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JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Tommy Nield fights for yards against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defence. The receiver had his first career 100-yard game on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s certainly the expectation after seeing how well that Nieldis fitting into the Blue Bombers offence after signing as a free agent in February.<\/p>\n
Although the sample size is small, Nield already has 10 catches on 13 targets for 163 yards, including 111 yards against the Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s now Year 6 for me and it\u2019s my first 100-yard game,\u201d said Nield. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s a positive to build off. I\u2019ve really always known that I\u2019ve been capable of doing something like that. It\u2019s cool to have a 100-yard game, but I\u2019d rather have the win on top of it.\u201d <\/p>\n
A three-time Grey Cup winner with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2025) and Toronto Argonauts (2022, 2024), Nield isn\u2019t concerned about eye-popping statistics but he also recognizes he could grow into an important weapon in Tommy Condell\u2019s offensive attack.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why he spent time with Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros during the off-season, laying the foundation for what has already been on display in the early stages of this relationship.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been smooth,\u201d said Nield, asked about the transition and joining a new team. \u201cWe were out there twice a week for a couple of months and it made a big difference. We hit the ground running and really drilled in each and every day, trying to build that chemistry on the field in practice, so that when we get out here in the game, it\u2019s steady and we\u2019re playing fast.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t feel any hesitation when I got here. I knew what to expect and I was good to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the second time in as many weeks, the Bombers spread the ball around, as six players ended up with at least one reception \u2014 Nield leading the way with seven (on nine targets).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just seeing the same thing out there. (Collaros) knew where I was going to be and I knew where he was going to throw the ball,\u201d said Nield, who has amassed 115 catches for 1,474 yards and seven touchdowns during his career. \u201cThat combination usually works out pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n
You get the sense Collaros sees the potential for big things as the season unfolds.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s smart, he\u2019s got a really wide catch radius,\u201d said Collaros, who completed 28-of-35 passes for 421 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception on Thursday. \u201cHe\u2019s fast. He can pretty much do everything. I think Tommy Condell has done a really good job of incorporating him and finding matchups, whether it\u2019s man or zone, that are advantageous.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s evident why Bombers head coach Mike O\u2019Shea and general manager Kyle Walters made signing Nield as a free agent to bolster the receiving corps a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see a guy who is extremely trustworthy,\u201d said O\u2019Shea. \u201cHe knows what he has to do, he knows where to be, he knows how to get there. He knows to be there on time. He\u2019s got good hands. Smart guy. Big body. Moves really well. I think people would shortchange him if they discount his athleticism, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Tommy Nield (83) said his time spent with starting quarterback Zach Collaros (8) during the off-season laid the foundation as a target for the pivot that has already been evident through the club\u2019s first two games of the regular season.<\/p>\n Nield isn\u2019t just limited to making catches, he also takes pride in opening up holes in the running game.<\/p>\n \u201cHe comes in with the right mindset and the right attitude every single day and he\u2019s tough,\u201d said Bombers running back Brady Oliveira, noting that Nield is the type of person that helps make the workplace environment more enjoyable. \u201cHe\u2019s the ultimate teammate, the ultimate pro, the ultimate competitor.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see it when he catches the football, he\u2019s got tough hands, he gets north and he\u2019s not scared to put his shoulder down. He\u2019s going to block in the run game. So, I\u2019m really happy that he\u2019s on our side.\u201d<\/p>\n Nield nearly hauled in his first touchdown with the Bombers in the first quarter, but he wasn\u2019t able to secure the throw in the right corner of the end zone.<\/p>\n There was also a scary moment earlier in the contest when Nield was involved in a collision with Tiger-Cats defensive back Jamal Peters, who was taken off the field on a stretcher and evaluated at a local medical facility before he was discharged.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cThat hurt me to see,\u201d said Nield. \u201cI was teammates with Jamal in Toronto for a number of years, so I was definitely thinking a lot about him during the game and right now. I\u2019m hoping that he\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n \u201cYou never want to see anything like that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n There was some positive news on that front as Peters took to social media on Friday to say that he\u2019s been cleared by the medical team and that he\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n Peters also expressed his gratitude for how the situation was handled by all of those involved.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/kenwiebe<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken 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 Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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