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<\/p>\nThe glimpses were there again for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, all there in brilliant flashes and serving as reminders of the last five West Division titles in these parts.<\/p>\n
And, yes, there were some frustratingly inconsistent moments, too, including a near-meltdown inside the final minute of Thursday\u2019s 30-27 win over the Ottawa RedBlacks which had another capacity crowd at Princess Auto Stadium collectively slapping their palms to foreheads and screaming out loud at full throat, \u2018What in the actual bleep is happening right now?\u2019<\/p>\n
So, there you have it as the Blue Bombers reached the midway point of their 2025 Canadian Football League season with five wins against four losses following Thursday\u2019s wacky win over the RedBlacks. There are strengths and weaknesses, unanswered questions and some icky warts and still a half of a schedule yet to play.<\/p>\n
And as the victory was being dissected late Thursday, including head coach Mike O\u2019Shea\u2019s decision to try a 57-yard field goal instead of punting and pinning Ottawa deep \u2014 the miss returned 117-yards for a game-tying by Kalil Pimpleton with 53 seconds left \u2014 we asked the Blue Bombers boss to take a moment to step back and assess his squad at the turn.<\/p>\n
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\u201cSix-and-three sounds better,\u201d O\u2019Shea said. \u201cFour-and-five sounds worse. Five-and-four sounds right where we\u2019re going to be. And as long as we\u2019re growing, as long as we\u2019re learning some of the hard lessons, and those tough lessons are going to toughen us up down the stretch or for the next game\u2026 then let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just for the record, the second half of the season begins this Thursday in Montreal and also features three games against the front-running Saskatchewan Roughriders \u2014 7-1 heading into Saturday\u2019s game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats \u2014 two against the East Division-leading Tabbies, trips to Ottawa and Edmonton and a return visit from the Alouettes.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless of the outcome of the game and all the negativity that\u2019s going to probably come out right here (from the media), what\u2019s most important is the resiliency and the grit that our guys are developing and showing,\u201d added O\u2019Shea. \u201cThey\u2019re not just learning it now, now they\u2019re actually putting it into action, which is far more important than whether we won by three or we won by 23 \u2014 far more important.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can write about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
ICYMI, here\u2019s our Game Recap story from Thursday\u2019s win over Ottawa:<\/p>\n
Game Recap | Ott 27 Wpg 30<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n And what follows is the rest of this week\u2019s\u00a0UPON FURTHER REVIEW\u2026<\/p>\n THE USUAL POST-VICTORY SCENE WAS UNFOLDING\u2026 inside the Blue Bombers clubhouse after the win with the music blaring, the high-fives and bro hugs in full force and a few adult beverages being consumed. There was some honest discussion, too, about how this one almost slipped away, but the victory is what matters most. As O\u2019Shea said: \u201cWe\u2019re going to enjoy it \u2014 it\u2019s a win. What are we going to do \u2014 dwell on some plays that we want to have back? That\u2019s what tomorrow\u2019s for.\u201d<\/p>\n What did stand out in Thursday\u2019s win \u2014 aside from the late dramatics and the rally by Zach Collaros & Co. after a defensive stop \u2014 was how many of the club\u2019s foot soldiers had fingerprints all over the result. Case in point, defensive tackle Tanner Schmekel, who had a partially blocked punt that led to a Jerreth Sterns touchdown and then later sacked Dustin Crum at the Ottawa 10 which led to good field position and a Brady Oliveira TD on the first play of the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, that was the most fun game of football I\u2019ve played in my entire life,\u201d said Schmekel as his defensive line teammates hollered out just a few feet away as he conducted this interview. \u201cBeing out there with my boys making some plays, the camaraderie out there, the fight in that game\u2026 great game.\u201d<\/p>\n On the punt block: \u201c(Mike Miller, special teams coordinator) gave me an opportunity to go out there on punt return and I just executed an assignment. I\u2019m just very happy to make a play to help our team get ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n THAT\u2019S NOT ALLOWED.<\/p>\n PUNT BLOCK \ud83d\ude24#ForTheW<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/8N5pZbceW1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) August 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n And asked if he had seen a replay of his sack \u2014 the second of his career \u2014 the 26-year-old Regina product just beamed: \u201cI have not. I\u2019m going to get on my phone after this interview and I\u2019m probably going to watch it a hundred times. Right up the middle, I caught him by his right foot and was just hanging on for dear life. I heard the crowd get louder and louder as he was getting near the ground, so I just kept squeezing tighter and tighter.\u201d<\/p>\n SCHMEK!!!! #ForTheW<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/a1VI3cCWrG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) August 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Schmekel wasn\u2019t alone. Middle linebacker Tony Jones had 11 tackles, including two tackles for losses and stuffing Crum on a third-and-one on from the Winnipeg one-yard line on Ottawa\u2019s first possession. Reserve safety Ethan Ball popped out on special teams with two thunderous hits. Cornerback Trey Vaval had seven tackles in his first start at corner; ditto for safety Cam Allen. Punter Jamieson Sheahan was excellent, too.<\/p>\n And Schmekel could be the face of all those guys who have to wait their turn and occasionally spent time on the practice roster before they get nights like Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of guys don\u2019t get to play football after high school,\u201d he said. \u201cI still get the opportunity here. I\u2019m not going to be mad if I\u2019m on the PR. I\u2019ll do whatever it takes to help this team win. I\u2019m not trying to be an \u2018X factor\u2019 in a game; I\u2019m here for every part of this team \u2014 the great games for me and especially the great games for my teammates. That\u2019s what matters.\u201d<\/p>\n THREE NUMBERS WHICH STOOD OUT\u2026 after a second glance at the stats package, which can be found\u00a0here:<\/a><\/p>\n 1 Not to be glossed over in the win was the repeat performance of the offence from the loss to Calgary a week ago \u2014 a dominant first half followed by a meh second half. The Blue Bombers jumped out to 17-0 lead again, just as they did against the Stamps, and led 20-3 at halftime after cranking out 12 first downs and 232 yards net offence in the opening 30 minutes. Of their eight possessions in the first half, they had two touchdowns, two field goals, three punts and an interception.<\/p>\n In the second half they did manage the Oliveira TD and the Castillo game-winning field goal on the final play, but there were also three punts and an interception, and the missed field goal returned for a score by Pimpleton. Winnipeg finished the game with 298 net yards offensively, meaning they had just 66 yards net offence in the second half.<\/p>\n That\u2019s virtually a carbon copy to what happened in Calgary, albeit this time with a \u2018W.\u2019 One of the differences this week was the work of the receiving corps, with Nic Demski finishing with six catches for 128 yards, Keric Wheatfall was four for 68 \u2014 including surviving two hellacious hits \u2014 while Sterns had four catches for 50 yards and his third TD in his last four games, this one another spectacular play.<\/p>\n THAT\u2019S NOT ALLOWED.<\/p>\n PUNT BLOCK \ud83d\ude24#ForTheW<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/8N5pZbceW1<\/a><\/p>\n