Let me first off start by stating that none of the CFL writers picked the Bombers.

But do you really blame them for not picking Winnipeg? Winnipeg was coming off a total implosion vs Edmonton, and Montreal was 9-2 coming off a game where they laid a beatdown to Ottawa.
Well I cannot say that I blame the CFL writers, I can say this. Before the game I asked my son what he thought the outcome would be. Would it be close, a blowout for Montreal, or would Winnipeg surprise everyone.

My son thought it would be ugly for Winnipeg. As for me, I went out on a limb, moments before the game, and told my son I was picking the Bombers 50-27.

The First Half
I was cautiously optimistic as the first half rolled on. Bomber fans will remember what happened last week against Edmonton. I am sure was not the only wondering if the Bombers would implode again. Although Winnipeg had played a goof first half they were only up 24-21. At some point in the first half I turned to my son and said, “That’s why we need touchdowns. If those were all field goals we would only have 9 points and would be losing the game.”

The Stats
Even though Montreal did not have the ball much in the first half, they are known to be able to score quickly.

What the Winnipeg Blue Bombers did do very well was limit Montreal’s run game to only 51 yards! That is massive considering that the week before Thies ran for 88 yards…and Winnipeg only allowed him 31 yards.

Equally impressive was Winnipeg’s ability to limit Davis’ runs. However, while Davis only ran for 17 yards, he did have times where he had all day to pass. On TSN they called that a breakdown of Winnipeg’s defence. However, I turned to my 11 year old son, and said, “I can live with that as long as they don’t let Alexander break off big runs.” What is your thought on that play?

The other thing the Bombers did really well, for the most part, was tackling. Sure, Snead had a very impressive run but that was an anomaly that I can live with.

Lastly, on defence, the Bombers finally got consistent pressure on the opponent’s quarterback. Jefferson even recorded his 100th career pass knockdown. If they can sustain that for the 2026 season that will go a long way in helping the Bombers limit opponent’s explosion plays.

The Major Difference
For me, the major difference in this game for the Bombers was their ability to consistently finish drives with touchdowns instead of field goals.

The other difference for me was the Bombers’ receivers making contested catches…something that they have not been great at all year. When you have Wilson, go and sign Nield and White in the offseason, you are expecting that your receivers are going to make contested catches. What all of that lead to against Montreal was 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

Final Thoughts
While it is nice to win heading into Labour Day, if you are a Bomber fan, sports media, or anywhere in-between, you have to still be wondering who are the real 2026 Bombers. Over a month ago we were asking the question, Who Are The 2026 Blue Bombers? There’s Confusion Around That Question! Has that question been answered yet?

If it has, then the answer is, “Consistently Inconsistent.” Yet Bomber fans are hoping that is not the final answer for 2026. They are hoping that they have seen fits and starts, with glimmers of hope…just waiting for it all to come together for a sustained period of games.

For me, the jury is still out.

Can Condell continue to call complete games that protect Zach Collaros, run the ball, take downfield shots, and sustain drives capped off with touchdowns?

Can the Bombers defence stop leaving receivers wide open down field, contain running quarterbacks, and get pressure/sacks on the opposition quarterbacks?

Can Mike O’Shea figure out when to challenge…he missed challenging a call where their defender was called for pass interference, but it was clearly not.

I guess we will start to answer that question this coming weekend when the Bombers head to Saskatchewan for the annual Labour Day Classic…which is actually played on Sunday.

Until then, here are all the highlights from Winnipeg beating Montreal.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this. Catch all my articles here.