The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have failed to qualify for the Canadian Football League playoffs for the second year in a row. The Blue Bombers were officially eliminated on Saturday after dropping a 27-8 decision to the Toronto Argonauts.

 

 

Winnipeg quarterback Steven Jyles suffered a suspected separated shoulder on this tackle by Kevin Eiben.

 

 

There were two big plays that hurt Winnipeg. The first was an injury to their starting quarterback while the other resulted in a 10-point swing. Steven Jyles, who had completed three of his first four passes, suffered a suspected separated shoulder when tackled by Toronto linebacker Kevin Eiben late in the first quarter. Second-string quarterback Alex Brink who was 7-of-12 for 50 yards, also left the game after suffering a shoulder injury when hit by Argos defensive end Ron Flemons. Third-string quarterback Joey Elliott played the final 20 minutes and completed 8-of-18 passes for 75 yards. The lone bright spot on offence was running back Fred Reid who carried the ball 15 times for 105 yards.

 

 

 

 

The backbreaker for the Blue Bombers took place with 22 seconds left in the first half. With Winnipeg trailing 10-5, Justin Palardy's 51-yard field goal attempt was short and Chad Owens ran 109 yards for a touchdown turning what could have been a 10-8 game into a 17-5 Toronto lead at halftime.

 

 

Winnipeg defensive tackle Doug Brown talked about the football clubs 27-8 loss to the Argos which knocked them out of playoff contention.

 

 

Winnipeg has two games left in the 2010 Canadian Football League season. The Blue Bombers, who have won just four of 16 games, will meet the Eskimos in Edmonton on Saturday, October 30th and then host the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, November 5th.

 

 

 

 

Winnipeg head coach Paul Lapolice was asked what he told his football team after their 27-8 loss to the Toronto Argonauts which eliminated the Blue Bombers from playoff contention.

 

 

2010 is the third straight season Winnipeg will finish with fewer wins than the year before. The Blue Bombers were 10-7-1 in 2007 when they lost the Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They were 8-10 in Doug Berry's final season as head coach in 2008. Winnipeg was 7-11 during Mike Kelly's one-year stint as head coach in 2009. Now the  Blue Bombers, under rookie head coach Paul LaPolice, can do no better than 6-12 if they win their final two games this season.