When a team makes it to five straight Grey Cup Games, you get to know an awful lot about them.
And that is certainly the case with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a group that we saw win the first two of their Grey Cup appearances before losing the last two, in excruciating, final moments fashion.
It’s a team that has some pressure on it, coming into the game as clear favourites, and determined to not allow that losing streak to grow to three.
As they prepare to take on the Toronto Argonauts in the 111th Grey Cup Game, in Vancouver, here are five things to know about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
111th GREY CUP
» Costabile: 5 storylines to watch in the 111th Grey Cup
» Steinberg’s Bombers Practice Report: Business as usual
» 3 stats that may loom large in the 111th Grey Cup
» The 111th Grey Cup Players Survey: Punt the onside punt away?
» Prediction Time: CFL.ca writers’ 111th Grey Cup picks
[1 of 23]
(Thomas Srklj/CFL.ca)
DEMSKI MAKES EVERYTHING GO
When sizing up the Winnipeg offence, it’s only natural to look at All-CFL running back Brady Oliveira as your starting point. When a guy leads the league in rushing yards (1,353) and is named the West Division’s Most Outstanding Player for a second straight season, it is obvious that he’s a key.
But for Toronto co-defensive coordinator Will Fields, it’s receiver Nic Demski who acts as the catalyst for the Winnipeg offence.
“Demksi makes everything go,” said Fields, this week. “He’s one of the toughest and smartest players in this league, receiver-wise.”
Demski is a receiver, he’s a running back, he’s a decoy, he’s a blocker.
And after a struggle of a start to the season, he has been his old self ever since he went off for 109 yards and a touchdown against the BC Lions back in Week 11.
“I think he makes it all go back there, and he presents a problem because they do so many things with him,” said Fields.
When Nic Demski gets touches his stats pop. When he doesn’t, he’s still doing the work that allows for others’ numbers to stand out.
KENNY LAWLER IS ON FIRE
CFL.ca’s Don Landry writes about Lawler’s recent streak of big games (Thomas Skrlj/CFL.ca)
The spectacular Winnipeg receiver is in full flight, lately, after sitting out eight games early in the season due to an arm fracture suffered during a Week 1 game against Montreal.
He returned in the middle of August, and had just so-so numbers for his first five games back in the line-up.
But in his last four regular season games, Lawler topped the hundred-yard receiving mark three times, including a Week 19 game against Toronto, when he caught six passes for 108 yards.
In last week’s Western Final win over Saskatchewan, Lawler was a monster, pulling in three touchdown passes and totalling 177 yards against a very good Roughriders’ secondary.
Kenny Lawler had his best game of the year on Saturday. Can he repeat it on the big day?
BEWARE OF NO. 30
Landry says the Argonauts have to be aware of the whereabouts of Tyrell Ford at all times (Thomas Skrlj/CFL.ca)
Winnipeg cornerback Tyrell Ford has quickly established himself as a guy you just do not want to tangle with if you can help it.
Every once in a while, a corner becomes such a lockdown artist that offences eventually try to scheme as much as they can in order to avoid the area. And if Ford isn’t in that category yet, he is very, very close.
“I think he can lock anybody up in the league at any time,” Ford’s brother, Edmonton quarterback Tre Ford, told CFL.ca this week. “So it doesn’t matter which receiver’s out there. I think he’s gonna lock him up, especially to that field (wide) side.”
With seven interceptions during the regular season, Winnipeg’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player finished tied for second with Toronto’s DaShaun Amos in the category and his 12 knockdowns put him in sole possession of second in that category in 2024.
If you don’t notice Tyrell Ford on Sunday, it likely means the Argos have decided to heed Ford’s “no trespassing” sign and have tried to stay far, far away. Even if that does happen, it means Ford has affected the game in a very big way.
THE DEFENCE IS A BIT UNCONVENTIONAL
It’s been interesting to hear Argos’ head coach (and offensive coordinator) Ryan Dinwiddie talk about what he expects from the Blue Bombers’ defence on Grey Cup Sunday.
So-called conventional wisdom would have us think that Winnipeg would jam the running lanes and force Toronto back-up quarterback Nick Arbuckle to try to be the one to beat them.
Dinwiddie doesn’t expect that to be the case, though. He believes the Bombers will continue to play a “light box” defence, which has been their tendency, apparently, this season.
“They make you run it,” said Dinwiddie. “They’re taking away your quick, easy throws by playing a lighter box.”
Fewer defenders in the running lanes, more in the quick passing lanes.
“So as a quarterback, the little hitches and (run-pass option) stuff that gets you going in the game, they’re not allowing you to have that,” added Dinwiddie.
“If you can establish the run, you can get them out of some of their unconventional defensive styles.”
THE COMPETITIVE JUICES ARE REALLY FLOWING
[1 of 60]
(Jamie Douglas/CFL.ca)
To a man, the Blue Bombers are disciplined, disciplined, disciplined when it comes to Grey Cup Week messaging. That should come as no surprise to anyone who’s followed the CFL at all the last five years. From top down, Bomber answers to queries come with some narrowly-defined variation of “trust the process,” or “treat this like any game.”
If the team is feeling any pressure over the prospect of being on the losing end of a Grey Cup Game for the third season in a row, you can’t find that on the surface.
A little below it, though?
The team has a Board Games Club, one that kicker Sergio Castillo tells me has been convening every couple of days or so since the middle of October.
Defensive back Evan Holm is the president of the club and he reports that things can get a little chippy, with a dozen or so of his teammates taking part. Has anybody flipped over the board in anger?
“Yes, there have been some tempers flaring,” Holm replied with a wee smirk and a nod. “There’ve been a couple of walkouts.”
The fires are burning.