Mike O’Shea: Plenty of decisions to make after Bombers pre-season finale drop
Don’t anticipate that next Thursday will resemble the lively Friday night atmosphere at Princess Auto Stadium. Be grateful for the stark contrast.
The 31-10 outcome, in favor of the Calgary Stampeders over the home team Winnipeg Blue Bombers, painted a rosier picture for the losing side.
Consider these notable statistics from the game…
- Calgary outgained Winnipeg in net offense, 521-110.
- The passing yards heavily favored Calgary at 380-72.
- Calgary also excelled in rushing yards, leading 143-72.
- Calgary secured more first downs, with a 25-6 advantage.
- The turnover count was also in Calgary’s favor, at 4-1.
These numbers would be cause for concern if it weren’t for the fact that Winnipeg had decided to rest nearly all of its key players.
The focus of Friday’s game was not on winning. However, as head coach Mike O’Shea acknowledged, dealing with a loss is never easy.
“It just feels terrible,” he expressed.
The last pre-season game served as a final opportunity for players to make a lasting impression on the coaching staff before the roster was to be trimmed on Saturday.
Chris Smith, known for his impressive skills as a return specialist during his college career, made a statement by returning a punt 109 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, marking Winnipeg’s solitary major score of the evening.
