Need to Know | Week 21: Win or Go Home

Even with that clarity, what was interesting as the team returned to the practice field Monday following last weekend's loss to the Edmonton Elks -- coupled with wins by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders -- was the slight variation in the tone.

It's like there are two narratives riding on parallel tracks as the Blue Bombers approach this weekend's must-win game in Vancouver where essentially the 'put your head down and get after it again' is being running alongside the frustration and disappointment that comes with an 8-9 record and the now accompanying desperation.

"It's all about us. We've got to win or our season's over," said defensive back Redha Kramdi Monday. "So, from the coaches, the whole organization top-down, we've got to be our best and win that game.

"There's no one to blame but ourselves. We put ourselves in this situation. We can't cry about it. That's not going to change anything. So, we've got to be ready to play on Friday and get that win if we want to have another week together.

"There's a lot of frustration, but the past isn't going to help us in beating B.C., so you've got to move on. But that feeling of disappointment is human, it's normal. If you don't have that, you don't care enough."

Asked for a vibe check on the squad, quarterback Zach Collaros offered this:

"After a game obviously you feel however you feel win or lose. But once you get back in the office, you're just focussed on what your job is so I can't really give you a great answer on that. I know what mine is and it's just we're trying to win a game this week. I'm going to do what I've been doing and trying to get one percent better each meeting, each day.

"....I didn't think we'd be in a situation like this. But we are. You've got to treat it like it's an extension of the playoffs -- you lose and you're out. But, no, I wasn't expecting this."

What the Blue Bombers were expecting, naturally, was to be not just contending for another Grey Cup but with the group they've assembled a home playoff game that comes with finishing first or second in the West Division. Instead, it's been violent run through extreme peaks and valleys and now this elimination game in the final week of the regular season.

WEST DIVISION PLAYOFF SCENARIOS

• WPG WIN + SSK WIN = SSK plays in the Western Semi-Final (WSF) against BC; WPG crosses over to play in the Eastern Semi-Final (ESF) against TOR

• WPG WIN + SSK LOSS = WPG plays in the WSF; SSK crosses over to play in the ESF

• WPG LOSS + SSK WIN = SSK plays in the WSF; CGY crosses over to play in the ESF

• WPG LOSS + SSK LOSS = CGY plays in the WSF; SSK crosses over to play in the ESF

"I'm confident in our group. I'm confident in our staff and just the makeup of our organization," said Collaros. "We're obviously battle tested; a lot of the guys are here. We've been through a lot this season and that adversity, you learn a lot of lessons from it. We've just got to go out there and execute and win a game. That's what it comes down to each and every week.

"You talk about all the reasons why we can do it, all the reasons why can't do it, but it just comes down to actually doing it. We've got to have a great week of practice; have a lot of joy, a lot of energy and go out there and try and execute to the best of our ability and win a football game."

More on the Blue Bombers on their first day back on the practice field in this week's NEED TO KNOW...

QUOTABLE: "I think we have improved throughout the season. We are a better team than we were at the beginning of the season.

"The individual wins and losses, you have to look through that and see that you're getting better. have we strung together a full 60 minutes? A few times this year. But we've strung together a whole hell of a lot of good halves and then some not so good halves. It's just this is the time where we have to do it. You just believe with the amount of work these guys do, that this is going to happen." -- Head coach Mike O'Shea.

WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT ON THE WEST COAST: Lots of speculation swirling about what the Lions might do with their roster this weekend, knowing they are locked into second place in the West Division.

QB Nathan Rourke started their loss to Calgary on the weekend, but did not play the second half, FYI. There could be more of that and then some this weekend in Vancouver.

"There's potential that there are roster changes, but I don't know that it will," said O'Shea. "I mean, in a (salary) cap situation... we've always talked about it, and we've been in this situation before on the other side of it where you've got to make some decisions and some you just can't make. So, we would expect their best from their roster, and we expect the best from each player. That's the way you should approach it any time: you believe your opponent is good enough to beat you, so you prepare as such."

Blue Bombers receiver Pokey Wilson was a little more succinct on that:

"At the end of the day, it's a faceless opponent. Whoever goes out there and lines up, we're going to try and whup their ass and that's how it's going to be."

OUCH REPORT: Not practising Monday were: RB Brady Oliveira, LT Stanley Bryant, G Pat Neufeld, DT Cam Lawson WR Tim White, DE Neur Gatkuoth, LB Michael Ayers and LB Jaylen Smith.