{"id":118743,"date":"2025-09-04T07:30:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T07:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/118743\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T07:30:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T07:30:09","slug":"need-to-know-week-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/118743\/","title":{"rendered":"Need to Know | Week 14"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pokey Wilson stood in front of a phalanx of media following the first practice upon his return to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was instantly hit with a simple opening question from CJOB\u2019s Derek Taylor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Ontaria,\u201d began Taylor, \u201cwhat brings you to Winnipeg?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson, grinned for a moment, and then added: \u201cI\u2019m just back to go to the Grey Cup, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, let it be said for the record that Wilson\u2019s sequel as Blue Bomber began with a mic drop.<\/p>\n

Now, sure, some will roll their eyes at his comment, given the Blue Bombers, at 6-5, are sitting in third place in the Canadian Football League\u2019s West Division and coming off a 34-30 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Labour Day Classic that had an encouraging finish but wasn\u2019t without its warts.<\/p>\n

Still, a guy can dream, can\u2019t he?<\/p>\n

Wilson stepped back into his old #80 for Wednesday\u2019s practice after officially signing a contract extension with the club on Monday that will carry through next season. He took a ton of reps with the starting unit, although head coach Mike O\u2019Shea \u2014 surprise, surprise \u2014 was non-committal when asked whether the second-year receiver would be inserted into the lineup for Saturday\u2019s Banjo Bowl rematch against the Riders.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHe looks fast. He remembers the Waggle. It looked like he was on time. It was good,\u201d said O\u2019Shea. \u201cHe\u2019s got some more learning to do. We\u2019ll see how much of the playbook he can keep digesting as far as the running around, he looks good.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pro football\u2026 he needs to know what to do. If he gets out there and he\u2019s wrong, it\u2019s going to cost you a sack or a hit on the quarterback or an incompletion or an interception. It can be costly if you don\u2019t do what you\u2019re supposed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s timing couldn\u2019t be better. Dalton Schoen was at practice on Wednesday but did not participate and with Thursday\u2019s session closed to the media we won\u2019t know whether he is available until the release of the depth chart on Friday morning.<\/p>\n

In any case, adding a 1K receiver from a year ago \u2014 Wilson was also the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Rookie \u2014 gives Zach Collaros & Co. another weapon for the offensive arsenal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember that first game he arrived on the scene,\u201d said Collaros of Wilson\u2019s 200-yard game against Calgary last summer. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t his first outing with us, but it was his first time being in the spot he was.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember talking to Stan (Stanley Bryant) that week and being like, \u2018This kid\u2019s really good, I\u2019m telling you.\u2019 And then I remember I threw him a bubble (receiver screen) and he took it for like 30 and then Stan looking back at me and saying, \u2018You\u2019re right.\u2019 He\u2019s really good.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember that and then he reminds me a lot of Nic (Demski) in a different way, but the way he\u2019s able to adjust to the football in the air is really special. It\u2019s helpful, for sure, (to have Wilson back) and adds another explosive element to the offence.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood dude. Competitive as hell, and that\u2019s what you\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson used his sensational 2024 season here in Winnipeg to get his shot with the New York Jets, signing with them in January and then playing in three preseason games before his release late last month.<\/p>\n

Cracking an NFL roster is never easy \u2014 even with solid CFL credentials \u2014 but it\u2019s a shot Wilson, now 26, had to take while the window was open. He\u2019s had two cracks now, including a stint with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023, and the fact he\u2019s now signed through \u201926 means he\u2019ll put down some football roots here in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n

\"Aug<\/p>\n

Wilson with the Jets; photo courtesy Rich Barnes-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\u201cI was clawing and scratching, trying to find my way there,\u201d he said of his shot with the Jets. \u201cIt was a good experience overall. Coming from the CFL and being a guy who is unheard of to try and make my name there in camp\u2026 Everything felt good there. I took advantage of my opportunities, unfortunately it didn\u2019t work out for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like there\u2019s very small window to exceed there. Every chance you get you try and give it your all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson said the NFL experience helped him fine-tune aspects of his game including alignment, assignment and having to react more quickly with defensive backs right in his face at the line of scrimmage.<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll now have another full practice to get the terminology down from the playbook of new offensive coordinator Jason Hogan.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday I felt like I caught on pretty fast,\u201d said. \u201cIt\u2019s more of the same formations, just different names. Same concepts, it\u2019s just the names you have to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most importantly, there\u2019s this \u2014 and it\u2019s something that shouldn\u2019t be overlooked in the cutthroat world of pro football: \u201cIt just feels good to say I have a home here.\u201d<\/p>\n

More from Wednesday\u2019s practice session in this week\u2019s Need to Know\u2026<\/p>\n

OUCH REPORT: Schoen wasn\u2019t the only spectator on Wednesday, with OL Micah Vanterpool not participating and DT Tanner Schmekel on crutches. Dime back Redha Kramdi was practising to start, but then was limited while OL Gabe Wallace appeared to tweak something during the session. With Wallace down, Tui Eli took reps at left guard, as did rookie Ethan Vibert.<\/p>\n

Injury Report: September 3, 2025#ForTheW<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/PCOQJE1X5p<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

COMINGS\/GOINGS:\u00a0The Blue Bombers were busy on the transaction front on Wednesday, bringing back Canadian DT Collin Kornelson, releasing WR Kryan Moore, and adding Global LB Ayo Oyelola and DB Ridge Texada to the practice roster.<\/p>\n

Oyelola might ring a bell with Blue Bomber fans as he was selected by the club in the 2021 Global Draft and spent that season primarily on the practice roster, dressing for one game. He then spent 2022-23 on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice roster and 2024 with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being released in January.<\/p>\n

Texada (5-8, 179, North Texas; born: May 7, 2002, in Frisco, TX.) joins the club after a five-year collegiate career at North Texas (2021-2024), and McNeese State (2020).\u00a0 During his time at North Texas, Texada finished with total 139 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five interceptions \u2014 including one Pick-6 \u2014 one forced fumble, and 32 passes defended in 52 appearances, including 37 starts.<\/p>\n

THE COACH SAYS: Some pertinent sound bites from O\u2019Shea from Wednesday\u2019s media scrum:<\/p>\n

Overall thoughts on the Labour Day Classic loss:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t good enough. We lost a good battle; it was a good battle, but we weren\u2019t good enough. We made some mistakes we\u2019d like to have back. Too many penalties. In a tight game like that \u2014 they ended up taking more (penalty) yardage because of that one big PI (a 57-yarder inside the final minute) \u2014 against a really good team like that that generally has all three phases going we\u2019ve got to play better.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 It\u2019s not all about penalties. When you lose by four against a really good football team it comes down to five or six plays that could go one way or another, and you\u2019d like to change a couple of those.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the work of Hogan, the first-year offensive coordinator:<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cHe\u2019s doing really well. There was always going to be some growth but he\u2019s coming a long way. He doesn\u2019t have to do it himself, either. It\u2019s always been in this environment \u2014 from LaPo (Paul LaPolice) on \u2014 a collaboration. Input into the game plan, there\u2019s always a ton of chatter on the (headset) about what comes next and trying to think a couple plays ahead and there\u2019s always a lot of input from the players. What does Zach like in that situation? What does Strev like here? How\u2019s it work?<\/p>\n

\u201cObvioiusly entering into it there is going to be some growing pains, from LaPo and his first time, for Buck (Pierce) and his first time and for Hogie his first time. He\u2019s not doing it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the five sacks surrendered by the offence on Labour Day:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve got a good front, they really do. That would be a goal every time \u2014 the O-line would always like to pitch a shutout in terms of pressure and sacks \u2014 but they get after it pretty darn good.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople try pin a sack on something and they always try to look at the O-line first. But there\u2019s 12 offensive players out there and this being the greatest team sport going there\u2019s enough corrections to go around to make sure we\u2019re cleaner. Something as simple as route depth or route width can lead to hanging onto the ball. There\u2019s so many factors that go into the timing of a play and the delivery of a football. It\u2019s always about all 12 guys doing it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

ICYMI: Had a great chat with DT Cam Lawson in this week\u2019s Huddle. You can view it here:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

SALUTED: The performance of Collaros in the LDC loss earned him a nod from the CFL and Pro Football Focus. Check out that here:<\/p>\n

Honour Roll, Week 13: Malik Carney, Kiondr\u00e9 Smith, Stamps\u2019 O-line make the grade<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n