Ed Tait, Winnipeg Football Club

Clear your November calendars, Bomber Nation, and circle the 2nd and the 9th in particular, because the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ remarkable romp right through the Canadian Football League over the last two months means playoff football is coming back to Princess Auto Stadium.

Again.

The Blue Bombers cranked out their eighth straight victory Friday night here in Steeltown with a 31-10 mauling of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in front of 22,241 at Tim Hortons Field, and in the process locked up at least second in the West Division with their 10-6 record.

It was an item on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ to-do list with about the same ho-hum urgency as breathing, fuelling up the car with the tank on empty, and grabbing bread and milk at the supermarket.

Qualify for the Canadian Football League playoffs? Well, sure. Of course.

There was a time not too long ago – way back on June 29th, if we are to be precise – when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had been completely written off by so many across the Canadian Football League.

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.