The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ leading rusher seven weeks into the regular season is Matthew Peterson.
That’s a feather in the cap of the Alberta-born rookie running back, who has impressed when called upon this season, and a promising sign for the depth that exists in the team’s backfield, but it’s far from what anyone had expected on a roster that includes the Canadian Football League’s reigning Most Outstanding Player Brady Oliveira.
It’s been a rocky start for the Bombers’ bruising tailback, and almost all of it has been out of his control.
John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Calgary Stampeders held reigning CFL MOP and Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira (left) to just 15 carries for 68 yards in Friday’s tilt.
Oliveira injured his shoulder on the third offensive play of the season, which knocked him out for the rest of the game and two weeks after that. Winnipeg managed without their bellwether, leaning on Peterson while cruising to a three-game win streak out of the gates.
Since Oliveira’s return, however, the Bombers’ offence has had back-to-back disappointing outings in which the team has fallen into large deficits and been forced to throw.
“It’s almost reminding me of last season, kind of how it started — starting slow,” said Oliveira, who has 178 rushing yards on 30 carries and hasn’t found the end zone this season.
Peterson has 48 rushes for 245 yards and one touchdown.
“Obviously, that injury… even if I’m not 100 per cent, I’m gonna try to beat the odds, whatever the timelines are, and try and get back out on the field as quick as possible,” Oliveira added. “I think I’ve done that with that injury, and I think now I’m just trying to feel like myself, and I think every single week I’m starting to feel like myself.”
It’s a modest explanation from the 27-year-old, who has been efficient when the ball is in his hands. Currently, Oliveira is tying a career-high 5.9 yards per carry and has been reliable in the receiving game, catching 11 passes for 91 yards.
However, catching a bunch of passes isn’t how the Bombers prefer to incorporate him into the game plan.
Throwing the ball 40 to 50 times per game is something the team is happy to do if that’s what it takes to win, but they would rather stick the ball into Olivera’s gut and let him churn out yards behind the offensive line.
“These last two weeks, none of us were expecting that outcome. So I think for me… I just want to win games,” said Oliveira, who is on pace for 180 carries and 1,068 rushing yards — both lows since 2022, his first season as a full-fledged starter.
“Whether it’s us getting the ball 12 times a game, or 20 touches, or 25 touches, whatever it’s going to take in any given week to win the game, because I know every single week is going to look differently,” he added.
“It’s going to be challenging to be able to lean on the offensive line and run the ball when you need to score points. It’s a long season. You’re going to see plenty of games this year where the offensive line and myself are going to take a lot of games over this year and help this team win a lot of football games.”
The Bombers (3-2) are in Toronto to face the Argonauts (1-5) at BMO Field on Saturday (6 p.m. CT). It’s a matchup that perhaps has Oliveira licking his chops, as the Argos are allowing the third-most rushing yards per game to opponents this season (118).
“I think when you’re trailing, you’ve got to throw the ball a little bit more. No frustration there,” offensive co-ordinator Jason Hogan said about whether the last two games have frustrated him and how he’s used Oliveira.
“I mean, I love Brady to death. I love him like a brother. But at the end of the day, it’s what’s going to help this football team win, whether that’s one carry for a yard or 100 yards.
“I’d like to see him have success, but I also think the injury, getting his legs back into it, I think we saw a difference from the previous game against Calgary. So, it’s baby steps, one week at a time.”
The Bombers have eclipsed 400 yards of net offence in each of the last two contests, but it’s been the turnovers that have crippled this team. Zach Collaros and Chris Streveler have thrown six interceptions combined — two returned for touchdowns — which has put the team in deep holes.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Files
Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive co-ordinator Jason Hogan said he has been forced to rely less on the running game because the Blue and Gold have found themselves trailing against the Calgary Stampeders.
It’s been a series of untimely mistakes that have this offence stuck in first gear.
“I think (the offence is) where we want it to be; we just got to find a way to execute and finish,” Hogan said. “You look at statistically the last two games, we got 400 offensive yards, we just got to end in the end zone with points.”
Oliveira said the onus is on the players to start faster. It’s going to be critical on the road this weekend.
“I think, at the end of the day, we as players need to go out there and execute to make it maybe a little bit easier on his plate as a play caller,” he said. “It’s going to take all of us to win games.”
Injury update
Head coach Mike O’Shea maintained that he’s reserving hope left tackle Stanley Bryant (ankle) will suit up this weekend, despite not logging a practice, so far, this week.
“I saw him moving around pretty damn good,” O’Shea said. “We’ll see, though. You know Stan doesn’t need to practise, though? A lot of the vets do not need to practice.”
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Bryant hasn’t practised since being injured in the Bombers’ Week 5 contest in Calgary. Should that continue into Saturday’s game in Toronto, it would mark more than two weeks since he was last on the field.
“A lot of guys have played really well for a very long time (without practising),” O’Shea added. “I don’t think he needs any tune-up in terms of scheme or anything like that. And, once again, unless he’s cleared to play, he wouldn’t be playing.”
Also not practising are running back Peyton Logan (thigh) and long-snapper Mike Benson (hip). Logan was injured early in training camp and has yet to suit up for a game, while Benson was injured in the club’s season opener.
joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca
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Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.
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