This is actually a must win game for the Bombers on Friday night against BC.
If the Bombers win they are in the playoffs. If they lose, their 2026 season is over!
Here is what the Bombers are saying leading up to this game (and feel free to scroll on by if you are like me and are tired of the talk and just want to see results).
I would expect as much. That should go without saying. That is like saying we value integrity. Companies should not have to state minimum requirements.
As great at that is, I expect Brady has done that every week...but that is not what translates into wins.
I disagree. I think the coaches and coordinators should be looking behind them and figuring out what has worked and what has not.
I hope that has been the intensity all year long. This should be nothing new.
And finally, here you are. The amount of work, war, competitive nature can help win football games...but if there is something fundamentally wrong no amount of work, war, or competitive nature will make a team consistent.
And I hope the Bombers have put that togther.
Well at least they know that much, bit do they know how to fix it?
Banged Up Bombers
The Bombers will not be entering this must-win game completely healthy. Very likely there is no team that is 100% healthy right now. That is just the way it is in professional football when the playoffs come around.
BC Starting Kaidon Salter At QB
On Tuesday of this week, BC came out and announced that they will be starting Kaidon Salter. That was a very early announcement and decision.
For the most part Winnipeg kept Salter in check...at least when it came to passing. But let us look at the rushing yards for BC that game.
While some Bomber fans might think this will help Winnipeg beat BC...does anyone remember July 30th?
I know, we have all tried to forget that game where BC absolutely pounded Winnipeg, in Winnipeg, with rush yards.
Both Salter and Horvath torched the Bombers in the run game.
Lions' Depth Chart
The BC Lions are sitting a lot of their top notch players. They fully realize that they want to enter the playoffs as healthy as possible.
This should help the Bombers. And before anyone jumps on the Bombers saying, 'The only way they made the playoffs was because BC rested players,' what do you want to say about Saskatchewan? Saskatchewan barley beat Montreal for Saskatchewan to punch their ticket to the playoffs...and Montreal was resting a bunch of players.
Winnipeg Depth Chart
As for Winnipeg, it is all hands on deck. Forget about what you saw on the injury updates. If a player had a pulse, they were going to play.
This is it for the Bombers. There is no more 2026 if they do not get a win. My only question would be this, If the Bombers go up a lot and it is late in the game are they pulling any starters such as Collaros and others? I would. If the Bombers put this one to bed and it is halfway through the 4th quarter I am pulling Collaros. Despite the score I would not pull Collaros in the 3rd quarter. Anything can happen in the CFL.
Imagine this. The Bombers are up big at half time and pull Collaros to start the 3rd quarter. BC chips away at the lead and wins the game in the dying minutes or seconds. OUCH!
Sure, another possibility is that the Bombers are up big, leave Collaros in to start the second half and Collaros gets injured. The Bombers win, but Collaros is out for the playoffs.
And while we do not get to pick the scenario, and while I wish neither scenario takes place, I could live with the second scenario...if. If the reason the Bombers did not pull Collaros was because there was way too much clock left.
Final Thoughts
The Bombers are probably most likely going to make the playoffs via the cross-over.
If Winnipeg beats BC, Calgary is eliminated. If Winnipeg beats BC and Saskatchewan beats Edmonton (which I think will happen as Edmonton is likely to rest players) the Saskatchewan is in 3rd place and Winnipeg crosses over.
The crossover has not been favorable to Western teams as none of them have won a crossover game. And I am not one to hope my team crosses over...but what do you think is the easier path?
If the Bombers stay in the West they will have to go to BC, and then to Edmonton to get to the Grey Cup. However, if the Bombers crossover, they would have to go to Toronto, and to Montreal to get to the Grey Cup.
Neither path is easy and I do not see the Bombers winning a playoff game either way. But I tell you what, if I could choose I am going to the East. I want to play Toronto. For as much as Chad Kelly is going to burn you down the field, he also could throw a ton of interceptions.
And then if the Bombers got past Toronto, yah they would have Montreal and Montreal destroyed them the last time they met. But before that...on Friday August 28th in Winnipeg, the Bombers laid the Boots to Montreal beating them 44-28.
While neither path is going to be easy, give me the crossover.
What do you think? Let me know wherever you are reading this.
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