The best teams in any sport can win games in many different ways.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers certainly belong on any best-teams list — and added another line to their impressive resume on Saturday with a 24-13 win over the visiting B.C. Lions in the CFL West Final before a fifth consecutive sellout crowd of 32,343 at IG Field.
On a rare quiet night for star quarterback Zach Collaros (158 passing yards, no touchdowns) and with top receiver Dalton Schoen sidelined with an ankle injury, the Blue Bombers' ferocious defence sacked Lions QB Vernon Adams Jr. nine times as Winnipeg advanced to the Grey Cup for a fourth season in a row.
It feels like it would be unwise to bet against these Bombers when they face the Montreal Alouettes next Sunday in Hamilton.
The Bombers, who have opened as 6.5-point favourites for the Grey Cup, are the first team to go to four consecutive championship games since the Edmonton dynasty won five in a row from 1978 to '82. They'll look to win the trophy for the third time in four seasons.
Here are some takeaways from the West final.
Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea was a rugged linebacker in his playing days, combining toughness with smarts to become one of the top players in the league.
His team plays just like their coach.
The North Bay, Ont. native watched his Blue Bombers defence overwhelm the league's most dynamic quarterback.
Adams Jr., to his credit, kept battling despite being banged up — he was clearly limping after several hits.
But he was no match for this defence. Along with taking nine sacks, Adams was intercepted three times as the Lions lost to the Blue Bombers in the West final for the second year in a row.
Winnipeg's Jackson Jeffcoat and Willie Jefferson are two of the top defensive ends in the CFL and came up with two sacks apiece.
The Alouettes, meanwhile, gave up seven sacks earlier Saturday in their upset win over the host Toronto Argonauts. Pass protection has been a problem all year for the Alouettes, which plays right into the Blue Bombers' hands.
It's not only the Blue Bombers defence that plays with a physical edge.
The Blue Bombers love the power running game — with Winnipeg-born star running back Brady Oliveira combining with a hard-nosed offensive line to create trouble for opposing teams.
Oliveira set the tone early. He touched the ball on nine of 10 plays on Winnipeg's opening drive, finishing it with an eight-yard touchdown run. The Blue Bombers stayed in front the rest of the game.
Oliveira had 101 rushing yards in the first half before being mostly held in check in the second half.
Nevertheless, it was a strong performance by the West nominee for the CFL's most outstanding player award after the East nominee, Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly, had a miserable afternoon in a stunning loss to the Alouettes.
Blue Bombers backup safety Nick Hallett blocked a field goal in last year's Grey Cup loss to Toronto.
Once again, the native of London, Ont. made a huge play on special teams in the West final.
The seventh-round 2019 draft pick from the University of Toronto blocked a punt in the second quarter, scooped it up and rumbled in from 15 yards out for a touchdown — with a defender draped on him for the final few yards — to put Winnipeg up 15-3.
Late-round gems sure can come in handy. Full credit to Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters for finding a good player from a school that isn't a perennial football powerhouse.
There was a huge momentum change on the final play of the first half as the Lions scored on a Hail Mary to cut the deficit to 18-10.
Adams rolled out and fired it into a crowd, before it was tipped back to Justin McInnis for a miraculous 45-yard score.
Then, to start the second half, the Lions got a 43-yard kickoff return from Terry Williams to put the ball on the Winnipeg 52-yard line. But Jeffcoat and Jefferson followed with sacks, getting the roaring crowd back into it and denying the Lions a key double dip (scoring points to end the first half and to start the second).
Not all is perfect
One key storyline this week will be the health of Schoen and Blue Bombers star linebacker Adam Bighill.
A three-time winner of the CFL's top defensive player award, Bighill limped off the field late in the first half with a non-contact injury and did not return.
Another concern is the kicking game as Sergio Castillo missed two field goals on Saturday.
Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton is known for having challenging winds, so it won't be easy for Castillo to bounce back.
The Blue Bombers won both their games against the Alouettes this season, prevailing 17-3 on Canada Day in Montreal and 47-17 on Aug. 24 in Winnipeg.
Oliveira topped 100 yards on the ground in both games, while Collaros had six total touchdown passes.
Unfamiliar foes
The Blue Bombers and Alouettes never have squared off in a Grey Cup game — this year is the 110th edition.
While the Blue Bombers have spent time in the East Division and the Alouettes disappeared for a stretch last century, it certainly is an oddity to get a first-time Grey Cup matchup.
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