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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAMBER BRACKEN \/ THE CANADIA PRESS
\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers’ Ethan Ball (29) hangs onto Edmonton Elks’ Javon Leake (22) during first half CFL action in Edmonton on Saturday, October 11, 2025.<\/p>\n
The three phases that shone in Week 17\u2019s 40-3 beatdown over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats all made blunders, but it was Winnipeg\u2019s offence that took the biggest step back with quarterback Zach Collaros and the offensive line being the main culprits.<\/p>\n
Despite all that, the Elks prevailed thanks to a whacky punt return touchdown that had no business resulting in seven points.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot good enough to overcome a little bit of bad luck,\u201d said head coach Mike O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe caused that fumble on that punt cover kicking out from our own end, and they end up returning it for a touchdown and that turns out to be the difference. That\u2019s only one play, right? We didn\u2019t play well enough through the rest of the game to overcome a little bit of adversity that\u2019s going to happen in every game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bombers trailed 18-10 with less than five minutes to go in the third when special teams ace Nick Hallett punched the ball out of the returner\u2019s arms. The ball was kicked around several times before Kordell Jackson scooped it up for the Elks and sprinted 47 yards to the house to go up 25-10.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a big swing in the game, but nothing we couldn\u2019t have came back from,\u201d said Hallett. \u201cObviously, you\u2019d like those to come out in your favour when you\u2019re able to pop a ball out, but I need to do better. I need to get after it and get on that ball instead of watching. I got up and stood there and watched the ball ping pong around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whether the Bombers won that rally or not, their offence wasn\u2019t deserving of a win.<\/p>\n
Collaros threw undoubtedly one of the worst interceptions of the season when the game was tied 10-10 with less than a minute remaining in the second. The veteran passer stood in the pocket flat-footed and lobbed up a deep ball to a double covered Nic Demski for a free INT for Elks cornerback JJ Ross who returned the ball 59 yards. To make matters worse, Demski pulled up lame with what appeared to be a leg injury and did not return. O\u2019Shea didn\u2019t provide an update on the star receiver post-game.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The Elks failed to capitalize on the mistake as their kicker Vincent Blanchard missed a 33-yard field goal \u2014 his second miss of the game \u2014 wide left for a rouge to take an 11-10 edge into half.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought we had what we wanted, and the corner fell off from the other side. I got to be able to see the entire picture there,\u201d said Collaros.<\/p>\n \u201cWe left some plays out there for sure, some that we\u2019d want back, and it starts with me as the quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n Collaros wasn\u2019t done misfiring. He tossed another flat-footed pick over the middle to defensive back Kenneth Logan Jr. with 10 minutes left in the fourth with the Bombers down 25-13. He also underthrew an open Demski on a corner route in the end zone on their second possession of the game that resulted in the visitors settling for a field goal.<\/p>\n Collaros completed 22-of-34 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown to go with his pair of turnovers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did not play complementary football at all. We were just off in every phase,\u201d said right guard Patrick Neufeld.<\/p>\n \u201cWe weren\u2019t scoring, we were turning the ball over, and we weren\u2019t getting good first down production, which we talked about a lot. They did a good job of not allowing us to get into a rhythm. It\u2019s one of those games where just everyone wasn\u2019t in sync.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t No one can say Ontaria Wilson was off, though. The Bombers receiver made arguably the catch of the season with a fourth quarter touchdown that will be replayed for many years to come. After an underthrown pass ricocheted off two Edmonton defenders, Wilson reached out with his right hand and batted the ball up twice before securing it for an incredible 35-yard score to cut the deficit to 25-20 with six minutes left on the clock.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my head, I\u2019m like \u2018It\u2019s my ball or nobody\u2019s ball.\u2019 I was really fighting to not let the defender get the pick, but it ended up being a catchable ball after the bounce,\u201d said Wilson, who finished with four grabs for 65 yards. \u201cI\u2019d rather win than (have) that catch, honestly, but that\u2019s a great catch in my rankings. I\u2019ll always probably remember it. Catches like that don\u2019t happen often.\u201d<\/p>\n The improbable play put the Bombers in position to steal a win, but they couldn\u2019t get it done. Their best chance came with three minutes left on their own 19-yard line when Collaros flinged a pass near midfield to an open Brady Oliveira who didn\u2019t have a single defender behind him. Elks defensive back Chelen Garnes managed to jump up and get the tip of a finger on the ball and the running back couldn\u2019t track it to bring it in.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, we\u2019re gonna look at that and be upset about that one, for sure,\u201d said Collaros.<\/p>\n Oliveira ran 12 times for 117 yards and had seven catches for 30 yards, but Elks running back Justin Rankin stole the show. Rankin had 18 carries for 138 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown scamper at the start of the third to put Edmonton in front 18-10.<\/p>\n Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo was mostly quiet, 13-for-24 and 142 passing yards, plus four rushes for 25 yards and a score.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the best running back in the CFL from my perspective,\u201d said Bombers dime back Redha Kramdi.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t \u201cHe\u2019s hard to bring down. If I had to take one play back, it would be that one play and just wish we could bring him down.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The good news for the Bombers is they captured the season series over the Elks since they beat them by a larger margin \u2014 a 36-23 result back in June. The bad news is they\u2019re firmly in fourth since both the B.C. Lions (9-7) and Calgary Stampeders (9-7) won this weekend. If the standings remain the same in two weeks, the Bombers \u2014 who have the tiebreaker over the Lions but don\u2019t have it with the Stamps \u2014 will cross over and head to Montreal (8-7) for the East semifinal.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we don\u2019t take care of what\u2019s in front of us right now, there ain\u2019t no reason to talk about the playoffs,\u201d said Kramdi. \u201cWe need to start winning.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers return to action on Friday when they host the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Riders (12-4) clinched the top spot in the West on Friday at Mosaic Stadium with a 27-19 win over the Toronto Argonauts. The Bombers will then close out the regular season on Oct. 25 at Princess Auto Stadium against Montreal.<\/p>\n taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Taylor Allen Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree\/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAMBER BRACKEN \/ THE CANADIA PRESS
\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) passes the ball during first half CFL action against the Edmonton Elks in Edmonton on Saturday, October 11, 2025. <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAMBER BRACKEN \/ THE CANADIA PRESS
\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers’ Brady Oliveira (second right) gets wrapped up by Edmonton Elks’ Joel Dublanko (50), Chelen Garnes (25) and Brandon Barlow (4) during second half CFL action in Edmonton on Saturday, October 11, 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAMBER BRACKEN \/ THE CANADIA PRESS
\nEdmonton Elks’ Justin Rankin (5) carries the ball under pressure from Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Deatrick Nichols (1) during second half CFL action in Edmonton on Saturday, October 11, 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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