Game #6: Stampeders (2-2) vs Blue Bombers (1-4)

Kickoff: Friday, July 12th, 7:30 p.m. CDT; Princess Auto Stadium
TV/Streaming: TSN 1/3; RDS; CFL+
Radio: 680 CJOB
Streaks: Wpg: 1W; Calgary: 1L
Weather: Sunny with a high of 32. Clear, with an overnight low of 21.
FYI: Friday is the club’s annual ‘Wear White’ game where the team will be wearing its white ‘road’ jerseys and is encouraging fans to wear their white Blue Bombers gear.
It is also the Purolator Tackle Hunger Game where fans are asked to bring a non-perishable food item or make a donation for Harvest Manitoba.

Bring a tin for the bin this Friday for our @PurolatorInc Tackle Hunger game! You could win an autographed Brady jersey, a $250 Bomber Store gift card, or a team-autographed football!

Plus, @PeakoftheMarket will match up to 10,000 lbs of food donated.#ForTheW pic.twitter.com/rvglaeJtv6

— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) July 10, 2024

Scene Setter

It’s the Canadian Football League’s version of one of those ‘What’s wrong with this picture?’ games for the kiddies where something is out of place or just off upon closer examination.

Yes, a quick gander at the CFL stats showcases several prime examples as it pertains to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and their passing attack through five games of 2024.

The evidence:

They are last in passing yards per game (218.6), last in net offence (312.8), last in passing touchdowns (one), last in passing efficiency (72.0) and — most importantly — last in offensive points scored (19.0).

Just by comparison, the Blue Bombers numbers and rankings in those categories a year ago:

-Passing yards per game (292.4, 2nd)

-Net offence (414.7, 1st)

-Passing touchdowns (42, 1st)

-Passing efficiency (116.2, 1st)

-Offensive points scored (31.7, 1st)

There are some compelling reasons as to the dramatic drop off, of course, like the season-ending injury to all-star receiver Dalton Schoen, like game-breaking pass catcher Kenny Lawler being out since Week 1 with a broken arm, like the offensive departures in the offseason that included right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick, guard Geoff Gray and receiver Rasheed Bailey.

Still…

“Our offence, we obviously like to run the ball,” said slotback Nic Demski. “But we like to pass the ball, too, and create some explosion (plays). We’ve definitely got to get that going.

“The receivers, we haven’t been as locked in as we should have. I put my name in there, too. I haven’t made some of the plays I want to. It’s now about coming together and stepping up. We’re on the right path. We’ve just got to finish some plays and get one play better each and every week.”

The next chance to jumpstart the offence and, in particular, the passing attack comes Friday against the Stampeders. The Blue Bombers receiving corps features CFL rookies Pokey Wilson, Josh Johnson and Kevens Clercius, but still includes Demski and Wolitarsky as well as rushing champ Brady Oliveira and, most importantly, Zach Collaros, who returns after missing last week’s game.

“He’s been looking really good out there this week,” said Oliveira of Collaros. “I’m super excited. That’s the leader of this team, the leader of this offence so to have him back out there is huge for this entire team and especially this offence. He had a great week of prep and so I’m excited for him to go out there and just do what he does best.

“It was a slow start for lots of us, for this entire team — we didn’t start the way we wanted to start this season. As for individual play, for myself, I can say I didn’t start the way I wanted to start and Zach might say the same for himself.

“But this is the week he’s really going to show what he’s all about. We’ve seen it time and time again the last couple of seasons of who he is and what he does best so I’m just really excited to have him back out there with us.”

That’s what the Blue Bombers are leaning into right now — that they didn’t just forget how to light up the scoreboard in one offseason, that every rep for the new receivers makes them that much more comfortable.

The proof, naturally, has to come on the scoreboard ASAP.

“We’ve just lot to let it come to us,” said Demski. “It’s not like we have to force anything. We know what we have in this room. We know we have explosive play-making ability. We’ve just got to dial down and do our thing.

“I’m not worried about it. We’ve just got to get back in our rhythm.”

THE DEPTH CHART

The Blue Bombers have made just one change to the depth chart this week. On is DE Lucky Ogbevoen for DE Ali Fayad, who was released earlier this week. WR Lucky Whitehead remains on the practice roster after being added this week as the receiving corps remains the same as last week’s game.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

1. Whatever it takes

The Blue Bombers first win of 2024 last week featured so many aspects of what has made the franchise so successful over the last few years — dominating the line of scrimmage, winning the turnover battle and controlling the clock.

Still, how sustainable is rushing for 212 yards and passing for just 127 from week to week? As stated above, the Blue Bombers need their passing game to crank up soon — especially against a Stampeders defence that limited them to just 78 yards rushing a couple of weeks ago.

“I said it last week and I’ll say it again this week — whatever it takes,” said Brady Oliveira, who rumbled for a season-high 129 yards last week against Ottawa. “Whatever it takes to win another football game. Of course, being balanced is key and is what will win you football games down the road and get you ultimately do where you want to be at the end of the year.”

2. More change, more dominance?

The Blue Bombers have added another new face to their lineup for this one, bringing aboard Ogbevoen — the club’s second pick in the 2024 Global Draft — who figures to get considerable work at end.

What we’ve seen in the last few weeks is significant improvement for the Blue Bombers defence. After being burned for 500 net yards in the loss to B.C. that total has dropped to 307 in the OT loss to Calgary and then 283 in the win over the RedBlacks.

Last week’s victory also featured three sacks, an interception by Terrell Bonds, a fumble recovery by Evan Holm and a strip sack by Willie Jefferson — all examples of potentially mammoth game-changing plays.

“It’s incredibly important because those are the type of plays that reinforce what we’re doing works,” said defensive coordinator Jordan Younger earlier this week. “You talk about, ‘Hey, if we do this, we have a chance to win’ and then they go out there and see it. It’s, ‘OK, we did it. This was the result, let’s go try and do that one again.’ Now it breeds a certain kind of excitement and enthusiasm that is easy to build off — We are able to build momentum and sustain momentum because they’re buying in.”

3. Clean up the miscues

The Blue Bombers have been the CFL’s most-disciplined team for eons, but have struggled with meeting that standard that through the first five weeks.

Winnipeg has taken 36 penalties through five games, second-most in the CFL with the 300 yards in infractions ranking fourth. Included in that are eight offensive offside or procedure calls and three defensive offside penalties. Even last week’s win featured some transgressions with two illegal block penalties, two unnecessary roughness infractions and a roughing-the-passer call.

The Last Word:

“Having Zach back in there is going to be huge for this entire team. But whatever it takes to win — whether we have to pass it 50 times again or run it 50 times again — we need to string these together and start stacking wins on wins.” — Brady Oliveira.