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![\"JESSICA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3806398_web1_230704-bombers-4.jpg\")
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JESSICA LEE \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe know it, we just have to execute,\u201d Cam Lawson said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019d be a huge statement win,\u201d said Bombers defensive tackle Cam Lawson after Thursday\u2019s walk-through.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be big for the confidence of the team knowing what we can do. And we have the people and the players in place to win this game, for sure.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know it, we just have to execute.\u201d<\/p>\n
To get you ready for kickoff (7:30 p.m.), here\u2019s the latest edition of 5 Storylines.<\/p>\n
Alexander is amazing<\/p>\n
Montreal quarterback Davis Alexander is on his way to becoming the face of the CFL.<\/p>\n
The fifth-year pro is an astonishing 20-1 as a starter in the regular season and has the Als on a seven-game winning streak.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s putting up some ridiculous numbers in 2026 with 3,400 passing yards (most in the league) and a 20-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.<\/p>\n
And there\u2019s nothing conservative about how he\u2019s doing it \u2014 Alexander loves to air it out and he\u2019s damn good at it. He\u2019s completed a league-leading 32 of 67 attempts on throws that travel at least 20 yards downfield.<\/p>\n
As great as he\u2019s been, Alexander will have something to prove this week considering he\u2019s making his first career start in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n
His lone start against the Bombers was in last year\u2019s East Division semifinal in Montreal when the Als pulled out a thrilling 42-33 win.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n
\t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u00a0<\/p>\n No shortage of weapons<\/p>\n You\u2019ve likely heard by now that Tyson Philpot is chasing history.<\/p>\n Alexander\u2019s go-to target leads the CFL with 1,229 receiving yards and is on pace to break Allen Pitts\u2019 all-time single-season record of 2,036 that was set in 1994.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old out of the University of Calgary has hurt the Bombers before. He caught the game-winning touchdown in the 2023 Grey Cup from former Als pivot Cody Fajardo with 13 seconds remaining.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be locked in at all times,\u201d said Bombers corner Jonathan Moxey. \u201cWhenever you\u2019re on him, you\u2019ve got to be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n But Philpot isn\u2019t the only player that needs to be slowed down \u2014 Montreal\u2019s No. 2 receiver Tyler Snead (982) is second in the league in receiving yards. There\u2019s also running back Travis Theis, who has a league-leading 6.6 yards per carry average and the third most ground yards with 788.<\/p>\n Theis has found the end zone in seven of his last eight games and is averaging 103.8 yards and 7.2 yards per carry in the last six.<\/p>\n Montreal is averaging 8.13 yards per play, which is the best mark in CFL history.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Finding an identity<\/p>\n The Bombers are going to need a whole lot more than 19 yards of net offence in the second half this week.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll likely need more than their weekly average of 25.6 points, too.<\/p>\n The Als are averaging 36.7 points per game, while the Bombers haven\u2019t scored 36 or more points after regulation this season.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to put the pressure on ourselves to do better because it\u2019s no secret that we haven\u2019t been playing to our standard,\u201d said receiver Nic Demski.<\/p>\n It starts with quarterback Zach Collaros, who hasn\u2019t passed for 300-plus yards in four of the five games he has started and finished.<\/p>\n Despite being held out of practice with an ankle injury, running back Brady Oliveira continues to deliver on game day and tops the CFL in rushing yards (850) and attempts (139).<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
But there\u2019s been too many instances this season where the Bombers have gotten away from the run late in the game or haven\u2019t been on the field enough to give their best player the ball when it matters most.<\/p>\n Oliveira questioned the offence\u2019s identity in Week 8 and that remains a valid concern over a month later.<\/p>\n Finding it against Montreal will be a tall task. The Als are holding opponents to 26.3 points per game, which is second to only Edmonton (25.4).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Where\u2019s Wilson?<\/p>\n Unlike Montreal, the Bombers are lacking a true No. 1 receiver.<\/p>\n You could argue Ontaria Wilson is the closest they have to that, but he hasn\u2019t played like it recently.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
He had zero catches in Week 11 against Ottawa \u2014 and most notably dropped what should\u2019ve been one of the easiest touchdowns of his career in that game. And then last week in Edmonton, he had just four grabs for 35 yards \u2014 although those numbers would be better if Collaros didn\u2019t lead him out of bounds on a deep shot down the sideline.<\/p>\n The Bombers have completed five of 23 pass attempts of 20-plus yards to Wilson this season.<\/p>\n Wilson hasn\u2019t had 100 or more yards receiving in a game since Week 6, and if there was ever a time to get him going, it\u2019s now.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Nichols? Vaval? Texada?<\/p>\n Deatrick Nichols says he\u2019s playing \u2014 even though everything else suggests he won\u2019t be.<\/p>\n The veteran halfback suffered an ankle injury last week in Edmonton and did not participate in any of the team\u2019s open practices this week. He was listed as a limited participant for Wednesday\u2019s closed session.<\/p>\n Nichols is listed as a game-time decision but was in street clothes on Thursday. Rookie corner Major Williams moved over to halfback, Trey Vaval slid in at corner and rookie Ridge Texada was wearing a jersey, which points to him potentially dressing for his first game as a backup.<\/p>\n But if all that means nothing and Nichols does play, he needs to be better. According to Pro Football Focus, the sixth-year Bomber has surrendered a league-high six passing touchdowns.<\/p>\n Nichols was a stud last season and led the CFL with 16 forced incompletions. The Bombers need that version of him back.<\/p>\n Outside of a possible Nichols move, the Bombers aren\u2019t making any other roster changes this week.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/taylorallen<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Taylor Allen Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree\/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
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\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira has not had many opportunities to be a difference maker late in games. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSPENCER COLBY \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
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\nThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers will likely need more out of receiver Ontaria Wilson to have a real shot against Montreal. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reporter
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