Sometimes you just run into a better team, or a team that played better and you lose. But that was not the case for the Bombers loss vs. Saskatchewan in the LDC.
Previous to the game I said, here are "3 Things That Will Determine The Game." One of those was kicking, and the Bombers certainly outkicked Saskatchewan. The other one was an area that the Bombers did not take advantage of, "Who is in and who is out."
Winnipeg had a real opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Ouellette (Saskatchewan's running back) was out of the game. I would have expected Winnipeg to blitz and bring more pressure on Saskatchewan's quarterback, Harris.
That lead me to the next point that I brought up as a key to a win, finishing drives/pressure on quarterbacks.
Mistakes Winnipeg Made
Not Finishing Drives/No Pressure on Harris
Before the game I wrote the following.
"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."
Winnipeg did not get near enough pressure on Harris. To me that was very surprising as a week ago the Bombers had Davis running wild.
Winnipeg also had 4 field goals. Turn a few of those in to touchdowns, and that is a Bomber win. It was much like I said before the game,
"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."
No Run Game For Winnipeg
Almost as wild as the Bombers' inability to get after Harris was Winnipeg's refusal to run the ball. Saskatchewan did not talk Winnipeg out of running the ball. No. Winnipeg came in with a completely different game plan than a week previous. Screen passes? Nowhere to be seen. A draw play? Nope. It was therefore not surprising to see Saskatchewan blitz, rush, and get after Collaros all game long.
What makes Tommy Condell, and whoever else is involved in drafting the offensive game plan, completely abandon the run? Brady Oliveira only needed 44 yards to be the first ever Canadian with 5 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. But in the LDC he only got 28 yards. If there is any good news in that, it is that Brady should break the record on home soil - although it would have been great to see him run for over 100 yards in Saskatchewan and stick it to them.
Winnipeg Falling For Tricks
It was so frustrating to watch. I told my 11 year old son that every time Tommy Stevens comes in he is just going to run the ball...somehow Winnipeg did not get that memo. I do not care what types of formations Saskatchewan lines up, even with Harris and Stevens on the field. Stevens literally has zero pass attempts this year! And Winnipeg should know these tricks better than anyone else. It is very reminiscent of when the Bombers had Streveler. It did not matter how Winnipeg lined up, it was going to be a Streveler run. The fact that Winnipeg fell for that tells me that they (coaches and players) do not understand the limitations of Stevens. And that is problematic. If you do not understand what your opponent can and cannot do half way through the season...what are you doing in the film room?
What Wasn't A Mistake? Pushing The Game To Overtime
This is going to be a hot take with divided opinions for sure. But I do not believe it was a mistake to push the game to overtime as opposed to going for the win with a 2 point convert.
Here is why:
*Push the problem down the road
That is a philosophy of mine when it comes to sports. Whether it is coaching my son's baseball team where we have to manage pitch counts in games and tournaments, or whether it is watching professional sports; I am very much a fan of pushing the problem down the road. Buy yourself more time when you are not overpowering your opponent.
*Extend the game like in basketball
You see this all the time in basketball...intentional fouls to extend the game. When a NBA team is losing, and time is running out in the game, they will intentionally send their opponent to the free throw line. The intent is that you hope they do not make both free throws, and you get the ball back to score 2 points; essentially trading 1 point for 2 of your own.
If the Bombers were not able to capitalize offensively in the game, which they were not, I do not trust just one more play to win the game. What? Were the Bombers going to start running it then? Or, all of a sudden was Saskatchewan going to stop getting pressure/sack on Collaros? No chance.
I would much prefer overtime where you give your opponent a chance to make a mistake. Make them have to make more plays to win the game and give them more opportunities to miss; or even an opportunity for your defence to get an interception, and then for Castillo to kick a walk-off field goal.
Did that happen? Sort of. Sure, Saskatchewan did get a touchdown, but they also missed their mandatory 2 point try. And at the end the Bombers lost anyway. But what do I think gave the Bombers the better chance to win based on how they played during that game? Extending the game and going to overtime.
Final Thoughts
After a game like the LDC it leaves Bomber fans, and all of us wondering, 'Is it play calling, the players themselves, or a combination of both. Personally, I think it is more play calling than anything else. I wish I were in the coach's room to understand what changes from one week to the next, especially after the previous week the Bombers beat the best team in the CFL.
The Bombers are still going to be an entertaining team to watch in 2026, but I fear they will make an early exit from the playoffs...if they even make it.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this. Catch all my articles here.