Bombers coach Mike O’Shea ‘will continue to think about’ convert decision in Labour Day Classic

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If he got the chance to do it over again, it’s unclear whether or not Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea would do things differently in the late stages of the Labour Day Classic on Sunday.

On the final play of regulation, Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Dorian Singer to make the score 26-25. Had the team elected to try a two-point convert, they would have won or lost the game right then and there.

Instead, O’Shea elected to kick a one-point convert and push the game to overtime. Once there, Saskatchewan needed only five plays to score a touchdown on its first possession, while Winnipeg turned the ball over on downs to seal the game.

The Roughriders handed their prairie rivals a 32-26 loss to take a four-point head-to-head lead in the West Division standings.

“When it doesn’t work, you wish you did it a different way. If I went for two and we didn’t get it, I’d feel the same way, I’d feel just as crappy,” O’Shea told the media on Wednesday.

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

“It happens, it unfolds that way, and I think like every other scenario, every other decision, it just gives me more information to look at and go back, and study, and think about, and ruminate over, so it should serve its purpose.”

According to Derek Taylor of 680 CJOB, CFL teams have made 55 percent of their two-point convert attempts since 2015.

O’Shea has continued to reflect on the decision, terming it a standard part of the coaching process.

“Certainly, it’s something I will continue to think about,” he said. “I think that’s what you do as a coach, you look back at your decisions and you validate — not based on the outcome — whether you went through the process properly.”

Veteran receiver Nic Demski didn’t play in the Labour Day Classic due to an ankle injury. When asked about his team’s decision not to try a two-point convert, he deferred to the coaching staff.

“I don’t know, I just play,” he said with a laugh. “At the end of the day, I trust whatever decisions there are. You’ve gotta live by them, and you’ve gotta go through the motions, and stand by them. Maybe going for two was the right call, or maybe it wasn’t. I guess we’ll never know.”

Demski was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, as per the team’s official report. Canadian defensive back Redha Kramdi was also a full participant after missing six games with a hand injury.

It appears both will return to the lineup on Saturday for the Banjo Bowl.

“They’re good players, lots of experience,” said O’Shea. “They communicate well, they are a huge part of the meeting process, in the planning process.”

Ontaria Wilson was a non-participant on Wednesday due to a hand injury. O’Shea indicated it’s too early to say whether or not he’ll play on Saturday.

Other non-participants included offensive lineman Stanley Bryant (foot) and linebacker Jaiden Woodbey (hamstring).

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-6) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-4) at Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday, September 12 with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m. EDT. The two teams met in the Labour Day Classic last week, where the Roughriders won 32-26 in overtime at Mosaic Stadium.

The weather forecast in Toronto calls for a high of 15 degrees and sun. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and Crave in Canada, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 620 CKRM in Regina or CJOB 680 in Winnipeg.