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JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
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Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros will start against the Calgary Stampeders Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Zach Collaros returns to action this week after suffering a head injury in the Banjo Bowl. Winnipeg\u2019s starting quarterback has missed six games this season \u2014 his most since arriving in Winnipeg in 2019 \u2014 and the team has struggled without him, going 2-4 during that stretch.<\/p>\n
Collaros has faced no shortage of adversity in 2026. Now 38, in the final year of his contract and returning from yet another injury, he has plenty to prove in the season\u2019s final weeks.<\/p>\n
Collaros revealed Thursday that he\u2019d like to keep playing in 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that if I was in the locker room with Zach, I\u2019d be inspired,\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll those attributes that a professional quarterback should have, he has in spades. Somehow it just oozes out of his pores. You can stand near him and feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Big play V.A.<\/p>\n
The Stampeders are bringing the CFL\u2019s highest-scoring offence to town.<\/p>\n
Calgary has been putting points on the board all season, averaging 35.8 per game. They\u2019ve won three in a row and have a chance to increase their streak to four games \u2014 a feat they haven\u2019t accomplished since 2022.<\/p>\n
Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. is a big reason why, playing some of the best football of his career.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t NICK IWANYSHYN \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Calgary Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. rolls into Winnipeg coming off back-to-back CFL Player of the Week nods.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n He\u2019s coming off back-to-back CFL Player of the Week nods and most recently outduelled the Roughriders, throwing four touchdown passes in a 37-31 road victory last Friday.<\/p>\n His go-to target, Jalen Philpot, has also been on a tear, recording 23 catches for 317 yards and two touchdowns over the past three games.<\/p>\n Adams leads the CFL with 34 touchdown passes and ranks third in quarterback rating at 116.0. He\u2019s also 8-4 against Winnipeg in his career.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he\u2019s confident, he feels like he can make any throw \u2014 and he can,\u201d said Holm.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he\u2019s in a rhythm, there\u2019s almost no stopping him. But when he\u2019s unsure and feels the pressure, it\u2019s a little bit of a different game.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers have allowed the fewest passing yards and passing touchdowns in the league, but the secondary is coming off a rough outing in Montreal where they were embarrassed 37-10.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Man in the middle<\/p>\n The Bombers are making a change at centre, sending rookie American Tyler Elsbury to the bench in favour of veteran Canadian Tui Eli.<\/p>\n Eli is in his sixth season in Winnipeg, and Saturday will mark just his seventh career start.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t RUTH BONNEVILLE \/ FREE PERSS FILES<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman Tui Eli (centre) will make his seventh career start Saturday in place of Tyler Elsbury.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n His experience and Canadian status made him the favourite to win the job coming out of training camp, but Elsbury pulled off the upset to become the full-time starter.<\/p>\n \u201c(Eli) comes to work every single day and knows what he\u2019s supposed to do, works hard, directs the offensive line, communicates well, and we just thought we\u2019d give him a chance,\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n The Bombers are wise to try something different. Elsbury isn\u2019t solely to blame, but the offensive line has been average at best this season. Winnipeg has allowed a league-worst 37 sacks, matching the total it surrendered over the entire 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Rivalry continues<\/p>\n The two previous meetings between Winnipeg and Calgary this season have unfolded very differently.<\/p>\n The Bombers outlasted the Stampeders at McMahon Stadium in Week 1, with Sergio Castillo drilling a 38-yard walk-off field goal to secure a 30-28 victory.<\/p>\n But in Week 8 at Princess Auto Stadium, Calgary responded in a big way by steamrolling Winnipeg 52-30.<\/p>\n The Stampeders have won five of their past seven against the Blue and Gold dating back to 2024. They\u2019re also the CFL\u2019s best road team this season, with a 5-3 record in enemy territory.<\/p>\n The stakes on Saturday are the highest they\u2019ve been between these foes since they squared off in the 2019 Western semifinal where Winnipeg won 35-14 in Calgary.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira (20) said the club has to win Saturday\u2019s contest against the Calgary Stampeders \u2018by any means.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe gotta win one game,\u201d said running back Brady Oliveira.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really have to look at this and (do) whatever it\u2019s going to take, by any means, to go out there and find a way to win the game.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Good and bad on defence<\/p>\n Collaros will want to avoid Clarence Hicks at all costs.<\/p>\n Calgary\u2019s star pass-rusher has already taken down Winnipeg quarterbacks twice this season and leads the CFL with 12 sacks.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JEFF MCINTOSH \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (right) is sacked by Calgary Stampeders defensive lineman Clarence Hicks (centre) back in June. Calgary\u2019s star pass-rusher has already taken down Winnipeg quarterbacks twice this season and leads the CFL with 12 sacks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Stampeders have a loaded front that also features a game-wrecker at defensive tackle in Jaylon Hutchings.<\/p>\n The rest of their defence, however, leaves a lot to be desired.<\/p>\n Over their past five games, the Stampeders have allowed an average of 38.2 points. The Bombers have scored at least 30 points just six times this season, but two of those came against Calgary.<\/p>\n The Stamps rank eighth defensively, sitting among the league\u2019s bottom three teams against both the pass and the run. If they hope to come out on top in a potential shootout, they\u2019ll need to do a much better job containing Oliveira.<\/p>\n The Bombers\u2019 star tailback is averaging 120.5 yards per game and 8.3 yards per carry against Calgary in 2026.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/taylorallen<\/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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