Kickoff: Sunday, August 31st, 6 p.m. CDT; Mosaic Stadium, Regina
TV/Streaming: TSN 3; CBS Sports Network; CFL+
Radio: 680 CJOB (pre-game begins at 4 p.m. CDT); Play-by-play: Derek Taylor/analyst: Doug Brown; Sirius XM (ch. 167)
Scene Setter
They are two key, yet unwritten commandments steadfastly upheld within the Winnipeg Blue Bombers clubhouse: focus on what is directly in front — not two-three weeks down the road and absolutely not November — and, just as important, screw the outside noise from the voices that don’t matter.
Still, that noise is out there all right, with the Blue Bombers having been already written off by so many and brushed aside as shadows of their former selves after five consecutive Canadian Football League West Division titles and two Grey Cup championships. And it’s certainly hard to ignore it with it being a narrative swirling around the team as it prepares for the annual Labour Day Classic Sunday in Regina.
Brady Oliveira at practice this week; photo by Cameron Bartlett
“It was after the game in Montreal, and I was doing an interview with TSN and they mentioned something about everyone counting us out,” said running back Brady Oliveira. “I kind of interrupted him and it was, ‘Don’t count us out. If you want to count us out, sure, but I’m warning you — don’t count us out.’
“There’s also something to be said about playing your best football at the right time. It’s understanding that it is a long season. We’re going to heat up at the right time. We’ve got some key pieces — hopefully Dalton (Schoen) and Nic (Demski) are in the lineup — and hopefully as the weeks go on we can continue to add the right pieces in there to help us go on this run.
“We have the right guys in this locker room to get the job done and it’s all about playing our best football at the right time and I think we’re going to start doing that.”
First things first, Schoen and Demski are officially in the lineup for Sunday. And to Oliveira’s point, despite the topsy-turvy run through the first 10 games and a 6-4 record, the opportunity to host a playoff game is still very much there for the Blue Bombers to snatch and hold. Consider the remaining eight games feature three with the Roughriders, atop the West Division at 8-2, and while they have already lost the season series with 7-3 Calgary, Winnipeg saw the same script unfold a year ago with a 9-1 finish to their regular season that vaulted the squad into first again.
Remaining Blue Bomber games:
Home (4): vs Saskatchewan, September 6; vs Hamilton, Sept. 27; vs. Saskatchewan, Oct. 17; vs. Montreal, Oct. 25.
Away (4): @Saskatchewan, Aug. 31; @Hamilton, Sept. 12; @Ottawa, Sept. 20; @Edmonton, Oct. 11
“It’s anyone’s game,” said Oliveira. “Obviously, we’ve got to handle business this week and every single week by going 1-0. Let’s just go on this one-game run. That’s what we said last week and now it’s the same thing — let’s go on this one game run. I don’t know who we have after the Banjo Bowl, but I do know right now we’ve got back-to-back Sask and we understand the importance of that especially when it comes to the West Division.
“If we take care of business first in Regina, then they’ve got to come see us here in the Banjo Bowl and if we take care of business again then we’re right back in this thing. Then it’s anyone’s when it comes to the top of the West Division. We understand the importance of that with the last number of years hosting the West Final here it makes the path to the Grey Cup a lot easier.
“That’s way in the distance, but I understand the importance of that.”
“We’re just worrying about this week, and we’ll worry about next week after this game,” added Willie Jefferson. “That’s our mindset now. We want to take care of Sask in Sask and when we get done with Sask in Sask, we’ll worry about Sask in Winnipeg. That’s how it has to be.”
The Blue Bombers roll into Regina with a different history in this showdown than in years past. Consider that the club has won three of the last four Labour Day Classics, with the lone setback in that mini stretch a 32-20 loss in overtime in 2023. But prior to that, the LDC was a graveyard for Winnipeg, with Saskatchewan posting an 11-game win streak from 2005-15 and winning 14 of 15 over a stretch from 2005-19.
There’s also a growing belief in the locker room with the club having gone 3-1 in its last four.
“The CFL is a crazy league with a long, long season and a lot of games where a lot of things can happen to impact the standings,” said Pat Neufeld. “We understand where we are in the West and how gritty the West is. We know how important this game is, but you can’t make so much out of it that you’re only thinking about the standings. We need to get this one because we want to win every game we’re playing. Period.
“As to that other stuff, if people want to think that, that’s on them. We try not to listen to any of that outside noise. We know what we have in this building. We know what we have as an offence and who we have in terms of our personnel. We’ll go out there and let our play speak for itself and let people say what they want. What matters most is what we say about each other in this locker room.”
Willie Jefferson
Eight games left with three against the Roughriders? Bring it.
“The energy in the locker room and on the field is positive,” said Jefferson. “The mindset has everybody focused, everybody on offence, defence and special teams running to the ball and making plays and communicating. You can feel it. It’s going to be a good week.
“We had an idea of who we are and who we want to be in the weeks coming up to this. Now it’s Week 13, our 11th game. We’ve had some guys out, we’re getting some guys back, we had some guys called up from the P-squad.
“The bullets have already been flying for us. Now, we’re about to load the clip up and get ready for the next one.”
THE LINEUP: The Blue Bombers depth chart features three changes from last week’s win over Montreal. On are receivers Dalton Schoen and Gavin Cobb and linebacker Jaiden Woodbey. Off are dime back Redha Kramdi, receiver Jerreth Sterns and DT Devin Adams.
Nic Demski, who didn’t finish last week’s game against the Alouettes, is in the lineup with Cobb added to give the team more depth at the position. Schoen returns after missing the last six games.
Without Kramdi the club has moved Michael Griffin II into his spot in the defence while Woodbey, who makes his Blue Bomber debut after an impressive training camp, has been listed at weak-side linebacker but can move all around the defence.
The one-game injured list features Kramdi, Sterns, DB Nick Hallett, DB Jamal Parker, Jr. and OL Micah Vanterpool. The six-game injured list includes DB Terrell Bonds, receiver Kody Case, OL Eric Lofton, DB Enock Makonzo and LB Lane Novak.
