Missed opportunity could come back to bite Bombers

Three yards.

That’s all the Winnipeg Blue Bombers needed to leave Sunday’s Labour Day Classic in Regina with a victory.

But instead of attempting a two-point conversion for the win, head coach Mike O’Shea played it safe. He trotted out kicker Sergio Castillo for an extra point to force overtime after rookie receiver Dorian Singer caught a five-yard touchdown with zero seconds left on the clock.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-4) dusted themselves off and hit pay dirt in extra time to escape with a 32-26 win in front of a record crowd of 34,352 — the most since the new Mosaic Stadium opened in 2017.

“Yeah, when it doesn’t work, you wish you did it a different way. And if I went for two and we didn’t get it, I’d feel the same way — I’d feel just as crappy,” explained O’Shea after Wednesday’s practice.

“We drive down and score, and there is momentum. And there’s also the other side of me that generally thinks, ‘Let’s just keep on extending it, let’s get more opportunities,’ rather than a one-shot deal.”

Knowing the final result, it’s easy to criticize the decision now. But even at the time, it could have easily been argued that a one-shot deal was the best chance the Bombers had at winning.

Standout Canadian receiver Nic Demski didn’t dress because of an ankle injury, and the Bombers also lost receiver Ontaria Wilson and versatile defender Jaiden Woodbey during the evening.

And perhaps most important of all, the favoured Riders were outplaying the Blue and Gold in most areas.

“Yep, certainly, it’s something I will continue to think about,” said O’Shea.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Players on offence always want to go for it, but running back Brady Oliveira understands why O’Shea was reluctant to roll the dice.

“In that situation, it’s probably a tough decision to make. Absolutely it is,” said Oliveira.

“It’s easy looking at it now, ‘Oh, we should have went for it.’ But we’ll never know what that outcome looks like. At the end of the day we’ve got to trust the decision that’s called and go out there and execute. I mean, we pushed it to overtime, which is amazing. We gave ourselves a chance to win that game.”

If the rematch — Saturday’s Banjo Bowl — is going to end differently, the Bombers need to get Oliveira going. The Winnipegger had a season-low 28 yards on nine carries.

In five career LDC games, Oliveira has rushed 55 times for 220 yards.

“I think it’s them. They’re always a team that plays hard, that are well coached, and they’ve got a pretty tough defence to go against,” said Oliveira.

Oliveira and company will potentially benefit this week from the return of both Demski and safety Redha Kramdi, who were full participants on Wednesday.

“I mean, it’s hard to watch any game, but the Labour Day Classic, that definitely added a little bit of emotions to it,” said Demski, who didn’t suit up in Sunday’s game.

Kramdi hasn’t played since making the game-winning pass breakup in overtime in Ottawa on July 19. He suffered the injury a few plays earlier, but played through the pain.

“Didn’t really realize how bad it was,” said Kramdi.

“It’s part of the game, honestly. Injuries come with it. You feel powerless. At the end of the day, the direct impact you have as a player to contribute to the success of the team, the only quantifiable and tangible way is to make plays and be on the field. So when that’s taken away from you, it’s like, what can you do to help?”

The Bombers are 2-4 this season without Kramdi. Fourth-year Canadian Jake Kelly has been filling in for him.

“I don’t think I have that big of an impact,” said Kramdi.

Defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger disagrees.

“One of the best (communicators) I’ve ever been around,” said Younger on the defender.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a coincidence (that we went 2-4 without Kramdi). I would say it’s a lot harder because we give him a premier role in the defence. And now when that guy is down, filling those voids, we usually have to take a step backwards before taking a step forward.”

The Bombers can’t afford to go in reverse. The playoff picture is murkier than ever, and they’re currently situated in fourth in the West Division at 6-6. The Calgary Stampeders (5-7) are behind them and play first-place Edmonton (9-3) this weekend, followed by back-to-back games against winless Ottawa.

And for the first time in a decade, the Bombers and Riders are only battling each other twice in a season. If they split the two-game series, the tiebreaker will boil down to point differential in their head-to-head meetings.

“Critical with a capital C. Yeah, very critical,” said Demski on winning this week.

“Any game you go against the West, but right now, at this point in the season, especially (since) this is the last time we play Saskatchewan, it’s a big game to go in there and win.”

Singer’s heroics

Dorian Singer is one patient person.

He’s been turning heads in practice since training camp, but he had to wait 11 games until the Bombers finally inserted him in the lineup.

The 23-year-old from Saint Paul, Minn., delivered in his debut with five grabs for 62 yards — highlighted by his late-game TD.

Singer worked with the starters on Wednesday as Wilson (hand) was in street clothes. Woodbey (hamstring) was also a spectator.

“I stayed patient, kept going through my daily routine and just waited for my time to come… And that was last week,” said Singer.

Now for the obvious question: what took so long for the Bombers to finally use him?

“I mean, it’s pro football. You come in and you work, and you keep working harder and eventually you’re gonna get your opportunity,” responded O’Shea.

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