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Published Aug 13, 2025 • 4 minute read
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Calgary Stampeders defence stop Winnipeg Blue Bombers Brady Oliveira in first half CFL action at McMahon stadium in Calgary on Saturday, August 9, 2025. Oliveira gained 146 all-purpose yards—56 yards on the ground and 90 through the air in the first half. Oliveira totaled just four yards rushing and 10 receiving yards in the second half. The Bombers lost 28-27 to the Stampeders. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia /Winnipeg SunArticle content
The most anemic passing attack in the CFL is beginning to draw some heat.
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Inquiring minds on radio call-in shows and at Winnipeg Blue Bombers practices are wondering if first-year offensive coordinator Jason Hogan is being out-coached by defensive coordinators around the league.
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Running back Brady Oliveira, one of Hogan’s most ardent supporters, brought up the play calls on his own in a media scrum this week.
“Whatever the play that’s called, I don’t care what it is, we need to go out there and execute it,” Oliveira said. “And all be on the same page. He’s a first-year OC. There’s going to be growing pains. That’s why he has a staff around him to support him, and us as players as well.”
Oliveira went on to say he’ll “stand on the table” for his former running backs coach.
After a 3-0 start that saw the Bombers average some 32 points per game, they’ve lost four of their last five while averaging less than 20.
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Their 247 yards passing per game is the league’s low-water mark going into Thursday’s home game against Ottawa.
“There’s been great glimpses of him as a play-caller,” Oliveira said. “And maybe some that aren’t so great. But there’s going to be ups and downs, and we all need to support him and have his back and understand that we’ll be OK. He’ll get through this.”
When plays don’t work and losses pile up, offensive players have to resist the urge to second-guess what they’re being asked to do.
“It’s not really our job,” quarterback Zach Collaros said. “If you’re focusing on that in the game, it’s going to be a problem.”
Collaros says he’s spoken with Redblacks quarterback and former teammate Dru Brown about this very issue.
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It’s OK to question the calls later, just not during live action.
“Whatever happened in the last play, or if there’s any kind of doubt, it’s not a bad thing to acknowledge that,” Collaros said. “But then you’ve got to be able to move on from it in one or two seconds. We really preach, and I’ve always been taught, the next play is the most important play. Snap and clear… it’s probably why I don’t show too much emotion.”
Passing drought
While the Bombers remain the league’s No. 1 running team with 119 yards per game, they got just their third 100-yard receiving performance of the season last week in Calgary, and it came from Oliveira.
The most notable drop in production has come from Keric Wheatfall, who averaged better than 90 yards through the first three games, just 24 over the last five.
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Wheatfall says being part of an offence ranked dead-last in passing gets his attention.
“You look at it as a receiver, and it brings fire to your body” he said. “You know you can do more, and you can’t really control it. But you’ve got to control what you can control. Go out there and play ball. We’re better (than that). Hopefully this week we can make the big plays like we all talk about.”
Losing Dalton Schoen to injury hasn’t helped.
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The days of Schoen, Kenny Lawler (now with Hamilton) and Nick Demski rolling up around 1,000 yards each seem like eons ago.
“It’s been different,” Collaros said. “We’re a younger group. We’re very talented. It’s been a lot of fun re-teaching myself some of those base-level things and figuring out ways to articulate those things to them.
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“You take for granted after a long time some of the things that go unspoken, and what needs to happen on a play, given a certain look by the defence.”
If you’d told Demksi going into the year the passing game would be lagging like this…
“I don’t know what I would think of that,” he said. “Probably laugh. We’re putting in the extra work to get to where we want to be at. It’s a long season, and we’re not even halfway through it yet.”
Ready to be tested
Rookie defensive back Cam Allen, playing his first CFL game this week, says being a former quarterback all the way through high school helps him as a defender.
“Being a quarterback my whole life, I have a good sense of where the quarterback wants to go, reading concepts, being able to break on the ball and just know when the quarterback wants to throw the ball,” Allen said. “Reading and reacting is what I’m best at.”
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Knowing how quarterbacks think, Allen fully expects Ottawa’s Dru Brown to test his mettle on Thursday.
“I know on the other side of the ball they’re probably looking to see who’s back there,” he said. “I’m expecting a couple of shots, for them to come at me. I’m very confident in my play, so I want those plays. If they go away from me all game, you ain’t got no opportunity to make a play.”
Snap decision saddens Castillo
As often as kicker Sergio Castillo has seen teammates get cut, it’s still not easy when it’s one he’s worked closely with for a long time.
The Bombers released veteran long snapper Mike Benson on Tuesday.
“I’ve been on that short end of the stick 11 times,” Castillo said. “It’s tough to see someone that you’ve known for years go through that. We’ve all seen it. It’s a business at the end of the day. The most you can do sometimes is just reach out. I reached out to him. Everybody’s different. For me, I just want to be away and quiet.”
Benson, a Winnipegger in his 12th CFL season, was in his fifth year as the Bombers’ long snapper. Hurt in the first game, his spot was taken by the younger Ian Leroux.
Winnipeg cut Benson just before his salary was to be guaranteed for the rest of the season.
paul.friesen@kleinmedia.ca
X: @friesensunmedia
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