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<\/p>\nWe\u2019ve reached the halfway mark of the Canadian Football League season and ask around for a hot take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers \u2014 sporting a 5-4 record with a nasty schedule ahead \u2014 and the answers coming back range from the polite to the, well, not so polite.<\/p>\n
Head coach Mike O\u2019Shea referred to his squad as a \u2018work in progress\u2019 as the team returned to the practice field Monday following last week\u2019s win over the Ottawa RedBlacks.<\/p>\n
Veteran receiver Nic Demski talked about the growth in the first half of the season while his quarterback, Zach Collaros, talked about \u2018raising whatever ceiling anybody thinks you have, higher.\u2019<\/p>\n
Every single assessment above fits, given this bunch is currently in third spot in the West Division and is every bit the picture of a 5-4 squad with some solid Ws offset by some head-scratching losses.<\/p>\n
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All that said, it was first-year cornerback Major Williams who offered an intriguing perspective.<\/p>\n
He spoke of the defence needing to force more turnovers, of the team needing to play more full games backstopped by contributions of all three phases.<\/p>\n
He then touched on the need for a greater understanding of situational football, too, especially by the defence.<\/p>\n
And then he offered this:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re right there where we want to be. We\u2019re ascending. It\u2019s a long season but we really think we can still hit and achieve our goals. Everything is still in front of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat record, 5-4, it keeps you hungry. We\u2019ve had one win here, one loss there and we\u2019ve been consistently inconsistent. We now have to keep stacking. But I like where we\u2019re at. A lot of times probably have us circled on their calendar, maybe some teams don\u2019t. That doesn\u2019t matter to us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe teams that are above us, they have the hot seat. We\u2019re the hungry guys coming to get \u2019em. We\u2019re in the middle of the pack and still shooting for the top.\u201d<\/p>\n
What is ahead is a nasty chunk of the schedule that now features four games against the three most impressive teams in the CFL through the first half, starting with a trip to Edmonton to face the Elks, first in the West at 7-3 this Friday.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s followed by a home date with the powerhouse Montreal Alouettes at 8-1, and then the annual home-and-home\/Labour Day Classic-Banjo Bowl showdown with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the defending Grey Cup champions and the only other team in the league with a better record than them at 6-3.<\/p>\n
Worth noting: three of the Blue Bombers last four games down the stretch will come on the road.<\/p>\n
WHAT\u2019S AHEAD<\/p>\n
Blue Bombers remaining games:<\/p>\n
Home (4): vs. Montreal, Aug. 28; vs. Saskatchewan, Sept. 12; ; vs. Toronto, Sept. 25; vs. Calgary, Oct. 10;<\/p>\n
Road (5): at Edmonton, Aug. 21; at Saskatchewan, Sept. 6; at Montreal, Oct. 3; at Edmonton, Oct. 16; at B.C., Oct. 23<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are where we\u2019re at and I feel, to me, like we\u2019re in a good spot,\u201d said O\u2019Shea. \u201cIt feels, to me, like we\u2019re going to keep adding to the good stuff. We\u2019ve made enough mistakes along the way; we\u2019ve had enough learning experiences \u2014 there\u2019s more to come \u2014 but I like where we\u2019re at.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody likes the record but in terms of our development and where we\u2019re headed, I try not to spend too much time starting at the record. It\u2019s just how do we keep progressing and if I were to look at this compared to other things I think we\u2019re probably where we need to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a work in progress, and we always would be at this stage. And on Game 10, just finishing up Game 9, we would always be still working all the way through the playoffs. Now, the finite details are starting to take hold whereas earlier on it was big picture stuff. Not it\u2019s more finite details to allow you finish more. As far as that goes, I think we\u2019re fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Blue Bombers are currently ranked seventh in offensive points (25.3) and sixth in points allowed (28.7). Some other key numbers have them seventh in passing (268.3), fifth in rushing (98.3) and first in passing yards allowed (269.9) and last in rushing yards against (128.4).<\/p>\n
Again, there stuff to like there and, on the contrary, some totals that will have anyone in Bomberland cringing.<\/p>\n
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\u201cLast game we did a good job of improving. No turnovers is a huge thing,\u201d said Demski of the offence. \u201cWe stayed on the field, we had three offensive touchdowns so we\u2019re moving in the right direction, but I still feel that we have more to give.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe left some plays out there; left some drives out there as as much as we like Serge (Castill0), I\u2019d rather see him on the sidelines and coming out to kick converts instead of field goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a lot of growth in this first half. We\u2019ve got to improve as an offence and everybody\u2019s on board for that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
And when it was put to Collaros that all this could be encouraging \u2014 the fact the team still has so much room to potentially grow to reach its ceiling \u2014 he offered a veteran big-picture perspective.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging coming to work every day,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re out here for the chase of the Grey Cup, the chase of being great at your job. That\u2019s pretty much life, right? So, you\u2019re not going to come in here and half-ass it. You\u2019re going to come in here and try to be the best that you possibly can be.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve made it this far in your career you should have enough confidence that you\u2019re a good player. Part of that chase is wanting to execute every single play and raising whatever ceiling anybody thinks you have, higher. That\u2019s all part of this, for sure. It\u2019s part of why you wake up every morning and do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
More notes and quotes from Bomberland in this week\u2019s NEED TO KNOW:<\/p>\n
OUCH REPORT: First day back to work and so the list of players who backed off from practice was significant, although O\u2019Shea didn\u2019t seem worried about the availability of RB Brady Oliveira and left tackle Stanley Bryant for this week in Edmonton.<\/p>\n
Also of note: the injury list confirms that second-year DB Ethan Ball, unfortunately, has suffered an Achilles injury.<\/p>\n
Injury Report: August 17, 2026 #ForTheW<\/a> | @DoctorsManitoba<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9ZrBLO2Cii<\/a><\/p>\n