Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
For a number of different reasons, Saturday’s 36-27 loss to the BC Lions was a costly one for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In the immediacy, all of a sudden Winnipeg’s right to host a home playoff game is in jeopardy. Just as important, however, is the health of perhaps the Bombers’ two most important players.
Costly loss
Saturday’s loss was a tough one for the Bombers. I know this is a competitive league and anything can happen, but Winnipeg had a chance to lock up second place in the division against a non-playoff team, so not getting it done stings a little bit.
I’ll give the Lions some credit, because they deserve it. Jonathon Jennings put together his best game of the season while the dynamic receiving duo of Bryan Burnham and Emmanuel Arceneaux went off for 253 combined yards.
In reality, though, BC had nothing but pride to play for after being eliminated from playoff contention earlier this month. Sure, loose teams like that can be dangerous to play against, but the Bombers really did miss an opportunity. As such, Week 20 is now very much in play, and that’s something Winnipeg really wanted to avoid.
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Jonathon Jennings went off for 408 yards and four TDs in a win over the Bombers (The Canadian Press)
The good news is the Bombers still very much control their own destiny. If Winnipeg wins its final game of the regular season, it clinches second and will host the Western Semi-Final. Additionally, if the Bombers lose on Friday night, they can also clinch with an Edmonton loss the next day in Saskatchewan. Suffice to say, though, the Bombers would like to get things done in their own game.
The problem with that, of course, is the opponent. Yes, the Calgary Stampeders have lost two straight games for the first time since July of 2012, but facing them at McMahon Stadium is still an extremely tall task. Making it tougher is that, thanks to their last two losses, the Stamps are likely going to be looking to finish the season strong heading into their bye.
Now, when on their game, I think the Bombers pose a tough test for Calgary. The problem is, with everything still to play for, we’re not sure if the Bombers are going to have a pair of crucial players for Friday’s season finale.
The most promising word for Bombers fans following Saturday’s loss was “fine,” because that’s the word Head Coach Mike O’Shea used for both quarterback Matt Nichols and tailback Andrew Harris. While it’s not “great” or “excellent,” the word ‘fine’ is certainly a better descriptor than what it could have been.
Nichols seemed to sustain a leg injury in the first quarter against BC and didn’t return, although he remained on the sidelines. “I think he’ll be fine,” O’Shea said following the game. “It’s too early now, but I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
And exhale. That prognosis makes you think there’s a chance he’ll play in Week 20, and certainly seems to suggest Nichols will be fine for the team’s playoff game a week from Sunday. In saying that, though, Nichols is no guarantee to play against Calgary, and even if he does, will he be at 100 per cent? It’s certainly something to keep an eye on.
Dominique Davis hands the ball to Andrew Harris during Saturday’s matchup vs. BC (The Canadian Press)
As for Harris, O’Shea said the Most Outstanding Canadian front-runner “should be fine,” which, again, is promising news. More promising was Harris himself declaring himself “all good” on Twitter following the game.
By no means is all lost for Winnipeg. This is still a very good team that has earned the right to control its own playoff destiny here. I won’t sugarcoat it, though: the Bombers’ road to a home playoff date got much harder by not closing out over BC on Saturday. Let’s see how they respond to it in a few days.
What a career
Seeing Nik Lewis play his final game in a CFL uniform on Friday night was really bittersweet. On the one hand it’s too bad, because you never want to see a great career come to an end. It also was a wakeup call about this whole aging thing, because I remember vividly when Lewis entered the league in 2004. Once I stopped being selfish, though, I realized it was time to celebrate an outstanding career.
It’s amazing to think how Lewis evolved in his 14 years of professional football. In his rookie season, Lewis was a guest on the radio station I’m still working at and referred to himself as the “Terrell Owens of the CFL.” The dude has come a long way from there, though.
Don’t get me wrong: even as his career comes to an end, Lewis is still as outspoken as they come and is never afraid to call it like he sees it. But somewhere along the line, Lewis also became all about the team and all about the common goal. As such, he’ll be remembered by his peers as much for what he did off the field as he did on it.
After 14 seasons and the most catches in CFL history, Nik Lewis is ready to call it a career (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Oh, and he was pretty good between the white lines, too. Lewis retires as the CFL’s all-time receptions leader with 1,051 and fourth all-time in receiving yards with 13,778. Lewis put together 10 seasons of 1,000 yards or more and defined the slot possession receiver role for more than a decade.
Really, there’s nothing more for Lewis to accomplish. Sure, everyone wants to win more titles, but Lewis finishes his career with a pair of Grey Cup wins with Calgary in 2008 and 2014. It was a terrific career that deserves a tip of the hat, and we’ll be talking about Lewis again in the not-so-distant future when he’s inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Week 20 questions
So here we are, the final week of the 2017 regular season with so much to be decided. I wasn’t sure if we were going to get a ton of crucial games in Week 20, but things have worked out awesome for the football fan. We’ve got not one, not two, but three important games to finish off the year and decide what these playoff matchups will end up looking like.
It all starts Friday night with the aforementioned showdown between Winnipeg and Calgary. If the former wins, they finish second in the West Division and will start preparing for a home playoff date the following weekend at Investors Group Field. We’ve already handicapped this one a little above, but it should be tight knowing the circumstances both teams are in.
Fast forward to this Saturday and a huge game at Mosaic between the Riders and Eskimos. Regardless of the outcome for the Bombers, this game will mean something to both teams. However, if Winnipeg happens to lose in Calgary, things get even more crucial for Edmonton, as they could move into second spot with a victory.
Regardless, though, the Esks will have something to play for. Even if they’re not trying to chase down a home playoff date, the Eskimos still have to beat Saskatchewan. If the Riders win, regardless of what happens between Winnipeg and Calgary, they’ll relegate the Eskimos to the crossover as the fourth place team in the West.
Buy Week 20 Tickets
» Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Montreal at Hamilton
» Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET: Winnipeg at Calgary
» Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Edmonton at Saskatchewan
» Saturday, 10:00 p.m. ET: Toronto at BC
What’s even better is how well both teams are playing right now. Sask is coming off a dominant performance against the Alouettes over the weekend, with running back Trent Richardson’s performance being the most encouraging sign of all. The Esks, on the other hand, just knocked off the powerhouse Stamps and are riding a four-game winning streak. This should be a really solid game to determine who’s heading east and who’s staying out west.
Finally, and just as important, is who ends up hosting the Eastern Final. Thanks to Ottawa’s thrilling 41-36 win over Hamilton on Friday, and Diontae Spencer’s 496 all-purpose yards, first place in the East is still very much up for grabs. The REDBLACKS have wrapped up their regular season and they’ve put the pressure on Toronto in a big way.
Much like Winnipeg, the Argos still do control their own destiny. But, they also have no margin for error in the final game of 2017. A Toronto win or tie in BC on Saturday night will clinch them the East Division. A loss, however, ensures Ottawa finishes first and secures an all important bye week.
Here’s the scary part for the Argos: they’re taking on a Lions team that quite enjoyed playing spoiler in Week 19. As we mentioned earlier, BC is playing loose ball with nothing on the line, and if Toronto takes them lightly, they’ll get burned. Furthermore, the Argos are on the road and the Lions are going to want to send their fans to the off-season with something positive to remember.
I really like the way Toronto is trending and they’ve won four of their last six games. I think they win at BC Place, because I think they’ve found their sweet spot after a rough start to the season. In saying that, though, this matchup is dangerous, so we’ll see if the Argos are up for the challenge.
