For all the talk of the Labour Day Classic (LDC) weekend, and the home and home games about to be played over the next two weekends, there are 3 things that will determine the winner of the LDC game between Winnipeg and Saskatchewan.
But first, let me tell you about a few things that do not matter.
What Does Not Matter
1) Momentum from week to week
I do not believe that there is a such a thing in the CFL as momentum between games. The games are about a week apart with lots of time to watch film, practice and make adjustments. Furthermore, whoever wins the first game of this home and home series is not more likely to win the second game. It is a great angle for sports writers, pundits, journalists, and fans...but momentum just is not a thing from game to game.
2) Records/Trajectory
Throw all the records out the window every week. Records do not matter when the game starts. Who chose Winnipeg to beat Montreal last week? Nobody!
Some may argue that Winnipeg is on an upward trajectory, while Saskatchewan is on a downward trajectory. And while it is true that Saskatchewan has struggled as of late, and Winnipeg has shown signs of improvement...none of that actually matters. These things change on a dime! And with there being so many ways to score in the CFL, as they say in politics, "Things happen." Meaning, that you may think you have the situation figured out, and then something happens that you simply did not account for.
3 Things That Will Determine The Game
1) Who is in and who is out
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders have a number of adjustments.
Which one of these moves do you think is the biggest for the Bombers? For me it is Demski being out (injured) and Singer getting a shot. Look, the loss of Demski is going to be big. He often was the safety valve for Collaros - when Collaors was under pressure he would find Demski. On the other hand, Singer is said to be looking really good and many think he should get a shot. It sure would ne nice if both Demski and Singer were in the game, but that is not the case. Singer will get a great opportunity to make an argument why he deserves a full time spot on the roster. I am not saying that Singer has to get all the same touches that Demski usually did. There just cannot be a massive drop off at that position or the Riders come out more favourably with this move.
This one is a little bit different for me. I do not actually see one singular player out for Saskatchewan that will negatively impact them. However, what I do see is that Saskatchewan will be without 2 linebackers, Woods and Wiebe. Both have played the weakside position with Wiebe coming in for the injured Woods. Replacing them will be Miller and Varga. But for the majority of the season it was either Woods or Wiebe at that position.
For most of the season Miller has lined up as a middle linebacker, and when Varga was in he was behind Woods and Wiebe. However, it will come down more to communication than ability. If Miller and Varga are not assignment sound, then there could be some more opportunities for Winnipeg to run the ball or find some underneath completions.
2) Kicking
This is going to be a big part of who walks away with a 'W'.
Saskatchewan's field goal kicking has been hit an miss for a while, and when "a while" I mean for more than just the 2026 season. At the end of the 2025 season Saskatchewan let go of their veteran kicker, Lauther, as he had struggled that year. Ottawa signed Lauther and in early 2026 he had not missed a single field goal for the RedBlacks.
At this point in the season, here is how Castillo, Lauther, and Hale (Saskatchewan's kicker this year) are doing.
3) Finishing drives/Pressure on quarterbacks
Where Winnipeg has the edge on kicking, that might be part of their achilies heel. Knowing that you have a field goal kicker in Castillo who has the CFL record for most ever field goals over 50 yards is quite comforting. When the Bombers find themselves in a tight spot they know that they have the best chance out of any team to put 3 points on the scoreboard. Yet, at the same time it can, and I would argue has, altered the Bombers' play calling throughout the season.
When Winnipeg has lost in 2026 it is not because Castillo did not hit his field goals. Rather, it is because Winnipeg settled for 3 points as opposed to working to extend drives. After the Bombers beat Montreal last week I said this, "For me, the major difference in this game for the Bombers was their ability to consistently finish drives with touchdowns instead of field goals."
As much as finishing drives is going to be important for either team to win, so will be pressuring the quarterback. Last week Davis Alexander was rattled, shaken, and frustrated as the Bombers continued to get after him (personally I liked that). Davis was even yelling at the referees trying to get phantom calls.
Trevor Harris will throw downfield (as seen from the graphic below).
Harris has completed 20 passes over 30 yards, where Collaros has only completed 3. If Winnipeg wants to stop that trend they are going to have to limit Harris' time to make decisions and for his receivers to run down field. Harris is also far more of a pocket passer than Collaros is. Where Collaros likes to roll out, Harris likes to stand in their and deliver. While the roll out style of Collaros should make it harder to sack him, it also means that he is making reads and decisions on the run. Ball security will be the utmost of importance for Collaros.
Final Thoughts
As I say every year leading into the LDC and the rematch dubbed the Banjo Bowl; throw all the stats and standings out the window...it just does not matter. I believe the Bombers will pull out the win if they are better in the above categories, as that is the most likely path to victory. However, either team can win in a multitude of ways that I have not even began to explore, because as I said earlier, "Things happen."
What do you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this. Catch all my articles here.