The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were last spotted in these parts some 10 days ago and — to put this as kindly as possible — were the picture of a discombobulated mess.

A 35-19 loss to the B.C. Lions featured a fourth-quarter meltdown, an astonishing 377 yards rushing yards against, an injury to quarterback Dru Brown — who started in relief of Zach Collaros — and with the ugly result opening up a series of wounds which had many in Bomberland concerned the 2026 season was about to slip into the abyss.

Funny, then, what a perfectly timed bye work can do to heal the body and soothe the soul.

Yes, there were the Blue Bombers at practice on Sunday at Fort Garry Lions Field with Collaros back at the controls — along with right tackle Jarell Broxton and defensive tackle Cam Lawson — and a collective belief they can get this thing right again after two straight losses which has dropped the club to 4-4.

“Like I always say, I think we have the right guys,” began an upbeat Collaros following Sunday’s session. “I think we have a talented group and on any given day if we go out there and execute, I’m very confident we can win the game. I felt that way since I got here and I still feel that way.”

The importance of the return of Collaros clearly can’t be overstated. He was drilled on a hit by Reggie Stubblefield in the win over Hamilton on July 5th — Taylor Elgersma stepped in and helped guide the team to the victory — and missed the four games since then. Dru Brown led the squad to wins over Toronto and Ottawa, before the successive losses to Calgary and B.C.

Said Collaros of the injury:

“It was a shot that didn’t feel very well afterwards and lingered for a bit of time with respect to my neck. Since I got here in 2019 Dr. Craton and Al (Couture, head athletic therapist) and all the docs involved have been very upfront with me. It’s not a decision coming from the front office or the coaching staff — it’s solely based on Al and Dr. Craton and me. We felt like this was the best week to get back into it.”

FYI, Brown was back on the field, too, after not finishing the loss to the Lions but it was Collaros who had most of the reps. And he looked sharp, too.

“He’s one of the best to play the game,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “He’s got a leadership style about him that everybody appreciates and on a personal note when anybody — not just Zach — is hurt and they can’t do this thing they really enjoy there’s a bit of grumpiness around the place.”

The Blue Bombers have struggled in the last two games, surrendering 87 points while struggling to find the end zone consistently. There have been mistakes in all three phases, including special teams, but QB1 isn’t about to slam his fist down on the panic button.

Asked what he learned about the team while watching the last few weeks, he offered this:

“You’re just in it. Your head’s down and you’re really focussed on your position or the unit. I think we have the right guys here. We’re a group that cares a great deal and wants to win. There’s things from the last few weeks we need to clean up — from every game, win or lose. But we’ve got the right guys here and it’s always great coming into work and being around people that you enjoy being around because you care about the same things and that process. Each man has to continue to look himself in the mirror and hold himself accountable.”

More notes and quotes from the Blue Bombers return to work in this week’s NEED TO KNOW…

HONEST TAKE: Mike O’Shea didn’t dance around what happened in the loss to B.C., first offering this after practice on Sunday:

“A lot of mistakes. Just not good enough. The energy the guys had today and the commitment to communication and the commitment they showed in the film room to make sure they’re right… you sit on that all week and then the guys show up ready to put in a ton of work and come in with the right mindset and then the day ends and you’re just filled with positivity and this is going to be fantastic for us.”

And when he was asked by Taylor Allen from the Free Press about some fans looking at the loss to a Lions team with a rookie QB in the helm at Kaiden Salter and giving up that many yards rushing as an ‘inexcusable loss’, he surely didn’t argue with that assessment.

“I would agree with them. That is a good way to describe it,” he said. “And then you realize that everybody out there on the field is human and there’s mistakes that happen in every game, win or lose. The way it looked and the way it felt and the outcome… I would say inexcusable and I believe the players would agree.

“Also, right back to when the meetings ended the amount of positivity, the understanding how good it could be… it’s all right there in front of us.”

MATT’S BACK: Defensive end Matt Jaworski showed so much promise in his Blue Bombers debut at the end of the 2025 season with a tackle and a sack in the regular-season finale win over the Montreal Alouettes.

All that promise and excitement for what was ahead of him was severely sidetracked in March when the Fordham University product was in a serious car accident that kept him in hospital for a couple of weeks and, as he pointed out, left him with a few visible scars on his face.

“I’m grateful to be back. I appreciate Winnipeg taking me back and I’m ready to go,” he said Sunday. “It’s definitely not planned for. I’m just very grateful to be back on the field. For a little bit you have your doubts. It’s, ‘Am I going to be able to play football again?’ So, to get this opportunity again has just been a blessing. I have God to thank for that and Winnipeg to thank for that as well. I couldn’t be more excited to play football again.

“I was nervous (on his first day back). But you just need a couple of days, you stack days and get your confidence back. I felt really good to be out here. I feel good. My body feels great and I’m excited for tomorrow. Football helped me get back to normal. It was motivation… ‘All right, let’s get back. I’ve got a season to get back to.’ It was always in the back of my head — if my body let me, I was going to come back to play football and I did.”

“When he was here before we really liked his work ethic and the habits he has,” added O’Shea. “Certainly, those foundational habits are what allows a guy to come back and get to this level again. When football gets taken away from you, you just want to step back on the field. There’s just a ton of gratitude and joy and things just seem right again.

“He’s certainly been through a whole helluva lot in the last little while.”

OUCH REPORT: Collaros, Jaworski, Broxton and Lawson were all back at their posts, but versatile defensive back Michael Griffin II watched the proceedings while wearing a walking boot. Also still injured is safety Redha Kramdi.

“That’s a hole. He gets asked to do a lot of different things,” said O’Shea. “With his body type he’s one of those guys that’s very versatile in terms of his size, speed and quickness. He’s a different type of athlete and they’re tough to replace.”

QUOTABLE: Good take from Collaros today when asked by 3Down Nation’s John Hodge about the club’s home record — 1-4 — and what he saw from his perspective while watching from the sidelines:

“One of the things I always say is we’ve got the greatest fans there is. One of the nice things about being out is you get to be a part of that and feel that adrenaline from a different vantage point. So, that was really cool. There were moments I can think of during that stretch where I’m like, ‘Man, I understand why people love coming to these games.’ It’s amazing. Our fans are the best — that’s not hyperbole, they really are.

“For us it’s just executing, living the moment, playing the play and finding joy in what you do in each and every play. And if you don’t make a mistake, if you don’t execute at you highest level, leave it right there and continue on to the next play.”