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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira (20) said he understands his head coach\u2019s decision to not go for a potential two-point walk-off convert in Sunday\u2019s Labour Day Classic. If the Blue and Gold win Saturday\u2019s Banjo Bowl, the season series will be decided by point differential.<\/p>\n
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-4) dusted themselves off and hit pay dirt in extra time to escape with a 32-26 win in front of a record crowd of 34,352 \u2014 the most since the new Mosaic Stadium opened in 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, when it doesn\u2019t work, you wish you did it a different way. And if I went for two and we didn\u2019t get it, I\u2019d feel the same way \u2014 I\u2019d feel just as crappy,\u201d explained O\u2019Shea after Wednesday\u2019s practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe drive down and score, and there is momentum. And there\u2019s also the other side of me that generally thinks, \u2018Let\u2019s just keep on extending it, let\u2019s get more opportunities,\u2019 rather than a one-shot deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Knowing the final result, it\u2019s easy to criticize the decision now. But even at the time, it could have easily been argued that a one-shot deal was the best chance the Bombers had at winning.<\/p>\n
Standout Canadian receiver Nic Demski didn\u2019t dress because of an ankle injury, and the Bombers also lost receiver Ontaria Wilson and versatile defender Jaiden Woodbey during the evening.<\/p>\n
And perhaps most important of all, the favoured Riders were outplaying the Blue and Gold in most areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cYep, certainly, it\u2019s something I will continue to think about,\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Players on offence always want to go for it, but running back Brady Oliveira understands why O\u2019Shea was reluctant to roll the dice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that situation, it\u2019s probably a tough decision to make. Absolutely it is,\u201d said Oliveira.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy looking at it now, \u2018Oh, we should have went for it.\u2019 But we\u2019ll never know what that outcome looks like. At the end of the day we\u2019ve got to trust the decision that\u2019s called and go out there and execute. I mean, we pushed it to overtime, which is amazing. We gave ourselves a chance to win that game.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the rematch \u2014 Saturday\u2019s Banjo Bowl \u2014 is going to end differently, the Bombers need to get Oliveira going. The Winnipegger had a season-low 28 yards on nine carries.<\/p>\n
In five career LDC games, Oliveira has rushed 55 times for 220 yards.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s them. They\u2019re always a team that plays hard, that are well coached, and they\u2019ve got a pretty tough defence to go against,\u201d said Oliveira.<\/p>\n
Oliveira and company will potentially benefit this week from the return of both Demski and safety Redha Kramdi, who were full participants on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, it\u2019s hard to watch any game, but the Labour Day Classic, that definitely added a little bit of emotions to it,\u201d said Demski, who didn\u2019t suit up in Sunday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
Kramdi hasn\u2019t played since making the game-winning pass breakup in overtime in Ottawa on July 19. He suffered the injury a few plays earlier, but played through the pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t really realize how bad it was,\u201d said Kramdi.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s part of the game, honestly. Injuries come with it. You feel powerless. At the end of the day, the direct impact you have as a player to contribute to the success of the team, the only quantifiable and tangible way is to make plays and be on the field. So when that\u2019s taken away from you, it\u2019s like, what can you do to help?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bombers are 2-4 this season without Kramdi. Fourth-year Canadian Jake Kelly has been filling in for him.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Dorian Singer was the late-game hero in the Labour Day Classic on Sunday. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I have that big of an impact,\u201d said Kramdi.<\/p>\n Defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger disagrees.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the best (communicators) I\u2019ve ever been around,\u201d said Younger on the defender.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s a coincidence (that we went 2-4 without Kramdi). I would say it\u2019s a lot harder because we give him a premier role in the defence. And now when that guy is down, filling those voids, we usually have to take a step backwards before taking a step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers can\u2019t afford to go in reverse. The playoff picture is murkier than ever, and they\u2019re currently situated in fourth in the West Division at 6-6. The Calgary Stampeders (5-7) are behind them and play first-place Edmonton (9-3) this weekend, followed by back-to-back games against winless Ottawa.<\/p>\n And for the first time in a decade, the Bombers and Riders are only battling each other twice in a season. If they split the two-game series, the tiebreaker will boil down to point differential in their head-to-head meetings.<\/p>\n \u201cCritical with a capital C. Yeah, very critical,\u201d said Demski on winning this week.<\/p>\n \u201cAny game you go against the West, but right now, at this point in the season, especially (since) this is the last time we play Saskatchewan, it\u2019s a big game to go in there and win.\u201d<\/p>\n Singer\u2019s heroics<\/p>\n Dorian Singer is one patient person.<\/p>\n He\u2019s been turning heads in practice since training camp, but he had to wait 11 games until the Bombers finally inserted him in the lineup.<\/p>\n The 23-year-old from Saint Paul, Minn., delivered in his debut with five grabs for 62 yards \u2014 highlighted by his late-game TD.<\/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 Singer worked with the starters on Wednesday as Wilson (hand) was in street clothes. Woodbey (hamstring) was also a spectator.<\/p>\n \u201cI stayed patient, kept going through my daily routine and just waited for my time to come\u2026 And that was last week,\u201d said Singer.<\/p>\n Now for the obvious question: what took so long for the Bombers to finally use him?<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, it\u2019s pro football. You come in and you work, and you keep working harder and eventually you\u2019re gonna get your opportunity,\u201d responded O\u2019Shea.<\/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
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