Blue Bombers slotback Milt Stegall is one of the CFL's most dangerous recievers. The veteran hauled in seven touchdowns this season. (Joe Bryksa/Canadian Press)
Many CFL pundits believed the Blue Bombers, who haven't made the post-season since the 2003 season, would continue their playoff futility as the team returned to the East Division following the demise of the Ottawa Renegades. The doubters persisted after Winnipeg's season-opening 27-17 loss to Montreal, overlooking a strong defensive effort against the defending East champions.
With the defence continuing its strong play and the steady improvement of quarterback Kevin Glenn, the Bombers won five of their next six games, including a memorable contest at Commonwealth Stadium on July 20. Leading by three with time expiring, the Eskimos appeared headed for a sure victory. With the Bombers standing on their own 10, Glenn found Milt Stegall to the left side of the field. The veteran receiver then slipped by two Eskimo defenders and raced to an improbable 100-yard touchdown to steal the win.
But Winnipeg endured a tough stretch shortly after losing both Glenn and Stegall to injuries. The Bombers dropped four straight games midway through the season and struggled to find any consistency on offence. The Bombers scored the second fewest points (362) among post-season teams and ranked last in completion percentage.
Regardless of the offensive problems through the air, running back Charles Roberts led Winnipeg's resurgence in the final weeks of the season. The CFL's leading rusher (1,609) helped the Bombers clinch a playoff spot by gaining at least 100 yards in three of the team's final five games.
The Bombers, who finished the year winning four of their last seven games, won't be intimidated by competing in the post-season away from home. Winnipeg was tied with the best road record (5-4) in the CFL this year, including victories over Toronto (July 8) and Montreal (Sept. 24). The Bombers could've avoided a road date with the Argonauts with a win over the B.C. Lions on the final week, but fell 26-16 to the West champs.
| Name | Position | Uniform # |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Roberts | RB | 1 |
| Ryan Dinwiddie | QB | 2 |
| Anthony Malbrough | DB | 3 |
| Omar Evans | DB | 4 |
| Kevin Glenn | QB | 5 |
| Troy Westwood | K | 7 |
| Ron Ockimey | S | 15 |
| Greg Bearman | DB | 16 |
| Stanford Samuels | DB | 16 |
| Brad Banks | QB | 17 |
| Chris Cvetkovic | C | 19 |
| Donnavan Carter | LB | 20 |
| Scott Regimbald | FB | 21 |
| Shawn Gallant | DB | 22 |
| Kyries Hebert | S | 23 |
| Ike Charlton | DB | 23 |
| Graeme Bell | RB | 26 |
| Kelly Malveaux | DB | 27 |
| Ian Logan | DB | 31 |
| Neil McKinlay | LB | 42 |
| Gabriel Fulbright | CB | 43 |
| Tom Canada | DE | 44 |
| Barrin Simpson | LB | 51 |
| Matthew Sheridan | G | 54 |
| Aaron Fiacconi | C | 55 |
| Stevie Baggs | DE | 56 |
| Jermese Jones | T | 57 |
| Ibrahim Khan | G | 60 |
| Dan Goodspeed | T | 64 |
| Val St. Germain | G | 65 |
| Mike Abou-Mechrek | G | 67 |
| Mark Parenteau | G | 68 |
| Arjei Franklin | WR | 70 |
| Jon Oosterhuis | DE | 77 |
| Andrae Thurman | WR | 82 |
| Derick Armstrong | WR | 83 |
| Chris Brazzell | WR | 84 |
| Milt Stegall | SB | 85 |
| Adam Eckert | WR | 85 |
| Albert Johnson III | WR | 87 |
| Jamie Stoddard | WR | 88 |
| Kwame Cavil | WR | 88 |
| Adrian Baird | LB | 90 |
| Ron Warner | DE | 94 |
| Cameron Legault | DT | 95 |
| Doug Brown | DT | 97 |
| Gavin Walls | DE | 98 |