MONTREAL — In what could be a turning point for their season, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers delivered their most complementary football of the year Thursday night, securing a crucial 26-13 victory over the Montreal Alouettes in front of 20,310 at Molson Stadium.
Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros completed 27 of 31 passes for 263 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers.
The win, powered by a dominant ground game and an efficient passing attack, improves Winnipeg’s record to 6-4, keeping them squarely in the hunt for a top spot in the competitive CFL West Division. While they currently sit in third place, the performance in Montreal showcased a level of collective play in all three phases that has been inconsistent for the club this season, and they’re now tied with the Calgary Stampeders for second place.
Veteran quarterback Zach Collaros played arguably his most complete game, completing 27 of 31 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown, avoiding any turnovers. On the other side, the Alouettes, ravaged by injuries, were forced to turn to rookie James Morgan for his first career CFL start.
The young quarterback struggled under pressure, finishing with 18 completions on 33 attempts for 198 yards, one touchdown, and two costly interceptions. The loss marked Montreal’s fourth consecutive defeat, dropping them to 5-6.
Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Montreal Alouettes quarterback James Morgan had 18 completions on 33 attempts for 198 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in his first career CFL start, Thursday against the Bombers.
“I like the way the guys stood up. I liked the way the offence sorted everything out at halftime,” head coach Mike O’Shea said. “It wasn’t perfect, but it wouldn’t be in those circumstances.”
Let’s dig deeper into this one.
Lead built on missed opportunities
For a fifth consecutive game, the Bombers found themselves with a lead at halftime, taking a 16-10 advantage into the break. The score, however, masked what was a far more dominant performance that should have seen the Bombers with a more comfortable cushion.
The issue was their repeated struggles in the red zone. The Bombers entered the game with the second fewest red zone opportunities (22) and the second-fewest red zone touchdowns (14).
Three separate times, the Bombers drove the length of the field and moved the ball inside Montreal’s 20-yard line, but their offensive punch vanished when it mattered most. The only time they managed to convert for a touchdown was on a short four-yard pass from Collaros to Nic Demski.
Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers Sergio Castillo gestures after a field goal in the first half.
The other two promising drives stalled, forcing them to settle for field goals of 13 and 20 yards from kicker Sergio Castillo.
The offensive missteps were compounded on their final drive of the half. With an opportunity to add more points, the Bombers were plagued by poor clock management, leading to yet another trip for the kicking unit. Castillo connected on a 35-yard boot, but it was three points instead of a potential seven.
The failure to turn opportunities into touchdowns felt like foreshadowing, especially given the Bombers’ well-documented struggles to score in the second half of games this season. It was the kind of a first-half performance that, in previous weeks, had come back to haunt them and you suddenly got this here-we-go-again feeling.
Second-half separation
The limited offence in the first half completely vanished in the early stages of the second, with the third quarter’s only points coming from a 38-yard field goal by Montreal’s Jose Maltos. The kick cut the Bombers’ lead to a nail-biting 16-13, putting them in all-too-familiar territory heading into the final quarter.
In previous weeks, this is where the game would become an uncomfortably close affair, but this time, the Bombers found a way to pull away. It began with a powerful 10-play, 81-yard drive, which turned into a three-yard rushing touchdown by Brady Oliveira.
Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Evan Holm (right) intercepts a pass during the first half.
The defence then got in on the action, forcing a crucial turnover on downs at midfield on the Alouettes’ next possession. The Bombers offence capitalized on the momentum, turning it into an eight-play drive that chewed up nearly three minutes of the clock and ended with a 41-yard field goal by Castillo, extending the lead to 26-13.
The Bombers had to get creative to make it happen. With Nic Demski and Jerreth Sterns both ruled out with injuries, backup quarterback Chris Streveler lined up at receiver to give the offence another option, while Terry Wilson took over short-yardage duties.
O-line, Oliveira impose their will
Oliveira and the Winnipeg offensive line delivered a vintage, dominant performance that serves as a massive confidence booster for the entire unit.
“I think so,” veteran guard Pat Neufeld said when asked if his group needed this kind of performance. “It was one of those games where it wasn’t talked about, but everyone knew we had to get this one. We just wanted to play more of a complete game… and we had guys step in and play tough football for us.”
In what should be considered Oliveira’s breakout game of the season, the reigning Most Outstanding Player had a sensational night, finishing with more than 200 yards from the line of scrimmage. He ran with power and purpose, racking up 137 yards on 16 carries, and was a reliable safety valve in the passing game with nine catches for 73 yards.
Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Brady Oliveira had a dominating night, accumulating more than 200 yards combined rushing and receiving in the Bombers victory over the Alouettes.
Oliveira also made his opportunities in close count, punching in the three-yard rushing touchdown — his second in as many games — that served as the key play in the Bombers fourth-quarter breakout. A massive amount of credit must go to the O-line, which opened rushing lanes for Oliveira all night and gave Collaros ample time to go through his progressions and deliver the ball.
The game culminated in a classic Bombers finish.
With a healthy lead, everyone in the stadium knew the ball was going to Oliveira, yet the O-line and running back still imposed their will, methodically shoving the ball down the Alouettes’ throats and moving the chains to bleed the clock.
“You want to put that thing away and be a big part of why you win games,” Oliveira said. “It’s fun when they know we’re going to run the ball and the offensive line is just getting off the ball, moving guys. Just super proud of the guys — we battled, man.”
Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Trey Vaval runs with the ball during a kick return against the Alouettes, Thursday.
Logan solid in Blue debut
Peyton Logan made his long-awaited debut for the Bombers and the former Stampeders standout was a new face in the backfield, serving as the backup to the dominant Brady Oliveira.
Logan was utilized in both the return game and on offence. He had three kickoff returns for 55 yards and one punt return for four yards.
He also factored into the offence with two catches for 10 yards. The addition of Logan provides the Bombers with another explosive playmaker, which should only help if Demski and Sterns are forced to miss time.
Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca
Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter
Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer
Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.
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