers, true, but finding success in southern Alberta has been a tough assignment in recent years. The club hasn’t won at McMahon Stadium since October 2002 and has already dropped a game to the Stamps earlier this season.

Should the Bombers, who own the season-series tiebreaker with Montreal, lose to the Stamps they would need the B.C. Lions to beat Montreal to remain in control of their own playoff standing. A Bombers loss and an Alouettes win gives the defending Grey Cup champs the East Division crown.

BUCK WATCH: The condition of Buck Pierce remains on the front-burner this week, too.

The starting quarterback suffered a right knee injury in the loss against the Argos and his status is doubtful at best. Head coach Paul LaPolice didn’t sound too confident his veteran pivot would be ready to play in the biggest game of the year for the Bombers, offering this over the weekend:

“We’ll know more later in the week… I don’t think it’s a major injury, put it that way.”

The club provided no further update on the severity of injury Sunday, but barring a sudden improvement in Pierce’s knee expect backup Alex Brink, who is 1-2 as the quarterback of record this season, is likely to start in Calgary.

FINE TIME: Expect the league to hand out a fine to Winnipeg defensive back Johnny Sears for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Toronto quarterback Steven Jyles this week.

Sears was ejected for rough play after hitting Jyles with his helmet as the pivot went into a slide in the fourth quarter. Jyles remained on the turf for several minutes, but said he was fine after the game.

The league is also looking at a few threatening social media comments made towards Sears from members of the Argos.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @wazoowazny

Down to

the wire

WITH one week left in the CFL’s 2011 regular season, five teams are still in the mix for the first-place spots in the two divisions. A look at how things look and who has the inside track for the first-round byes:

East Division

Advantage: Winnipeg

Pretty cut and dried here. Both Winnipeg and Montreal have 10-7 records. A Bombers win in Calgary gives them first place. A Winnipeg loss and a Montreal win in B.C. gives the Alouettes first place. Should both Winnipeg and Montreal lose, the Bombers get first place based on holding the season-series tiebreaker. The consolation prize is a home semifinal date against Hamilton.

West Division

Advantage: B.C.

B.C., Edmonton and Calgary all have 10-7 records. Should one win and the others lose, first place goes to the winner. After that, it gets complicated. The Lions hold the season series’ tiebreaker with the Eskimos and Stamps, so they have a clear path to first. Win against Montreal; the Leos can sit back and rest. If Edmonton and Calgary win, while B.C. loses, the Eskimos get first as they hold the tiebreaker advantage with the Stamps. An Eskimos win over Saskatchewan Friday means the Stamps cannot finish first. They can, however, still grab a home playoff game with a win over Winnipeg and a B.C. loss to Montreal Saturday night.