Preview – Rematch Bombers vs Stampeders

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be looking for a much better outing this week against the Calgary Stampeders after falling to Calgary by an astonishing score of 37-16 in Week 5.

Losing to Calgary in the inaugural Stampede Bowl put the Bombers at a 3-1 record. But it was not the loss that was concerning, it was how they lost. Colloaros threw two pick 6’s and allowed Vernon Adams to do something he has been unable to do all season up until that point, throw a touchdown pass. Well, now the Bombers had a bye week to regroup, and fans will be expecting, not hoping, but rather expecting a better performance by the Bombers.

In front of another sold out crowd, the Bombers need to put up a better effort or they will certainly be hearing it from the fans. These Bomber fans are engaged, smart, and they know football. I do not want to say that they know football better than any other fan base in the CFL, but they are right up there. They know what good football looks like, and they know what dismal football looks like. And, oh yah, they expect wins!

Expecting wins is a very reasonable expectation for Bomber fans. In the regular season, dating back to 2019, the Bombers have the most wins (65), they have the most home wins (39), they are second in road wins (26), they are first in points for (2,561), first in points against (1,804), first in the point differential (+757), and first in Grey Cup wins (2). But they have also lost the last 3 Grey Cups. And with the 2025 Grey Cup game being played in Winnipeg, expectations are high for the Bombers in 2025.

This game, however, is not just about meeting expectations for a better performance from Week 5. This game is about keeping up with the West Division pack. If the Bombers lose against Calgary, Winnipeg will go to 3-2, and Calgary will be sitting at 5-1. Saskatchewan has BC later this week, and a Saskatchewan win would put them also at 5-1. If the Bombers do not win on Friday they could find themselves falling behind.

However, this game is also about setting the stage for later in the season. Including Friday’s game, Winnipeg will play Calgary two more times. While winning those games would provide some interdivisional spread, a season series win would also secure a tie breaker should that come in to play latter in the season.

Issues for Winnipeg
Winnipeg is going to have their share of issues when they try to beat Calgary. Namely, the loss of Schoen and Bryant. Schoen’s injuries have caused some fans to question whether Winnipeg made the right choice keeping him and not signing Lawler. Here is my take on that.

Call it an issue, or call it an opportunity, Winnipeg is going to need to make some changes. While Bryant is on the 1 game injured list; it looks like Schoen is on the 6 game injured list. So for this game, at least, Vanterpool will play left tackle, and Wallace will move over to left guard. Case will get a shot at the slot back position, and Jay Person will draw in behind Vaughters.

Calgary’s Line Up

What Winnipeg Needs To Do
Not much of what I say is going to change from the last time the Bombers played Calgary, because I was right…they just did not do it. So here we go again, round 2 with a few tweaks!!

It will be paramount for Winnipeg to get the ball to Oliveira early and often. Collaros was rushed and Winnipeg went away from the run the last time they played Calgary. And no, I do not put too much stock into the idea that Calgary talked Winnipeg out of the run. Winnipeg had 48 passing attempts and only 19 rushes. If Oliveira is not up close to 100 yards in rushing, forget about it, Calgary wins.

The Bombers are going to have to do a much better job getting after Adams. Before their last game against each other Adams had thrown 0 TDs and 3 INTs. The Bombers need to force him back into that personality. Similarly, the Bombers are also going to need to plug the holes better than the last time they met. Calgary ran the ball 27 times, and only threw the ball 18 times.

Finally, unlike they did last time these two teams played each other, the Bombers need to protect the football. Previous to the Stampede Bowl, the Bombers were better at creating and recovering fumbles than Calgary was. Yet much as I said leading up the the Stampede Bowl, what only matters in this game is what happens in this game. So throw last game out the window. The Bombers are coming off a bye week and these two teams usually play each other tough.

I will go back to my final prediction, the same one I had (and was wrong about) before the Stampede Bowl.

Final Thoughts
I could actually see this game being a high-scoring affair. In fact, I would be surprised if both teams do not put up more than 20 points. I would also be surprised if one team blew the other one out of the water. I am not saying that I expect this game to come down to the final drive; though it may. What I am expecting is that there will be many chances or both teams to grab ahold of a win, or to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

What did you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this.

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