Bombers prepare for Saturday’s crucial game against B.C. Lions

Posted: 2:33 PM CDT Friday, Oct. 24, 2014

It’s been their mantra all season, repeated over and over and over again.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*No charge for 4 weeks then billed as $19 every four weeks (new subscribers and qualified returning subscribers only). Cancel anytime.

It’s been their mantra all season, repeated over and over and over again.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/10/2014 (3465 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been their mantra all season, repeated over and over and over again.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been living in the here and now, forever spitting out the ‘this is a big game because it’s our next game’ approach.

Well, things have changed now. A loss to the B.C. Lions in Saturday’s last appearance at Investors Group Field (6 p.m.; TSN/CJOB) officially eliminates the Bombers, 6-10, from the postseason for the fifth time in the last six years. And head coach Mike O’Shea made that abundantly clear at the end of the practice on Friday

Joe Bryksa / Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Blue Bomber Aaron Woods tries to complete a difficult pass during practice Thursday afternoon at Investors Group Field. — Joe Bryksa / Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg Blue Bomber Aaron Woods tries to complete a difficult pass during practice Thursday afternoon at Investors Group Field.

“OK… 29 hours until the biggest game of our season,” he told his players on the field. “We know what the stakes are. We have to win.”

Added O’Shea in his media session:

“Yeah, (the message) has changed. I said it would, too. When it comes down to being a sudden-death point of view, it changes. So, this is it. This is a must-win situation now. They know that. They get it. We are in the fight of our lives. It’s the biggest game of the year.

After a 5-1 start to the season, the Bombers have since lost seven in a row. An eight-game losing streak is something this franchise has not experienced since dropping 10 straight to open the 1998 season.

“I wasn’t really thinking ahead but obviously I thought we were going to have more than six wins at this point,” said Bomber quarterback Drew Willy when asked to look back to the 5-1 start. “Starting so hot like that, we had a lot of momentum, a lot of confidence. I think our confidence is still high, it just hasn’t played out like we wanted.”

The Bombers have made six changes to their 46-man roster, adding Willy, offensive linemen Glenn January and Dan Knapp, defensive back and kick returner Troy Stoudermire and receivers Justin Wilson and Julian Feoli-Gudino.

The Lions, meanwhile, can clinch a playoff spot for the 18th year with a win.

“It’s the biggest game of the year for them and for us,” said Lions head coach Mike Benevides. “We have a chance to get in the playoffs and I watched (the Bombers-Calgary) game again on the plane and they played their asses off. It’s going to be a helluva war. It should be a ton of fun.”

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPETait