Riders vs. Bombers: Banjo Bowl 2026

Saturday the Riders are in the crime capital of Canada. Or would you prefer the inbreeding capital of Canada? Or would you prefer the “education system is so poor they don’t know what a capital is”? Yes, it’s the Banjo Bowl. I still find the Riders’ refusal to call it that and insistence on “Labour Day rematch” some Manitoba-level stupidity. Just roll with it, its great marketing. 

The Bombers are 6-6 and desperately trying to avoid dropping into the West basement. The Riders are 8-4 and looking to keep pace with Edmonton at the top end of the standings. A win for the Riders would be massive as it would put them 3 games up on Winnipeg with the tiebreaker and just 5 games to go. We have a chance to bury them, it would sure be nice to take it.  

The problem is that as much as Labour Day has become guaranteed win night for the Riders, the Banjo Bowl is guaranteed win night for the Bombers. We are 1-5 in the last 6 Banjo Bowls and never scored more than 21 points… even in the win. It’s been as hard to find a win in Winnipeg as it is to find a full set of teeth there. But last year proved it can be done. 

Expect the Bombers to try and counter by leaning on Olivera. I mean, they should do that all the time but Tommy Condell seems to care not for RBs even if they are his best player. Last Banjo Bowl Olivera got 20 carries. I expect a similar workload. It will once again be on the D-line to stop the run and generate pressure on Collaros. Bombers also get Demski back, who is a noted Rider killer. Our defense did well last week and I expect that to continue. It will be a matter of whether the Offense can provide them enough support that they don’t run out of gas late in the game. 

Offense worries me. Last year was the best we played in a Banjo Bowl in years and it was still god awful. We needed 5 FGs last year to win… tell me how confident you feel in that happening this year? Though oddly enough Hale is a really good road kicker. Just apparently cannot manage to adjust his tint to the Mosaic colours. The re-addition of Baldonado makes us all hope that this is the last game we have to withstand Hale (we can always hope right?). Wiebe is out so Bridges checks back-in. I think as he gets more time with the offense Bridges can be a very solid contributor. Still need to stay committed to running the ball. And we can’t afford turnovers (looking at you Mimbs)… though I fully expect at least 1 INT from Harris. I doubt Winnipeg lets Busby get another 150 yard game… though if I’m them I stay keyed on KeeSean and take your chances with another Busby career game. Maybe it’s a Joey JoJo game. 

My normal default position for a Banjo Bowl is that we will lose. History supports my bias. That said if you want some stats that can sway you towards optimism, the Bombers have a losing record at home and are 1-5 vs West division opponents.  

I think we can win and we will make it close. But a road banjo bowl with a bye week looming just screams dud performance to me. I expect a game as ugly and low scoring as last year. I expect it to come down to the wire again. Hell I’ll even go as far as to say OT two weeks in a row. But I see the Bombers edging us by a FG. Either one they make or one we miss.