We’ve reached that chunk of the Canadian Football League calendar when every mistake and every loss can burn holes in memory banks, both in the short and long term.

It’s also the time of year when players and teams can author tales which forever cement them as franchise legends — a storyline we’ve certainly seen play out for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over their five-year run of Grey Cup appearances, including two championships.

All that resonates especially now, what with the Blue Bombers coming off a 25-20 loss to the Edmonton Elks on Saturday and now in a quick turnaround week before Friday’s home date with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They’ve got to lean in more than ever now to their ‘just go 1-0 this week’ mantra, what with the West Division playoff race now featuring four teams behind the first-place Riders jockeying for the three final playoff spots — two in the West and a third as the crossover club to the East Division.

As defensive back Deatrick Nichols put it so succinctly after Saturday’s loss: “The key now is to remember that everything we want and need is still in front of us.”

“No doubt. No doubt,” added head coach Mike O’Shea following Tuesday’s practice. “I have a hard time thinking of it any other way. Now, we have to handle our business.

“We have to win a game, for sure, and we don’t just want to limp in (to the playoffs), either — you want to be playing good football going in. Everybody down here (football operations/locker room) understands what we’re capable of when we play good three-phase football. And that’s exciting.”

The various playoff scenarios are still a jumbled mess and the Blue Bombers loss on the weekend certainly didn’t help their cause in hosting a home playoff game for a fifth straight year or even locking up a spot in the postseason.

Now 8-8, a win this Friday coupled with a loss by the Elks to the B.C. Lions, Edmonton is 7-9, would mean Winnipeg qualifies for the postseason for an eighth straight season.

Now, not to further confuse things, but there is a scenario where the Blue Bombers don’t make the playoffs even if they win this weekend.

Should the Lions, 9-7, Stampeders, also 9-7, drop both their final two games, Edmonton wins both and Winnipeg splits — essentially all four teams would be 9-9 — then the Blue Bombers would miss the playoffs because they would have the worst winning percentage in common games between the four squads at 3-4 (.429) while B.C. would be 4-3 (.571), and Calgary and Edmonton both at 4-4 (.500).

Here is that scenario as explained by the CFL:

That makes this weekend mammoth for the Blue Bombers who served up such a dandy in their game before the bye week with a 40-3 evisceration of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats only to get burned by their mistakes in the loss to Edmonton. Win both this Friday and in the regular-season finale at home against the Montreal Alouettes and they’re in the Grey Cup derby. A win Friday puts the pressure on the Elks to respond with their own victory in B.C. later that night.

A loss by the Blue Bombers on Friday and an Elks win, well, let’s not go there just yet.

“Teams have made the Grey Cup in many different ways — we’re a living testament to that,” said quarterback Zach Collaros. “Once you make the playoffs it’s anybody’s game. We have to focus on this week and take care of business.

“I said it after the game and I meant it: you set goals for the season — I know you don’t talk about goals and the ultimate goal is to win the Grey Cup — but you want to play a home (playoff) game. Obviously, it gives you an advantage in that game.

“We have such an incredible fan base here, you want to bring them out for another one. I know the Grey Cup is here but it would be nice to have that one, too. I said that to Wade (Miller, Blue Bombers President and CEO) the other day. We understand how teams make money in this league. It’s been great for the organization and the bottom line because we’ve had so many home playoff games.

“It’s one of the things I think about.”

More notes and quotes as the Blue Bombers returned to work on Monday in this week’s NEED TO KNOW…

NO NEWS IS… NO NEWS: Leading receiver Nic Demski was not on the practice field on Tuesday after suffering a hamstring injury late in the first half of the loss to Edmonton.

Injury Report: October 14, 2025#ForTheW | @DoctorsManitoba pic.twitter.com/9YyUlXejkf

— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) October 14, 2025

“No update yet. I don’t rule out anybody on anything,” said O’Shea. “He’s exceptionally good and extremely trusted in the offence and extremely experienced. So, yeah, it hurts.

“But anybody with that kind of pedigree it would hurt to lose for a game.”

Canadian Gavin Cobb was working in Demski’s spot with the starting offence on Tuesday and also worth noting: Keric Wheatfall was back with the starters at the expense of Dillon Mitchell.

Gavin Cobb

Said Collaros on who has to step up if Demski can’t go: “Just everybody as a group has to understand what their job is even more. As I always tell you guys, Nic does a ton for us so when he’s not out there it can make stuff difficult. Obviously when you’re in a game where a lot of things are drawn up for him, he problem-solves a lot for us. It’s imperative for us — not just this week, but every week — to make sure that we understand that, if worse-case scenario he’s not playing, what we need to do to continue to execute.

“There’s a handful of plays, if not every game, that you always second guess and wish you could do better on,” added Collaros when asked to assess the loss to Edmonton. “We need to play better on offence. Bottom line. And the buck starts with me as the quarterback. I make the decisions out there on the field — where to go with the football, when to throw the football, all those different moments in the game, I’m the guy with the football. So, I have to do a better job.”

WHO’S UP/DOWN IN RIDERVILLE: Saskatchewan has clinched top spot in the West Division and their injury report over the first couple of days of practice this week might be — might be — a sneak peek at their roster plans for this weekend.

QB Trevor Harris did not practice on Monday and was limited on Tuesday, while receivers KeeSean Johnson and Dohnte Meyers, defensive backs Rolan Milligan, Marcus Sayles, short-yardage QB Tommy Stevens and kicker Brett Lauther all did not practice on Tuesday.

Asked about the potential roster changes in Saskatchewan, O’Shea shrugged his shoulders and said:

“That’s not my department. That’s up to (Roughriders head coach) Corey Mace and I’m sure he’ll make the decisions that are best for his team, and we’ll line up and play whoever shows up.

“You have to expect their best. It’s professional sports, right? They’re all pros. They’re on their roster for a reason. You prepare for the system. There’s just not enough bodies to rest everybody. We’ve been through this a bunch of times. Lots of regular guys you see every week have to play.”

NEW BLUE BLOOD: The Blue Bombers added another pair to their practice roster on Tuesday with the signings of DE DeShaan Dixon and OL Ben Dooley, both Americans.

Dixon (6-4, 247, Norfolk State; born: December 16, 1998, in Chesapeake, VA.) spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2022-2024) followign a five-year collegiate career with Norfolk State (2017-2021).

During his time at Norfolk State, Dixon appeared in 42 games, recording 154 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 14.5 sacks. He earned first-team All-MEAC honours in his senior year after leading the conference in sacks with nine and ranking second in tackles for loss with 12.5. He was also an invitee to the East-West Shrine Bowl and the HBCU Legacy Bowl following his 2021 season.

Dixon signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and made the team’s 53-man roster out of training camp, appearing in three games during his rookie season. In 2023, he was waived during final roster cuts but was retained on the practice squad and later signed a reserve/future contract with the team in January 2024.

Dooley (6-5, 320, Boise State; born: April 3, 2001, in Fallon, NV.) enjoyed  five-year collegiate career with Boise State (2020-2024) and a stint with the Los Angeles Rams this year after signing as a free agent.

During his career at Boise State, he earned multiple honours including First Team All‑Mountain West, College Football Network Third Team All‑America, and repeated Academic All‑Mountain West accolades.

In his final season, he started all 14 games at left guard, helped anchor an offensive line that facilitated a school‑record 3,365 rushing yards, and allowed only one sack in 428 pass‑blocking opportunities.