Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have one game left in the season before they move onto either the semi-finals or the finals, making their first playoff appearance since 2007.

Following their loss to the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night, Winnipeg will need to win their final game against Calgary and hope that Montreal loses one of their remaining two games.

Last season, the Bombers brought in quarterback Steven Jyles from Saskatchewan, and a short time later signed free agent Buck Pierce after he was released from B.C.

Pierce has started 21 games in his two seasons with Winnipeg. In 2010, through five starts, Pierce finished 1-4. Looking ahead to 2011, where Pierce would start 16 games, he’s finished with a 10-6 record.

On paper, that looks great for Pierce after the struggles he had through the 2010 campaign. However, upon further review, you will find that the Winnipeg defense attributed to a majority of, if not all, those wins.

Offensively, Pierce was unable to move the ball for long stretches in the first half of each game, averaging only 10 points in the first half this season.

For some time, Pierce dug the team into a large hole with turnovers that the defense would have to dig them out of with careless tosses or throw-aways.

And while it’s no question that Pierce has the heart, determination, and knowledge to lead a football team, the end result just doesn’t equate to what the fans expected when the Bombers signed him.

There is, however, a quality back-up who has spent the last two years on the sidelines, learning and taking in all the knowledge he could.

Alex Brink has started only two games in his two-year career but has come off the bench several times, most recently in the 27-22 loss to the Toronto Argonauts.

By the time Brink came into that game, the Bombers were already down 17-3, seven of those points coming from a pick-six courtesy of Buck Pierce to Byron Parker.

Just like the game against Montreal on September 30th that Alex Brink came in for relief of Pierce, the damage was already done and the hole too deep.

However, through his tough play, excellent pocket awareness, and putting together several key drives, Brink was able to bring the Bombers back to within two points until a late field goal promptly put away the game.

Alex Brink has grown as a quarterback during his time with Winnipeg and certainly has put forth the effort to be given an opportunity to take the starting job away from Pierce.

Next season at training camp, should Pierce be brought back, Alex Brink will certainly play him out of a starting job, depending on how the other quarterbacks fair.

Brink's start last Thanksgiving Day was rough in which he was flushed with boos from the crowd, but he has come a long way and has been praised for his play by the fans in more recent times.

With Pierce nursing a leg injury following Friday’s tilt and possibly out for the final game of the regular season or longer, now is the time for Head Coach Paul LaPolice to hand the reigns to Alex Brink.

Put this young quarterback in positions to win games and allow him to work through mistakes, and the Bombers may just be successful in claiming their first Grey Cup in 20 years.

It doesn’t matter whether or not the Winnipeg Blue Bombers end up in the Grey Cup this season, or win it for that matter; to many people this has been a successful season that still has more excitement coming.

This is a team that finished the 2010 campaign at the bottom of the league after a 4-14 record. This is a team that after acquiring a marquee quarterback in Buck Pierce was only able to get five productive games out of him.

Through a lot of the negativity that surrounded this team a year ago, many fans would have called for heads to roll if the top brass didn’t make changes.

Heading into the offseason, there were very little if any changes to the lineup and they entered the 2011 season with their roster relatively intact. The fans thank them for that.

While on the offensive side of the ball has seen a small amount of production with Buck Pierce behind center, Winnipeg are still 10-6 and first in the Eastern division after 17 weeks, thanks in large part to their defense.

This became Buck Pierce’s team in the offseason after quarterback Steven Jyles was traded to Toronto for future draft pick considerations. Since then, Buck Pierce has started 15 games through a career that saw limited action and has put together his most passing yards under 3,534 behind his best career percentage.

He has a 1,000 yard receiver and clutch player in Terrence Edwards but what was missing last year in terms of options, he has gained this year with sophomore receiver Clarence Denmark and Greg Carr.

You also can’t forget the contributions that Cory Watson and Terence Jeffers-Harris have made, although Jeffers-Harris has been a healthy scratch for quite some time.

For sure, there were times the offense had the better game or contributed their part to the three phases of the game but for the better part of the season, they have had their share of struggles.

And don’t take it as a slight on head coach Paul LaPolice, who certainly makes a lot of the tough calls behind the scenes, but it’s expected of a second-year coach. Those mistakes will be re-evaluated and corrected moving forward.

On the defensive side, defensive coordinator Tim Burke has his side playing a relentless, never give up style of football that has seen many players grow into starters.

Tim Burke joined the football club in the offseason and has molded a semi-good squad into one of the best defensive units in the league.

Currently holding the top two players in interceptions–Jovon Johnson and Jonathan Hefney–the club also has the previous sack leader in Odell Willis.

Other players who have stepped in and filled voids around the defense have been defensive ends Jason Vega and Kenny Mainor. Then you look at what defensive tackle Bryant Turner has done and it just adds to the talent pool that has been brought in.

The club itself has seen their sixth straight sell-out and will move into a brand new stadium before next season’s kick-off.

This is all after the team succumbed a year ago, finishing last and owning the league’s worst record. This was a team picked to repeat the same disaster but who have bonded together and faced adversity not once but many times along the way.

The team came out strong and started the season at a league’s best 7-1 before falling off their path but Paul LaPolice has kept his squad intact for the most part and brings out the best in his players.

An unfortunate and untimely injury to running back Fred Reid, who was looking to retain his rushing title from just a year ago, ended his season early and losing Carl Volny would make things worse for most teams.

But under a team guided by Paul LaPolice and Joe Mack there was no question that the next man to step up would be Chris Garrett, who has done nothing but showcase his talents and keep the running game afloat.

Nobody can coach a perfect season, it’s impossible, but what Paul LaPolice has done with this squad over the last two months to keep them competitive and in the running for the title certainly cannot go unnoticed.

The talent that has been brought in over the course of the offseason has paid dividends for Paul LaPolice and Joe Mack.

For a team that hasn’t seen the Eastern Final since 2007 and have missed the playoffs since 2008, there is still a lot of excitement as the team closes in on making another return to the big game.

This is a relatively young squad that still has a lot of potential to be tapped but if this is what we’re shown after just two years, I, for one, cannot wait to see what the future holds.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers now control their destiny going forward from now and the end of the regular season.

Before Saturday's game against the Montreal Alouettes, the two teams had split their previous contests with each team winning at the other team’s house.

For Montreal, a win would secure them another Eastern Final playoff date, while a win for Winnipeg would put them in control of their own future.

A combination of Montreal losses or Winnipeg wins will have Winnipeg finish first in the East and their first playoff bye in many years.

Winnipeg started the game off strong with their defense bringing their game once again when cornerback Jovon Johnson picked off Montreal's Anthony Calvillo on the opening drive.

That turnover allowed Buck Pierce to drive the field and pass to Greg Carr in the end zone for the major and a quick 7-0 lead. On the very next Montreal possession–on the first pass–free safety Ian Logan picked off Calvillo once again. That drive would lead to a missed field goal and single for an 8-0 lead.

Winnipeg head coach Paul LaPolice made changes to his offensive line this week but the end result was no different than before–although it was no worse. On the other hand, the offensive line for Montreal on the day was unable to keep Anthony Calvillo standing upright and for the better part had him running the field.

At the same time, LaPolice also stated that Jamie Boreham would take over the punting duties from Mike Renaud and ultimately the kick-off duties from Justin Palardy.

That resulted in Winnipeg netting a few singles that came in hand down the stretch but LaPolice certainly would have rather had the coffin corner punts that has been missed all too much this season.

Running back Chris Garrett was again filling the void left by Fred Reid and has done notably well this campaign. Through the last four starts, Garrett has rushed for 353 yards and three touchdowns, including Winnipeg’s first 100 yard rushing game.

The slow offensive start by Winnipeg in the second quarter did not allow the team to take control of the game like they should have, committing six two and outs during the game.

It would be up to Chris Garrett to keep the Bombers afloat with a pair of touchdowns late in the fourth quarter to put the Bombers up 26-25 with under a minute left.

Buck Pierce had two interceptions, both on tipped balls that led to six points for Montreal. Chris Garrett added a fumble to the list but nothing drastic came of it. The receiving core for the most part was quiet as Terrence Edwards was the only player to hit the century mark. The closest player would be Greg Carr at 32 yards, with one touchdown.

Defensively, the team has done what they’ve done all year and that was keeping the team in the game and hope the offense can do just enough to get the win.

Defensive end Odell Willis left the game in the third quarter with an apparent rib injury but was limited in his reps this week. Jason Vega filled in amicably, recording four tackles and two sacks. Fernand Kashama contributed with two of his own sacks and three tackles. Clint Kent and Bryant Turner each contributed another sack on the day.

With the recent results from around the league, one could say that the remaining schedule favours Winnipeg, who play Toronto and Calgary while Montreal plays Calgary and B.C., but each game and team is different from the last.

They came into this week with their grip on first place in the East slowly slipping away. A loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats would have made things harder.

However, they came out with fire and determination against the Black and Gold and played all sixty minutes roughly error-free, securing their first playoff berth since 2008.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will head to the postseason for the first time since 2008. However, at what spot remains unclear.

Currently first in the East, Winnipeg is battling with Montreal for the top spot and with one game remaining on October 22, the club knows they’re just a few games away from securing the No. 1 seed.

Unfortunately for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, it appears it did not matter which team Winnipeg played last night as they were on their game in all three phases.

The special teams unit for the most part contained the return game against Hamilton with no big returns.

First overall pick from the 2011 CFL Draft, Henoc Muamba, continues to make an impact on special teams, recording three tackles last night. The club is smart to ease him in slowly and develop instead of forcing the game on the young man.

One thing many teams do is practice gadget plays in practice and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers finally used two of them last night. Unfortunately, they were both rescinded due to penalties committed by special teams player James Green.

Justin Palardy was one-for-two on field goal attempts but came through on a 49-yard attempt, his longest of the season. On the season, he is 16-of-17.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defense came up lame in coverage and on run defense, which allowed Chris Garrett to rush for 131 yards, Winnipeg’s first 100-yard rushing game on the season.

An issue in the past for the running backs was their ability to complete on all three phases: blocking, rushing and receiving. Fred Reid was certainly good at the latter two but would often miss his blocks.

Last night, Chris Garrett was put in that position once again and came up big, blowing one cover that allowed for a Hamilton sack but for the majority, he played well.

Whether or not Garrett will be the primary back in 2012 remains to be seen with Fred Reid slated to return, but he will certainly be an option in the future.

For the first time this season, the offensive line collectively played their best game and it was shown with the time that quarterback Buck Pierce had to make decisions and throw the ball.

At the same time, the club registered no two-and-outs in the first half after taking almost 100 before Friday’s game.

They were efficient, opening holes for Chris Garrett to rush, while also allowing Buck Pierce to run in the touchdown.

The unit did their job, and for that the team was successful offensively. When the two mix, the Bombers win.

For three Winnipeg offensive players last night there was almost 350 yards of offense combined, as Chris Garrett rushed for 131 yards while Clarence Denmark received for 110 and Greg Carr had 101.

This was Chris Garrett’s career game, while it was a new best for Clarence Denmark, who had a 101-yard game in Week 5 against the Edmonton Eskimos. This was Greg Carr’s third 100-yard game and first of the season.

For another receiver, Terrence Edwards, this has been a slow season of working through a bundle of injuries. This was Edwards’ second lowest receiving game at 12 yards.

When given time to throw the ball, Buck Pierce can get it almost anywhere; last night was certainly no exception. One thing that still plagues Pierce is his decision making on the run. More often than not, Pierce will fall forward, making himself vulnerable rather than taking the slide.

Defensively, the Bombers were everywhere last night. For the third straight game against Hamilton, the Winnipeg defense registered a pick-six courtesy of Brandon Stewart, returning for 82 yards.

Odell Willis continues to pad his sack stats; another against Hamilton put him at 12 on the season. He has surpassed his total sack count from a year ago when he finished with 11.

The Winnipeg defense essentially swept the first half up 12-0 before the final snap and field goal by Hamilton. They would increase their lead to 26-3 before Hamilton’s first touchdown with just a minute left in the third.

The defense made sure to keep receiver Terry Grant quiet during the game, handling four passes for 13 yards and 73 yards on five kick returns. It was certainly night and day after Grant received 138 yards and two touchdowns the last two games.

Stevie Baggs continued to proclaim himself as the best defensive end in the league, though he was held without a tackle or a stat all night long.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers responded strongly to their loss at home against the Montreal Alouettes last week, knowing that they were but a few games away from securing the top spot and a bye going into the postseason.

It’s been three years since Winnipeg last swept the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; ironically Kevin Glenn was Winnipeg’s quarterback at the time.

Winnipeg is now 5-2 on the road after finishing 2010 with zero wins and leads in divisional wins at 6-2. They’ll face the Edmonton Eskimos next week on the road and will look for another win as they hope to secure first place.

That was a loss for the ages. This will sting for a while as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to recover from their 32-26 loss to the Montreal Alouettes Friday night.

They were without their both their starting and backup running backs as well as their starting quarterback and several injuries among the defense.

They were down 29-6 with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter before a Henoc Muamba blocked punt recovery was ran back to the house for his first CFL touchdown pulled them closer.

They played with great resilience, heart and determination to win the game than witnessed this season but it was simply not the time.

Now, they have lost their last four of five games after starting the season at 7-1, their best start since 1984. With their last five games falling 1-4, they could look at an 8-8 record with two games remaining and their play-off hopes in the balance.

Not spending the entire time looking at the negatives there is certainly one positive to take away from the game and that comes from behind center, starting pivot Alex Brink.

Alex Brink started just his second career game under the Blue and Gold after his start last season went south fast and the fans were quick to show their displeasure.

This season Brink would get another opportunity against Montreal and was able to open their first drive with a field goal and the fans responded with pleasure.

Brink threw for 326 yards while completing 24 of 40 passes for 60 percent and retaining composure through the adversity he would face being down 15-3 at halftime.

Make no mistake that this is Buck Pierce’s team going forward and that Alex Brink was simply keeping the seat warm, but in Pierce’s absence the fans were able to witness what a year under Brink’s belt has done for him and the results couldn’t have been better.

At the same time, the special teams made a big play near the end of the third quarter as James Green blocked Sean Whyte’s punt which allowed number one draft pick Henoc Muamba to make the scoop and run 52 yards to the house.

Making his debut at running back for the Blue and Gold was Chris Garrett who before Friday night only saw limited action in 2010.

He made the most of his opportunity rushing for 76 yards on eleven carries but his biggest play came on a 32-yard scamper up the middle after blowing through the secondary to bring Winnipeg within a touchdown.

That is where it all went downhill for the team. Winnipeg had the ball at their 40-yard line and on the first play to Terrence Edwards; the ball was fumbled and recovered by the defense.

Winnipeg would rely once again on the play of their own defense that has kept the offense in several close tight games. A two and out and Brink had just over a minute left to work with.

At his own 25-yard line, several quick completions and a pass-interference call put the offense at the goal line and that’s where they would stay. Unable to punch the ball in twice, the coaching staff failed to get the clock figured out and ran out of time.

There is no question that there have been many questionable calls by the refereeing crew this season, not just for the Bombers but league-wide, however that is a far-cry of an excuse to use on a loss.

When the team is down at the goal line it is simply the offensive line’s job to make the gaps and get the push through for the major.

Whether the offensive line itself or the schemes surround those packages need to be changed remain unknown however for head coach Paul LaPolice, he will need to do some thinking and moves will need to be made if they want to be Grey Cup contenders this season.

For Montreal tonight, their offense was kept alive mostly by Jamel Richardson who caught six passes for 126 yards. The closest receiver was Brian Bratton for five catches and 52 yards.

Anthony Calvillo who suffered a concussion just a week ago was behind center once again and didn’t miss a beat, completing 26 of 44 attempts for 335 yards and three touchdowns.

When it appeared, Calvillo and the offense were going to score a touchdown, the Winnipeg defense stepped up and contained them to field goals. This most likely is what kept the game from getting too out of hand and out of reach.

At the end of the day turnovers killed the Bombers once again and it is very hard to win football games when making critical mistakes like that.

This is a team that led the league for thirteen weeks, led their division for 13 but now sit tied with Montreal, two points ahead of Hamilton and will face them next week.

We understand that when Buck Pierce is back at strength and Paul LaPolice feels he’s ready Pierce will be back behind center, no question about it. For now however, this was Brink’s time to shine and although it came with a loss, Brink came and impressed.

The remainder of the season won’t get easier for the Bombers who were looking favoured to lock up the East could see themselves in a battle for second place with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats soon.

Winnipeg will play on the road to Hamilton and then Edmonton before returning home in a rematch against Montreal. For Montreal, they will play their next two at home against Toronto and Hamilton before returning to Winnipeg.

Buck Pierce didn't practice with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Canad Inns Stadium today. But don't count the banged up QB out for this weekend's clash against the Montreal Alouettes.

"It’s sore," Pierce told reporters Wednesday. "I’ve been banged up like this before. It’s not my first time. I know how to recover from it and I know my capabilities. It’s day-to-day right now, but I fully am preparing myself for this weekend."

Though many Bombers fans have been seen posting on forums to sign recently released Argonaut Cleo Lemon, it appears the Bombers will be sticking with backup QB Alex Brink to start Sunday's pivotal matchup should Pierce have to miss the game.

The winner of the game, which will be played in Montreal at 1 p.m. ET (TSN), will decide who stands on top of the Eastern Division for the time being.

The Bombers are also looking shallow in the receiver corps, with draft pick Kito Poblah out for this weekend's matchup with a shoulder injury, and Aaron Hargreaves listed as day-to-day with an ankle injury. The team either expects Hargreaves or rookie Jade Etienne to take his place for Sunday's matchup.

The Bombers also added another non-import receiver to the roster today, signing former Manitoba Bison Ricky Clarke to their practice roster.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Bombers moved Marcellus Bowman to the middle linebacker spot after Joe Lobendahn was ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn right ACL yesterday. Merrill Johnson will move up to start as the weak side linebacker for the remainder of the season.

As for Buck Pierce, his time is running short for the QB to return back to the field.

“I’m not one of those guys can go all week and not practise and just get treatment and then show up to the game and expect to perform well,” said Pierce. “I need to get reps with our guys, and if I’m feeling good throughout the week then we’ll make a decision then.”

Well, fellow Swaggerville fans, just when we thought our current state couldn't get much worse, think again.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have announced today that they are placing Joe Lobendahn on the nine-game injured list after he was injured in the Bombers' 45-23 loss in the annual Banjo Bowl against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday. With only eight games left in the season, this pushes Lobendahn's timeline for returning to the field to next season.

Lobendahn was injured on a special teams play during the first half of the game at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg. He was carted off the field before halftime and is listed with a torn right ACL. 

Fellow Bombers players were quite sombre after the game was finished.

"Man, that really hurt," Blue Bombers linebacker Clint Kent said. "I hope he's OK. Joe is the quarterback of our defence, without question. He's smart and he's a playmaker. We're going to have to look at what we have, groom some guys, and go from there. It's not good."

The Bombers, whose defence has been looking like anything but Swaggerville in these back-to-back games against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, are not looking forward to missing the two-time Defensive Player of the Week heading into Sunday's matchup against the two-time Grey Cup-defending Montreal Alouettes, where the winner takes the division lead.

On the offensive side of the ball, things aren't looking much better either.

The Bombers also announced today that starting QB Buck Pierce may not be able to play in Sundays matchup after taking two bone-crushing sacks in the first quarter of the Banjo Bowl, resulting in bruised ribs. However, Pierce did stay in the rest of  the game, throwing 0 TD's and 5 INT's.

“He came off the field,” said head coach Paul LaPolice. “And I said, ‘You fine?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’m fine.’ The next series I think he was three for three.”

When asked what the status of Pierce was for Sunday's game, LaPolice said it would be a day-to-day decision.

“He’s banged up and sore but I think he’ll be OK,” LaPolice said. “But we’ll know better in the next couple of days…He was just kind of limping around after the game and he got hit in the stomach or wherever he got hit so, we’ll see how he is."

LaPolice has also stated that the coaching staff is considering changes to the starting offensive line for the game against Montreal. The Bomber's are now second worst in the league in sacks allowed with 24.

“There were a couple of times that the players weren’t executing the way they were supposed to,” he said. “All those players understand that there’s competition for those spots and if there’s continuing poor performances, we’ll have to make changes.”

“We’ve got to be better protecting (Pierce) and getting the run game going,” Bombers guard Brendon LaBatte said after the loss. “Everybody in this room has to look at themselves and be ready to get better."

There were reports of Pierce seen being helped out to his car after the game on Sunday. The QB was able to drive himself home however. Pierce will be available for questions after Wednesday's practice. 

We’re heading into Week 12 and the Winnipeg Blue Bomber offense is no better now than it was in Week One.

The defense has been brought back to reality and will most likely move forward without middle linebacker Joe Lobendahn, who is believed to have suffered a season-ending knee injury.

"Swaggerville" racked up 29 sacks in their first seven games and averaged four a game. During the last three games they got five sacks, averaging just fewer than two a game.

Buck Pierce threw for five interceptions Sunday afternoon before being pulled with just under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, a move that should have happened at half-time.

Those five interceptions are a new career high for Buck Pierce, edging out the three he threw against Winnipeg while a B.C. Lion during the August 10, 2008 game.

However all the blame cannot be placed on Pierce alone, as he was blitzed far too often with catastrophic results, being sacked three times.

The offensive line didn’t do much to aid Pierce during the game, often being beat and out-rushed at the line of scrimmage.

The same can be said for their run game against a team that’s fourth in the league against the run. Fred Reid gained only 46 yards on eleven carries, below his 63.1 average per game. Fred Reid has yet to rush for more than 100 yards since October 23.

Making his Bombers debut Sunday was receiver Tim Brown, who suffered an injury during mini-camp and retired, but was kept around Winnipeg before returning two months ago.

In his debut, Brown returned punts five times for 35 yards. However, it was his kick-off returns that caused notice—seven times for 141 yards on 20.1 averages.

Elsewhere, the Bombers managed two receivers who gained over 100 yards, Terrence Edwards with 123 yards and Cory Watson with 111 yards.

Kito Poblah returned last week and lead all Bomber receivers with nine catches for 89 yards. This week he fell off the grid, hauling in one catch for all of ten yards.

Each of Buck Pierce’s interceptions allowed the Saskatchewan offense to yield great field position, often resulting in touchdowns and a pick-six.

Alex Brink, in short playing time, completed 72 percent of his passes for 59 yards and a touchdown to Terrence Edwards.

Looking ahead, the team will face the Montreal Alouettes, who have lost the last two of three. However, Anthony Calvillo is looking like his old self once again and at just the right time, as they push to take first place in the East next Sunday.

Paul LaPolice’s conservative and safe game plan worked well for the first seven weeks, but it is time to let the offense be more edgy if they want a chance at retaining first place this season. At this rate, Hamilton and Montreal will face each other in the Eastern final.

The offensive call-playing of the last few weeks has been questionable. With 10 weeks of playing time, Buck Pierce and the receivers are no more in sync now than in Week 1.

They may have only lost three games and sit atop the league, but anyone who believes that Winnipeg doesn’t need to make changes is a fool.

The special teams unit, for the most part, has been average at best due to the one thing holding them back each and every return: penalties. Any time the Bombers are able to break one, it’s called back.

Kyle Walter’s plays have not produced the yards that teams around the league have produced all year long. Buck Pierce and the offense can’t put a drive together due to the two and outs, while being stuck on the 20 yard line each and every possession.

Joe Mack and Paul LaPolice continue to spread the word that they’ll go out and find someone better if they feel fit. Well, now is that time. The offensive line has not produced the holes to allow a talented back like Fred Reid to exploit his talents.

The play-calling has been spotty all season and some of the worst in the last few weeks. Is it possibly time for a new offensive coordinator? Maybe.

But before we get drastic, however, Paul LaPolice at least needs to allow Jamie Burresi to call his own plays and run his offense, while allowing himself to be the head coach.

We all remember when Saskatchewan released Doug Berry three weeks ago. Darian Durant threw ten touchdowns on nine interceptions and 2,044 yards. In the last two games without Berry, Durant has thrown seven touchdowns on just one interception and 462 yards.

Winnipeg needs to make moves, those moves need to be made now and they need to send a message, because at this rate Winnipeg will play themselves out of a play-off spot after starting the season 7-1.

They have lost their first game in seven weeks.

They were held to just seven points.

Simply put, they self-destructed.

For the first time this season, Winnipeg’s defense was not there to pick up what has been a struggling offense all season.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were held to only 232 passing yards and no touchdowns. Running back Fred Reid ran for 35 yards on 14 carries.

Sunday afternoon may spell the end of ‘Swaggerville’ as the defense gave up three touchdowns, their coverage was lacking and several big plays were given.

This is the defense that leads the league in sacks at 31 and has sack leader Odell Willis who leads with nine. Both were made to look average Sunday afternoon.

Through all the bad, however, there was some good for Winnipeg as rookie receiver and first overall in the supplemental draft, Kito Poblah, made his much anticipated return early and will cost the Bombers his salary but a move that is worth the change.

Returning on the day, Poblah caught nine catches for 89 yards, his longest on the day being a 25 yard gain. This was what the Bombers drafted Poblah for and look forward to more production from the young receiver.

The work the rest of the offense put in, however, was lacking, for the most part.In his second straight start, Greg Carr contributed 42 yards on two catches, and Canadian Cory Watson had five for 41.

For Saskatchewan, their win came at no better time than Sunday. Losing seven of eight games and sitting at the bottom of the league, their win puts them in a temporary tie with Toronto.

Darian Durant was given the go-ahead from interim head coach Ken Miller to call the majority of his own plays and that paid dividends.

Chris Getzlaf caught two passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns on the night. Dallas Baker led all receivers with 82 yards on four catches.

This is a team that has won the last six Labour Day Classics before Sunday’s match-up and will head to Winnipeg next Sunday looking to make it two in a row; something they’ve done well at over years past.

The ‘swagger’ that Winnipeg has ran with for most of the season should by all means come to an end. It was a good ride that they enjoyed along with the fans, but it has hampered their ability to stay focused.

During their game against Hamilton, one that they almost lost, the defense was made to look average and was not the power defense most fans were accustomed to see in weeks past.

Their schedule doesn’t get easier. Looking ahead after Saskatchewan in the Banjo Bowl, they will travel to play the Montreal Alouettes, who they play twice in three weeks as well as a game against Toronto.

If Winnipeg wants to keep their place atop the East division, they will need to focus their attention back to the field, look at the finer details and get back to the basics.

Hamilton is poised to get the respect they feel they deserve and will look to take out Montreal and Winnipeg and claim first place before season end unless Winnipeg smartens up.

All appears to be well in the city of Winnipeg and with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who after Friday night’s win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, are seeing their best record since 1984 at 7-1.

They’re atop the entire league, two games ahead of the second-place Montreal Alouettes in the East, and will go back-to-back with the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the famous Labour Day Classic and Banjo Bowl.

Both games will be critical as the Bombers look to pad their standings before heading down the stretch, which features six of their last 10 games against Eastern opponents.

Saskatchewan is currently sitting in last place in the entire league with a 1-7 record, which cost both Head Coach Greg Marshall and Offensive Coordinator Doug Berry their jobs.

That, however, does not mean that the Bombers will simply roll into Regina next Sunday and the Roughriders will just roll over.

The last time Winnipeg defeated Saskatchewan on the road was 2004. The Bombers won the Banjo Bowl that same year. Since then, Saskatchewan has outscored Winnipeg 145-81, winning the last five contests at home and eight of the last ten regular season meetings.

Momentum has slowly shifted towards Winnipeg’s favour, however, as they were able to keep the Roughriders to just two points and never past the twenty-yard line in last year’s Banjo Bowl. The play of the team this season could see the same results.

I fully expect a split between the two meetings as both houses are tough to play in and will require a lot of determination from the visiting teams.

Moving forward, the Bombers will play a highly-anticipated game against divisional rival Montreal Alouettes. The Bombers are currently 7-1 and have beaten some very good teams, records aside.

Many people want to see how they stack up against the two-time defending Grey Cup champions who, although have struggled through some games, are still very dangerous and unpredictable.

When the offensive line gives Anthony Calvillo all day to find receivers, he can make you pay. Jamel Richardson has been nothing but money for Calvillo, and when that option has been unavailable, S.J. Green has shown time and again he is capable of making plays.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, opposing teams must defend against the run, which features running back Brandon Whitaker, who currently leads the league with 614 rushing yards.

Winnipeg currently leads the league in pass defense while Montreal is in sixth at just under 300 yards allowed a game. On the run however, Montreal leads with 72 yards allowed per game, and with the limited holes open for Fred Reid, it could prove costly on the quick yards.

Winnipeg will play Montreal three times, with the final two games at home in what should be a loud atmosphere.

Looking past Montreal, the Bombers will play one of their final two games against the Toronto Argonauts. Winnipeg currently leads the series at two games and with a win, would clinch the series much like they did against Hamilton.

Heading into Toronto should be similar to past games, as Winnipeg has won four of the past six contests on the road, including a comeback from a 17-3 deficit this season.

Quarterback Cleo Lemon has continued to improve his game and with each snap looks more like the starting quarterback Toronto has waited for him to be.

Defensively, the team is still very good, but has shown holes that the Winnipeg offense has taken advantage of in the past.

Following the Bombers' win Friday night against Hamilton that clinched the season series, the third game of the season will simply be for bragging rights if the Bombers can get a win and the season sweep. Not since 2008 has Winnipeg won all the games against Hamilton.

Finishing up the last stretch before what the team hopes will be its first playoff game since 2008, Winnipeg will play its final game against Edmonton this season (which the Bombers won the first meeting), while finishing up the series with both Montreal and Toronto.

Finally, Winnipeg will take to McMahon Stadium and play the Calgary Stampeders, who won the first matchup by one point off a missed field goal by Justin Palardy.

Sitting at 7-1 and looking down the stretch, winning five of the next 10 will leave the team at a 12-6 record, which it has not reached since 2002.