\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
![\"JOHN](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4433293_web1_CP176665510.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Ontaria Wilson (left) intercepts the lateral pass from Calgary Stampeders\u2019 Ben Labrosse (29) intended for Marquel Lee (8) on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like that in my life,\u201d said Bombers offensive lineman Patrick Neufeld, a 15-year CFL veteran. \u201cIt\u2019s one of those crazy CFL action plays. Thank God (Wilson) had the wherewithal to do that. He\u2019s made some unbelievable plays for us and that\u2019s going up there on the top for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bombers bench boss Mike O\u2019Shea shared a similar sentiment.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat vision, great anticipation. One of the best plays I\u2019ve seen,\u201d said O\u2019Shea. \u201cWhatever they do for the play of the year, I don\u2019t know what they do for that stuff, but it\u2019s got to be up there.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is a classic example of why it\u2019s so important to never quit on a play or to battle right until the whistle.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the great joys of coaching is you see something new all the time. And that was fantastic,\u201d O\u2019Shea continued. \u201cRight on time. Refusing to let something negative take hold right away. You\u2019re going to finish the play and he finished it in absolutely the best possible way he could, short of getting up and scoring a touchdown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat vision, great anticipation. One of the best plays I\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson showed off his football intelligence on the play in question, but admits he also used his ears to put himself in position.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just looking for an opportunity to get the ball back,\u201d said Wilson, who has 34 receptions for 470 yards and three touchdowns in seven games this season. \u201cInitially, when he caught the pig, I was initially going to try to punch it out. But his teammate was like, \u2018Throw it to me.\u2019 I saw him gathering himself to toss it and thought this might be my opportunity to get it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I dove and I got it. It was just a good play, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson was being modest.<\/p>\n
This was an exceptional play \u2014 one that not many individuals would be able to pull off at full speed and in real time.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou and I would be thinking, \u2018Punch it out\u2019 and we\u2019d be doing this (punching motion) and falling forward and landing on our face three yards short and then the plan never worked,\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n
\u201cA guy like that is so athletic he can just transition from what he wants to do to what he sees and react in time with great athleticism, with good poise and anticipation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson is still a bit taken aback by what transpired, even with the benefit of watching it back in the film room.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt still feels unreal to watch it on the replay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt still feels unreal to watch it on the replay,\u201d he said. \u201cEverybody was like, \u2018How did you know (he was going to lateral the ball)\u2019? It felt way slower in person than watching it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson didn\u2019t have time to wonder what in the world Labrosse (who had three interceptions in the game) was thinking as the play unfolded.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt kind of could have been a good play if I wasn\u2019t there,\u201d said Wilson.<\/p>\n
But Wilson was there and the turn of events was magnified when running back Brady Oliveira rushed for a 45-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to nine points on the next play.<\/p>\n
Earlier this season, Wilson prevented Edmonton Elks defensive back Tyrell Ford from scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery when he showed off his blazing speed to catch him from behind.<\/p>\n
That hustle play was also impactful as the Blue Bombers defence held the Elks to a field goal on the next possession in that game.<\/p>\n
DEFENCE SEARCHES FOR CONSISTENCY<\/p>\n
Overall, it was a tough showing for the Bombers defence, as the team allowed its opponent to eclipse 50 points for the first time in more than a decade \u2014 dating back to July 2, 2015, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamiliar in the sense that some of the same issues that have caused us some issues earlier in the season \u2014 the explosion plays, we had a dropped coverage where we had miscommunication on who was supposed to be doing what job, who was supposed to be covering the running back out of the backfield,\u201d said Bombers defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger. \u201cWhen I look at it, I see incomplete games.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t RUTH BONNEVILLE \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger is looking for complete games from his players.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Younger has seen flashes of the defence he envisions, but they\u2019ve also been giving up too many explosion plays.<\/p>\n With a 4-3 record going into Thursday\u2019s game with the B.C. Lions and tied with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (who hold a game in hand) for second in the West, the Bombers are fifth in the CFL in points allowed (29.7) and they\u2019re also in the middle of the pack for net offence (381.6 yards per game), but have struggled against the run, sitting eighth in that category after allowing 752 yards (an average of 107.4 per game).<\/p>\n One area the Blue Bombers have shown improvement in this season is the ability to get to the quarterback, as they\u2019re first in the CFL in sacks with 15.<\/p>\n Jake Ceresna and Willie Jefferson are tied for the individual lead with five sacks apiece. Ceresna was brought in as a free agent to help the pass rush and has lived up to expectations, while Jefferson has been a force to be reckoned with.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe (Willie Jefferson is) still arguably the most dominant player in the league. Definitely a standout among all of the defensive lineman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s standard Willie Jefferson. He\u2019s an exceptional football player. He always has been,\u201d said Younger. \u201cI believe he\u2019s still arguably the most dominant player in the league. Definitely a standout among all of the defensive linemen.\u201d<\/p>\n Already looking to regroup, the Bombers will face an interesting challenge as the Lions are expected to give quarterback Kaidon Salter (who was a star with the Colorado Buffaloes of the NCAA) his first CFL start on Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we saw him in the pre-season. He was pretty efficient. He played very well,\u201d said O\u2019Shea. \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019s providing them with a lot of hope and we\u2019ve got to be prepared for that.<\/p>\n \u201cIn university, he was able to be very, very productive, especially in 2023 when he ran the ball for 1,000 yards and passed for (almost 3,000). He\u2019s a dual-threat quarterback. He seems to be pretty calm, too.\u201d<\/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
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reporter
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n