Winnipeg Blue Bombers face win-or-go-home finale against B.C. Lions
A loss to the Lions, who are resting starters, would end Winnipeg's season and send Calgary to the playoffs.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are in a must-win situation to keep their season alive as they visit the B.C. Lions on Friday in the final week of the CFL regular season. A victory would secure a playoff berth for Winnipeg, while a loss would eliminate the Blue Bombers and send the idle Calgary Stampeders to the post-season. The game is a win-and-in, lose-and-out season finale for the Blue Bombers, who have an 8-9 record. The Lions, at 10-7, have already secured home field for the West semifinal and are resting many starters, including quarterback Nathan Rourke.
"You want to at least guarantee yourself another week with these guys," Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira told reporters. "Again, you don't know what the roster's going to look like next year, if you're going to have these same guys back. So you need to cherish these moments because you've been with some of these guys the last number of years, you consider them family, you consider them brothers. It's just a really special group." The Blue Bombers' veteran core includes quarterback Zach Collaros, defensive end Willie Jefferson and offensive linemen Stanley Bryant and Patrick Neufeld, all of whom are 35 or older.
Winnipeg is trying to extend the longest active playoff streak in the CFL. The team has not finished with a losing regular-season record since its last playoff miss in 2015. Last week, the Blue Bombers failed to clinch a spot when they lost 35-27 to the Edmonton Elks, who secured the West Division title. "I didn't think obviously we'd be in a situation like this. But we are. You've got to treat like it's an extension of the playoffs. You lose and you're out," Collaros said.
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The Lions will start rookie Kaidon Salter at quarterback in place of Rourke. Salter led B.C. to a 35-19 win over Winnipeg in late July in his first and only CFL start. "He's tough to play against, he has the ability to move around like not a lot of other guys," Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea said. Collaros expressed confidence in his team's ability to handle the pressure. "I'm confident in our group, I'm confident in our staff, just the make-up of our organization," he said. "We're obviously battle-tested, a lot of the guys are here. We've been through a lot this season."
The outcome of Winnipeg's game will also affect the playoff destination of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who have clinched a spot. If Winnipeg wins and Saskatchewan beats Edmonton on Saturday, the Roughriders would go to B.C. for the West semifinal and Winnipeg would be the crossover team, heading to Toronto to face the Argonauts in the East semifinal. If Winnipeg wins and Saskatchewan loses, the Blue Bombers would finish third in the West and go to B.C., while Saskatchewan would crossover to Toronto. If Winnipeg loses and Saskatchewan wins, the Roughriders would face B.C. and Calgary would crossover to Toronto. If both Winnipeg and Saskatchewan lose, Calgary would move up to third in the West and go to B.C., while Saskatchewan would travel to Toronto.
With files from Sportsnet