{"id":151549,"date":"2025-09-18T00:41:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T00:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/151549\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T00:41:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T00:41:09","slug":"hogan-its-humbling-its-an-awesome-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/151549\/","title":{"rendered":"Hogan: “It’s humbling. It’s an awesome experience.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not there anywhere in the job description and certainly not buried in the appendixes that make up the fine print of the contract.<\/p>\n

Yet, Jason Hogan likely knew this was coming when he agreed to take on the role of offensive coordinator of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this offseason.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a gig which isn\u2019t only about the Xs and Os or scripting gameplans from one week to next with the zeal of a mad scientist and passion of a concert pianist. It\u2019s a job that can have armchair quarterbacks raving about your handiwork one week \u2014 see: Blue Bombers season opener, 2025 \u2014 and then cursing your name the next.<\/p>\n

And when a team is on a three-game slide and turning the ball over at an alarming rate, well, the klaxons are blaring throughout Bomberland.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So, it was on Wednesday and Day 2 of the Blue Bombers practice week when assistant coaches and coordinators are made available to the media and Hogan was asked about what life is like as an offensive coordinator right now.<\/p>\n

The first-year offensive boss didn\u2019t waste a second before answering.<\/p>\n

\u201cHumbling. Every week you learn about yourself, you learn a lot about the league, defences, how to gameplan, what steps to take and what mistakes not to make again,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, it\u2019s humbling. It\u2019s an awesome experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked later to elaborate on what he had learned about himself, he added:<\/p>\n

\u201cI want it done yesterday, not patient enough, just like I think everybody. Bomber fans, the league, everybody included, we all want it done today, we all want to win, we don\u2019t want to throw interceptions. All those things are understandable. I\u2019m just as human as everybody watching the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust understand it\u2019s going to take some time, sometimes I\u2019m going to make mistakes. I\u2019ve just got to learn from them and not repeat them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Blue Bombers finished another practice day on Wednesday with Zach Collaros dressed but only taking shadow reps with Chris Streveler getting the bulk of the work with the starting offence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That continues to leave in doubt whether the veteran pivot will be available for Saturday\u2019s matchup in Ottawa against the Redblacks and could mean he misses a fourth start this season. Collaros has also been unable to finish three other games and his absence from the huddle certainly has impacted Winnipeg\u2019s offensive numbers this year.<\/p>\n

As it stands, the Blue Bombers rank fifth in net offence (358 yards per game), seventh in offensive points (23.5), first in rushing (117.6 yards per game), seventh in passing (254.6), sixth in average yards per play (6.42), fourth in completion percentage (71.1), fifth in passing TDs (20) and last in passing efficiency (88.4).<\/p>\n

The Blue Bombers also hold the worst turnover differential in the league at -12.<\/p>\n

Hogan spoke Wednesday about the \u2018severity behind throwing interceptions and giving away points\u2019 \u2014 Winnipeg has surrendered 93 points on turnovers this year, second worst to Toronto \u2014 and how those mistakes can give an opponent life.<\/p>\n

Countering that is the attack\u2019s need to be deadlier in the score zone, with the 19 touchdowns scored this season from the opponents\u2019 20-yard line and in the second fewest to Montreal\u2019s 17.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been pretty good at moving the ball week in and week out, we\u2019ve just got to find a way to get in the end zone,\u201d Hogan said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to capitalize. We can\u2019t give the defence the ball in the other team\u2019s plus territory (in Winnipeg\u2019s end).<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are the main two things we\u2019ve got to hone in on for the next couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Collaros limited, Blue Bombers head coach Mike O\u2019Shea was asked about what signs he is seeing behind the scenes that might mean progress for the veteran pivot.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnger\u2026 usually, with Zach,\u201d he said with a chuckle. \u201cHe gets frustrated and wants to be out there. I\u2019d say that\u2019s usually a good indicator that he\u2019s really close.<\/p>\n

\u201cZach doesn\u2019t necessarily need any reps and if there were certain things he needed to see he would do it pre practice or post practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

OUCH REPORT: Collaros is listed as \u2018limited\u2019 in the daily injury report, as is WR Jerreth Sterns while DB Michael Griffin II did not practice for a second straight day.<\/p>\n

Injury Report: September 17, 2025#ForTheW<\/a> | @DoctorsManitoba<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/JIm2gTknuh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) September 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

O\u2019Shea referred to Griffin II on Wednesday as a \u2018switchblade type of guy\u2019 and if he can\u2019t go the defence will be missing a key component. On the flip side, Jamal Parker, Jr. has been back practising after injuring his knee earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m doing pretty well. It was a good day,\u201d said Parker, Jr. \u201cI\u2019m out here running around; I get to run around with my teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Being out) was tough but I went through something major last year (torn knee, which cost him the season) so to me this was really nothing. This was about keeping your head down and getting back healthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cMentally, I know how to deal with it. Physically, of course, you don\u2019t want that, but I know God has a plan for everybody and everything happens for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

A STRONG DEBUT: Overshadowed in the loss to Hamilton on the weekend was the work of cornerback Demerio Houston, who returned to the club in the summer and made his first start against the Ticats.<\/p>\n

Houston had four tackles in the loss and was steady in his return after spending last year in Calgary.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt great out there,\u201d said Houston. \u201cI had been waiting for that moment for almost a year. That day finally came and I thought I played pretty well. The outcome is not what we wanted as a team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I still had it, it was more so how much of it. Everybody had been playing for months while I was at home and I hadn\u2019t played in almost a year, so it was a chance to knock the rust off.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be sound in my tackling and make sure that if the receiver does make the catch, it\u2019s bang-bang and I\u2019m quickly making the tackle with no yards after the catch. I wanted to make sure I was clean on all my assignments and communicating with the guy beside me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Houston also raved about the defence\u2019s potential and the work of coordinator Jordan Younger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was here in \u201923 we only played six DBs,\u201d said Houston. \u201cNow I\u2019ve come back and sometimes there\u2019s almost 10 DBs on the field. It\u2019s definitely a new system for me and I like it because it can confuse quarterbacks. That\u2019s our job \u2014 make it difficult for the opposing team. We need to force more turnovers, but that will come.\u201d<\/p>\n