{"id":169320,"date":"2025-09-25T22:42:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T22:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/169320\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T22:42:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T22:42:09","slug":"48-hour-primer-game-15-vs-tiger-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/169320\/","title":{"rendered":"48-Hour Primer | Game 15: vs. Tiger-Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"

No one in Bomberland need make any excuses for last week\u2019s win over the Ottawa Redblacks in capital city. There are no asterisks for any victory no matter the circumstances, after all.<\/p>\n

And last we checked, there are no extra points in football for artistic impression.<\/p>\n

Still, ask around the coaches\u2019 offices and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers locker room and there\u2019s universal consensus in this basic fact: completing three passes on eight attempts for 54 yards is hardly a blueprint for sustainable success.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s particularly important as the Blue Bombers head into the stretch run here at 7-7 and third spot in the Canadian Football League\u2019s West Division and with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in town for a Saturday matinee.<\/p>\n

So, Brady Oliveira\u2026 last time you were part of a game where your team completed three passes\u2026 AND WON?!?!?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking about it\u2026 maybe when I played for the North Winnipeg Nomads and when I got the ball every single play and had maybe 40 carries,\u201d said the Blue Bombers star running back with a broad smile earlier this week. \u201c(The win in Ottawa) was a very unique game, but we found a way to win. That game, for us, was to control the clock somewhat and run the football and squeak out a win and that\u2019s what we did.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely was unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Unique\u2019 fits as a descriptor, sure. And the work of the defence and special teams \u2014 along with a ground game that churned out 172 yards rushing \u2014 shouldn\u2019t be lost in the ongoing narrative about the puny passing game totals.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on the plan we had, based on what the other phases did I\u2019ve got a lot of appreciation for how we won the game,\u201d said Blue Bombers head coach Mike O\u2019Shea. \u201cThere\u2019s going to be some things we want to fix when you win by 50. So, winning a game and having one stat line stand out as, yeah, this isn\u2019t very good or it\u2019s unappealing or it gives you an emotional response\u2026 I think what you need to look at and what the players need to understand \u2014 and they do \u2014 is we can win a lot of different ways.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs long as we\u2019re taking care of these things, these items we talk about on a regular basis, you can win, absolutely win, a bunch of different ways. It doesn\u2019t have to be this stat line. What\u2019d (Ottawa) pass for? 400? Take the ball away, don\u2019t give it away, you play good special teams and have a low penalty total and you play with great physical effort which allows you to run the ball and do those things, you can win differently.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you don\u2019t always want to juggle them or whatever, you want all three phases just humming along. But you certainly can win differently. It\u2019s a great lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of this brings us to the biggest news of the week \u2014 other than the scorching hot talker of the CFL\u2019s new rule changes for 2026-27 \u2014 and the potential return of quarterback Zach Collaros.<\/p>\n

Collaros was sharp in Tuesday\u2019s session and completed Wednesday\u2019s closed to the media practice without any issues. Today\u2019s injury report does not list him as out or questionable for Saturday\u2019s game against the Ticats.<\/p>\n

Injury Report: September 25, 2025#ForTheW<\/a> | @DoctorsManitoba<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/A75KzHyFmE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) September 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Without him \u2014 and we\u2019ve seen a fair bit of that with him missing four starts and unavailable to finish three others due to injury \u2014 and the offence becomes very one-dimensional.<\/p>\n

And with him in the lineup, well, everything is possible again \u2014 including an even enhanced run game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was probably the hardest 170 yards rushing this unit had to muster up last week,\u201d Oliveira told bluebombers.com. \u201cThe fact that they knew we were going to run the ball play after play after play, and we stuck with it. It was gritty. We grinded and it was a real battle for us to churn out those yards.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to look different every week, how we win football games. How we won in Ottawa won\u2019t win you a game every single week \u2014 that\u2019s just the reality of it. We all understand that. Like I said, that\u2019s what made last week unique.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to generate some production in the pass game. Our offensive line is doing an amazing job, and we\u2019ve been very productive in the run game. We need some complimentary football to balance out this offence a little bit and once we can find that in consecutive weeks that\u2019s when you know we\u2019re hitting our stride at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n

More numbers, just for context:<\/p>\n

The 54 yards passing by the Blue Bombers was the lowest since a 15-2 loss to the B.C. Lions at old Winnipeg Stadium on September 9, 1975, when the club had just 39 through the air.
\nIt was also the fewest passing yards in a Blue Bombers win since 1974, when the club had just 15 yards in a 19-12 decision over the Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
\nWinnipeg was also the last club to win a game with three or fewer completed passes in a game \u2014 also in 1975, coming on September 24, when Chuck Ealey was at quarterback and finished just 2-of-11 for 62 yards. And yet the Blue Bombers defeated Hamilton 34-32 s the offence cranked out 54 rushes that day for 349 yards along the ground.
\nAnd one more: that 54 yards was also the lowest passing total across the CFL in a decade, since Edmonton\u00a0had 49 in a game in 2015.<\/p>\n

All of the above explains why there was a buzz at practice this week with #8 back behind centre.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cVery sharp. He looked really well in practice,\u201d said Oliveira of Collaros. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen it. He\u2019s been playing this game for a very long time. We all know what he can do when he stands in the pocket and delivers the ball downfield. We also know when he escapes the pocket what he can do.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to have him back out there. He brings some great energy. We\u2019ll see what happens with the lineup, if it\u2019s this week or he\u2019ll have to wait until after the bye week but whenever he comes back it will be great to have him back in there.\u201d<\/p>\n