{"id":149068,"date":"2025-09-16T23:02:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T23:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/149068\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T23:02:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T23:02:10","slug":"need-to-know-week-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/149068\/","title":{"rendered":"Need to Know | Week 16"},"content":{"rendered":"

First, the good news for everyone in Bomberland: quarterback Zach Collaros was back in full gear at Winnipeg Blue Bombers practice on Tuesday after missing last week\u2019s loss in Hamilton to the Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n

The still-to-be-determined layer to that?<\/p>\n

With his workload so limited \u2014 he barely threw a pass during the session with Chris Streveler operating the offence and Terry Wilson running the scout team against the defence \u2014 it\u2019s still uncertain whether he\u2019ll be behind centre for Saturday\u2019s game in Ottawa against the Redblacks.<\/p>\n

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And the cold, hard reality layer on top of all this?<\/p>\n

Unless the Blue Bombers quickly figure out a way to stop turning the ball over at an alarming rate they could have a transformer-type quarterback made up of all the good parts of Collaros, Streveler, Dieter Brock, Matt Dunigan, Jack Jacobs, and Khari Jones \u2014 Optimus Pivot, we\u2019ll call that beast \u2014 and it won\u2019t make a lick of difference who takes the first snap from centre.<\/p>\n

Consider this: Winnipeg\u2019s -12 turnover differential is the worst in the Canadian Football League, and the opposition has turned those mistakes into 93 points \u2014 including 14 in last week\u2019s loss to the Ticats.<\/p>\n

Also, Collaros (13) and Streveler (10), rank second and third to Toronto\u2019s Nick Arbuckle (14) in most interceptions thrown this season.<\/p>\n

Asked after practice how a number that ugly has happened, head coach Mike O\u2019Shea offered this:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a great question. Obviously, we keep digging for those answers because it\u2019s hard to win football games like that. I\u2019ve said this at least 100 times \u2014 you can\u2019t just pin it all on the quarterbacks. You\u2019re looking at a stat that gets tagged to the quarterback but that doesn\u2019t tell the story on all those plays; you have to look at each one of those plays individually and assess where we could be better.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually when there\u2019s a catastrophic play like that, there\u2019s multiple answers to those questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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FYI, O\u2019Shea didn\u2019t rule out Collaros for this week with the club still having potentially two full practice days before the game in Ottawa, but the workload on Tuesday was telling.<\/p>\n

He also was steadfast in his defence of Streveler, who finished Friday\u2019s loss completing 18-of-29 pass attempts for 241 yards with a TD pass to Keric Wheatfall and the two picks while rushing 11 times for 81 yards and another score.<\/p>\n

Streveler is now 2-1 as a starter this season with six touchdowns against the 10 picks and 7-9 as a starter in his CFL career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people are forgetting what Chris has done for us,\u201d O\u2019Shea said. \u201cYou look back at his run in 2019\u2026 I mean, it\u2019s common knowledge that he played with an injury that most people wouldn\u2019t even step on the field with and he happened to tear it up and gut it out and help lead us to a championship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of leadership, that kind of fire, is still all evident. And he has played for us since and won us games. He\u2019s stood in the pocket and delivered, and he\u2019s run the ball and when he\u2019s in there he certainly allows us to have a whole bunch of different plays that with most quarterbacks you wouldn\u2019t be able to do those things.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I think of Chris, I can picture him willing his teammates and dragging people on his back and also throwing big passes and making things work. When I picture him, I picture a leader who is out there driving the energy on the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he\u2019s out there on the field he brings an energy that is pretty special, like Zach does, too,\u201d he added. \u201cZach brings a different type of energy, a different type of fire. They both bring fire, but they just have a different way about them, how they go about their business and each one is effective. So, I would hate to pin losses on Strev.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quarterbacks are always an easy target, especially when the picks turn into points.<\/p>\n

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\u201cJust can\u2019t turn over, man, and we\u2019ve just been doing that too much this year,\u201d Streveler conceded. \u201cWe moved the ball. We did. We didn\u2019t finish in the end zone enough, but we moved the ball and the one positive I did like is guys didn\u2019t stop fighting until the end. We put together a couple drives there, and our team didn\u2019t show any quit. That\u2019s the stuff you can build on.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, I have to, we have to. take better care of the football.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 We put our defence in a tough position there. I thought our defence played a really, really good game but when you give (opposing offences) short fields like that it\u2019s hard on them. I\u2019ve got to do a better job, we\u2019ve all got to do a better job, of continuing to make that a point of emphasis and carry it over to game day.\u201d<\/p>\n

OUCH REPORT: There was some encouraging news from Tuesday\u2019s session on the injury front, with WR Jerreth Sterns and DB Jamal Parker, Jr. both back in gear, although limited.<\/p>\n

DB Michael Griffin II, meanwhile, did not practice.<\/p>\n

Injury Report: Tuesday, September 16#ForTheW<\/a> | @DoctorsManitoba<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/fXhoxlmcU5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) September 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

ICYMI: Linebacker Kyrie Wilson was the latest guest on The Huddle \u2014 the 43rd episode we\u2019ve done dating back to last year \u2014 and the show can be watched here:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n