Ed Tait, Winnipeg Football Club

Saturday’s 26-21 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the annual Banjo Bowl in front of another capacity crowd of 32,343 at Princess Auto Stadium had so many savoury layers to it.

Most important: not only is it a fifth straight ‘W’ to improve the club’s record to 7-6 – the first time over .500 this season – it keeps them atop the West Division, tied with the B.C. Lions but with a tiebreaker already secured. The Riders, meanwhile, are now 5-7-1 after a 5-1 start to their season.

They don’t paint masterpieces and don’t sculpt works of art. That’s simply not been the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ style through two thirds of the 2024 Canadian Football League season.

Instead, this bunch rolls up its collective sleeves, spits in both hands and methodically swings the sledgehammer over and over again.

Call it 58 minutes and 22 seconds of pure frustration and of worry and concern for two injured comrades – coupled with offensive struggles – which was ultimately topped by a final 98 seconds of absolute ecstasy.

And, given the trials and tribulations of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers through the first chunk of the 2024 Canadian Football League season, perhaps none of us should be the least bit surprised with what unfolded on another pristine summer night in front of a sold-out crowd of 32,343 at Princess Auto Stadium.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers did more than just crash the party and spoil the Nathan Rourke coronation here on the left coast Sunday night.

It’s bigger than that. Much bigger. In mauling the B.C. Lions 20-11 in front of 30,803 at B.C. Place in a score that was flattering to the home side, they sent a crystal-clear message to the rest of the Canadian Football League: don’t let their 4-6 record fool anybody, these Blue Bombers have bolted up out of the grave after an 0-4 start and are absolutely feasting again.

The deeper dive will come on the weekend when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will press play, pause and rewind over and over and over again in examination of their second win of the Canadian Football League season.

But in the moment – the right here and right now of an all-over-the-map 41-37 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in front of 29,467 diehards at a steamy Princess Auto Stadium – there were so many thumbs up developments that will clearly out-shine some of the warts.

Valour FC’s oldest and fiercest nemesis has returned with a vengeance and a sense for dramatic timing.

The franchise’s evil archenemy since its inception in 2019 – its inability to find some magic in the final third by way of goals ­– bit them on the backside once again Sunday afternoon in the Marvel Superhero Match as the home side fell 1-0 to Cavalry FC in front of 3,770 at a steamy Princess Auto Stadium.

There is a still a significant heartbeat and a healthy pulse, and so with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers finally in the win column, we can confirm the following: No need to alert the next of kin because early reports of their passing were clearly both premature and erroneous.

Already decimated by injuries across their depth chart, the Blue Bombers fell to 0-4 to start the campaign following a 22-19 overtime loss to the Calgary Stampeders in front of 22,386 at McMahon Stadium.

What’s worse is Zach Collaros exited at halftime following a hellacious hit to the chest and did not return.

The names on the lineup cards change, as do the venues, yet one thing has remained constant for Valour FC this 2024 Canadian Premier League season – their frustrating inconsistency from one moment to the next, one half to the next.

And it’s costing them dearly.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have found themselves in a dark, damp, hellish place they haven’t visited in over a decade – an 0-3 hole and staring up at the rest of the Canadian Football League’s West Division.

An injury-ravaged Blue Bombers squad – which now looks to have sent even more bodies to the infirmary – traded punches with the B.C. Lions on a perfect Friday night in front of 31,210 at Princess Auto Stadium, but still suffered another loss in a 26-24 defeat.