{"id":258585,"date":"2025-11-03T10:14:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T10:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/258585\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T10:14:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T10:14:10","slug":"upon-further-review-exit-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/258585\/","title":{"rendered":"Upon Further Review | Exit Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a sudden and sad finality to any football season when it doesn\u2019t end with the good guys hoisting the Grey Cup \u2014 and especially so when the championship is in your own back yard two Sundays hence.<\/p>\n

To that end, as the 2025 edition of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers gathered Sunday morning\/afternoon for exit meetings, for media interviews and for one last time together as a squad following Saturday\u2019s season-ending loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Semi-Final, it felt like a wake, a funeral and a farewell all mashed together.<\/p>\n

Asked what it will be like to give up their locker room to either the Saskatchewan Roughriders or B.C. Lions next week for Grey Cup, quarterback Zach Collaros almost winced before adding:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely unsettling. It doesn\u2019t feel great. On the ride over (to the stadium) I picked up Jake (Thomas) and that was one of the things we talked about briefly.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously losing and not coming to work today is difficult but just that thought of having another team in your locker room\u2026 it\u2019s tough.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 You wanted to do it in your own stadium in front of our fans. We know you\u2019re not going to make the Grey Cup every single year; you\u2019re not going to win the Grey Cup every single year. But it just never felt like we were moving in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Indeed, looking back now, so much about the Blue Bombers 2025 season felt like a grind, even with a 10-8 finish that saw the club qualify for the playoffs for a ninth straight season and for a ninth straight time post a double-digit win campaign.<\/p>\n

But when a team authors that much success \u2014 including five straight Grey Cup appearances and two championships \u2014 and then that run comes to a screeching halt, well, it can feel like failure, even if this run has featured so much winning.<\/p>\n

\u201cExpectations are a great thing,\u201d said Collaros. \u201cHaving high expectations are a great thing and you should have high expectations of yourself and we should have high expectations of our organization. It\u2019s why people want to come play here. It\u2019s why those of us who have been here six-plus years, five-plus years want to come back and keep doing this, because of the expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it was just to make the playoffs each year or maybe make the playoffs each year a lot of us would have just retired by now. But that chase is why a lot of us continue to want to do this. It\u2019s because of the expectation, the standard that\u2019s been set here. Osh (head coach Mike O\u2019Shea) commented on that earlier today. I think that\u2019s awesome.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a playing standpoint, I\u2019m disappointed, I\u2019m frustrated. I don\u2019t think we played good football this year on offence and that\u2019s hard for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why right now feels like a crossroads moment for the franchise. This latest run has been dubbed \u2018Glory Years 2.0\u2019, a stretch that harkens back to the 1957-65 era when the club appeared in six Grey Cups over nine years, winning four titles.<\/p>\n

Yet, GM Kyle Walters and head coach Mike O\u2019Shea are on expiring contracts, there are 11 starters 30 years or older and the list of pending free agents includes stars like Brady Oliveira, Nic Demski, Stanley Bryant, Pat Neufeld, Willie Jefferson, Deatrick Nichols, Evan Holm, Redha Kramdi, Sergio Castillo and Cam Lawson.<\/p>\n

As to whether this feels like the end of an era, Collaros \u2014 who is under contract for 2026 \u2014 left it clear where he stands.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s the end of an era,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t even know how to categorize it. If you\u2019re grouping things together when you make it to five straight Grey Cups and then you don\u2019t, I guess there\u2019s kind of a cut off there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think we still have the pieces in place. I\u2019d like to continue to do this. I love this sport, I love this league, I love this organization, first and foremost, and I love my teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to continue to do it, but I want to play good football and I want the guys who have been here \u2014 Jake Thomas, Pat Neufeld, Stanley Bryant, Shayne Gauthier \u2014 those guys who have been here for the run, I\u2019d like for them to be here to do it because I think we can continue to do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you watch, there were times where we look like the best team in the league and there\u2019s times where we\u2019re not,\u201d he added. \u201cI think we have the pieces in place. You obviously add, subtract and whatever that looks like \u2014 today is one of the sadder days and the realization (Saturday) night that you\u2019re losing pieces and you might not see these guys again, you might not be teammates again \u2014 those things are tough. But I think we have the foundation here and it\u2019s a testament to the organization and the front office and Osh for bringing those guys in and I think we deserve an opportunity to play good football.\u201d<\/p>\n

ICYMI, here is our Game Recap from Saturday\u2019s Eastern Semi-Final loss:<\/p>\n

Game Recap | Eastern Semi-Final | Wpg 33 Mtl 42<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

And what follows is this week\u2019s Upon Further Review\u2026<\/p>\n

COLLAROS WAS HONEST AND FORTHRIGHT\u2026 during his media session on Sunday especially as he weighed in on the offence and his own play.<\/p>\n

First, on the offence, which finished seventh in scoring (23.1 points per game), fifth in net offence (345.7 yards), second in rushing (124.7 yards) and dead last in passing (235.0 yards).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe consistency certainly wasn\u2019t there and that can\u2019t be pointed in one direction, though,\u201d Collaros said. \u201cObviously, Jason\u2019s (offensive coordinator Jason Hogan) been coaching for a long time and he got the opportunity to be an offensive coordinator this year. There\u2019s a learning curve with everything, whether it\u2019s playing the game, coaching the game \u2014 all those things. There\u2019s always a learning curve with calling plays, organizing, all that stuff. It\u2019s hard for me to really comment on it because I\u2019ve never had to do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll that being said, there was a lot of ups and downs this season. There were many times I did not think we played up to our standard and just good football. Again, that can\u2019t be directed in just one place. It\u2019s very hard for me after games to point the finger at anybody by myself. No matter what situation we\u2019re put in or what the play call is or what the preparation was for the week I always revert back to I could have done something to make this play right, to help the team.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 Everybody has a role and everybody\u2019s doing it to the best of their ability and there\u2019s jobs on the line, there\u2019s families involved\u2026 everybody\u2019s doing their best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And when quizzed as to whether he felt his own game is in decline \u2014 the team was 6-7 in his starts this year as he threw for 3,038 yards with 17 TDs against 16 interceptions \u2014 he was straightforward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t physically feel that way. Mentally, I don\u2019t feel that way but I\u2019d be hard pressed to argue with you if you said I didn\u2019t play good football this season,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I watch it, you can\u2019t justify things, you can rationalize things as to why decisions were made, as to why you threw the ball here as to why you didn\u2019t throw the ball there. As a quarterback and as a competitor those things are always on my mind. And for someone watching from the outside who doesn\u2019t really know what\u2019s going on at all, I can certainly understand those questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

His frustration dates back to training camp when his reps were cut as the club understandably worked to get Chris Streveler ready for the season opener with Collaros serving a one-game suspension. He also said the club repped a lot of things in camp they never got to during the season and that the team struggled to \u201cfigure out what you\u2019re good at and grow in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collaros suggested the passing attack had shown signs of being in decline even before this year and when asked what needs to change, offered this:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s more of a discussion for when the dust settles and we find out what\u2019s going to happen moving forward and all those things. I think we have the players in place, we have guys who can play.\u201d<\/p>\n

WE HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO NIC DEMSKI\u2026 on Sunday and he said he was \u2018super close\u2019 to playing in Saturday\u2019s Eastern Semi-Final.<\/p>\n

Demski flew with the team to Montreal on Thursday, participated in Friday\u2019s walk-through and was on the field in the pre-game before he was scratched a half hour before kickoff.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a big, long warm-up and everything went well and then it was just to point of could I sprint or not,\u201d he said. \u201cI just didn\u2019t think I could sprint the way I wanted to, sprint in a way to help this team. It kinda kills me just looking back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demski, named a West Division All-Star and the team\u2019s leading receiver the last two seasons, said this about his future as a pending free agent: \u201cI love it here. I don\u2019t want my situation to change. I\u2019ll just stick with that answer and we\u2019ll from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was also pressed for his thoughts on the \u2018end of an era\u2019 narrative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026 it feels like we hear that every year, or in the last three years. Do I believe that? No,\u201d he said. \u201cAs I said, I don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going to happen with all the change or if there is change or what the next five-six months are going to look like, but with my situation I want to be here, I love it here, this is home.\u201d<\/p>\n

AS MENTIONED ABOVE\u2026 the Blue Bombers had 11 starters who are 30 years or older. That list includes left tackle Stanley Bryant (39), Collaros (37), guard Pat Neufeld (36), defensive end Willie Jefferson (34), defensive tackle Jake Thomas (34), centre Chris Kolankowski (33), end James Vaughters (32), linebacker Kyrie Wilson (32), Demski (31), defensive back Deatrick Nichols (31), and linebacker Tony Jones (30).<\/p>\n

On top of that, on the plus-side of 30 are: kicker Sergio Castillo (35), linebacker Shayne Gauthier (33), right tackle Eric Lofton (32), defensive back Nick Hallett (31), quarterback Chris Streveler (30) and receiver Cam Echols (30). Worth noting: receiver Dalton Schoen, cornerbacks Demerio Houston and Terrell Bonds and centre Tui Eli are all 29.<\/p>\n

Montreal, just by comparison, has 17 players 30 or older, six of which are starters.<\/p>\n

The longest-serving member of the club is Thomas, a 2012 draft pick of the club who is now fourth on the franchise\u2019s all-time regular-season games played list at 223, behind only Bob Cameron (394), Troy Westwood (293) and Chris Walby (249).<\/p>\n

We spoke to Jake in the locker room on Sunday:<\/p>\n

NOTABLE\u2026<\/p>\n

-Trey Vaval has a reason to stay in Winnipeg just a week or so longer \u2014 he\u2019s a finalist for both the CFL Most Outstanding Rookie and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player Awards, which will be announced Thursday, November 13th at Club Regent Casino.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI love this love this organization,\u201d he said. \u201cThe coaches and players, like I\u2019ve said, they\u2019re amazing. They welcomed me so much and have been nothing but amazing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love this organization, the fans here, the city, everything about Winnipeg, I love it. If they want me here, I\u2019d love to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

AND, FINALLY\u2026\u00a0if you\u2019re still with us to this point, thanks for reading. And if you want to relive the misery of Saturday\u2019s season-ending loss, check out our condensed game:<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a sudden and sad finality to any football season when it doesn\u2019t end with the good guys…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":258586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-258585","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cfl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-canadian-football-league","11":"tag-canadianfootballleague","12":"tag-cfl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=258585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=258585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=258585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}