WINNIPEG

A day before history is made, there was no trash talk, no finger pointing -- nothing that would serve as bulletin-board material.

As the Winnipeg Blue Bombers walked off the field on Wednesday following a laid-back walk-through and, a few hours later, as four RedBlacks and coach Rick Campbell spoke to media, arriving in advance of the rest of the team, there was cautious optimism from both sides in advance of Thursday night's first-ever game for Ottawa's expansion team that wants no part of that label.

For the Blue Bombers, it's Game No. 2 of their mission (on the heels of a 45-21 trashing of the Toronto Argos a week ago); for the RedBlacks, it's showtime.

"Guys are anxious to play that first game," said RedBlacks receiver Paris Jackson. "We want to show teams we are not an expansion team. We feel we're a playoff team right from the get-go. If we come out of this game 1-0, first place in the East, we'll be the talk of the town."

RedBlacks quarterback Henry Burris, who chose to sign in Ottawa rather than Winnipeg in the off-season, expects to be booed. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm the most hated man in the Prairies now, I guess," he said. "I want the pressure on me. As a quarterback this is what you sign up for. We're coming to this game for one reason and that's to do what we can to win. It would be so sweet to go out there and get a win in Week 1 for this team."

There seems little chance the Blue Bombers will underestimate what the RedBlacks are bringing to the table.

"They have 44 guys that are professional football players who are going to come out and try and beat us. If we're not sharp, they're going to hit us in the mouth," said Winnipeg coach Mike O'Shea. "I don't look at them as an expansion team. They're going to have players that are hungry. They've been sitting around practising for a long time. These guys want to play. They've got that extra time that they've just not been able to do their job. It's got to be frustrating. (We) have to realize that (the RedBlacks) are going to come out flying and they're going to want to hit something other than themselves."

"I don't even think we've mentioned (expansion franchise), honestly," said Blue Bombers defensive end Jason Vega. "All we know is they didn't play a game last week. Anything other than that doesn't matter."

"You can't just think it's going to be a win because it's a new team," said Winnipeg linebacker Johnny Sears. "They've got Henry Burris, so you know they have a chance to win no matter who else they have on the team."

Ah, yes -- Burris, the amazing RedBlacks quarterback -- 39 years old, and still good, elite good. The Bombers know they need to put some heat on Burris and not give him time to make second, third and fourth reads -- easier said than done. But they're hoping to throw the QB off a bit with defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry's unique schemes.

Said Vega: "What are the challenges of defending Henry Burris? Do we have enough time? Man, he's good. He can throw 70 yards. He can run, which is my nightmare. He's still running around, he's still throwing the ball like he's 30 ... or 25. With a guy like him who can pinpoint the ball at 60, 70 yards ... we really don't have an opportunity to hang back and wait for him to see if he can find somebody ... because he will."

Defensive back Jovon Johnson and kicker Brett Maher are returning to a familiar setting.

"It's going to be weird," said Johnson, a former CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player while in Winnipeg. "I never imagined myself being on the opposite sideline in this stadium. There are no hard feelings. We had some ups, we had some downs."

Maher was a late cut last month by the Blue Bombers, who decided to keep both Liam Hajrullahu and Mike Renaud, who is from Ottawa. Maher isn't focused on trying to prove anybody wrong. He's got a job to do.

"I'm going in as a RedBlack, trying to get a win," he said. "If I live too much in that world of trying to get revenge, that won't necessarily be good for me or the organization."

It's only hours now. History will be made for an Ottawa football team. Maybe they'll win, maybe they won't -- but the RedBlacks can't wait to find out where they stand.

"We're ramped up," said Jackson. "Every game we play is basically like a Grey Cup. We're not trying to be the best right now. We're trying to be the best as the season goes along. It's one game at a time. This is the first on the list."

tim.baines@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @timcbaines