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News August 24, 2026

Need to Know | Week 13 vs. Montreal

Mike O'Shea during Monday's Blue Bombers practice; photos by Cameron Bartlett

@EdTaitWFC

The extremes of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last performance — the jaw-dropping dominance in the first half followed by a perplexing about face in the final 30 minutes — can also bring out the extremes of a frustrated fan base.

Yet, if those in Bomber Nation were expecting some sort of dramatic changes when the team got back to work on Monday, be it through the transaction wire, benchings, firings or some sort of old/new formation — the Wing-T, anyone? — they would be foot-stomping angry by what unfolded at practice.

And, frankly, would we expect anything different from an outfit that has long approached its struggles by simply grabbing the axe and getting back to work chopping wood again?

Yes — hell, yes — there are questions being asked in Bomberland about what happened in a 22-19 loss to the Edmonton Elks last Friday that saw them build and then lose a 16-0 lead, rally to tie the contest at 19-19, before folding late and giving up a walk-off game-winning field goal.

But reacting with dramatic changes in what has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride so far? Nope. It just ain’t going to happen.

“I would say the majority of the guys in the building here aren’t struggling to put their finger on it,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “Our process allows everybody to see the truth of where we’re at. We’re not where we want to be.

“Do I think we’ve gotten closer? Absolutely. I’ve talked about it in the last few weeks — we’re down to some finite, fine fixtures, little details, honing the craft. We’re not still in that big picture mode. So, I believe the guys know exactly where we’re at — 5-5, not good enough, improving and we have a team that if we play to our potential can compete every single week to win a game.”

Again, that might not be what some folks want to hear, but that’s how this team works on fixing its issues, many of which were on display Friday from an inability to finish drives in the first half and then a shocking inefficiency offensively in the second half, to a defence forcing turnovers and stifling the Elks offence to then being unable to get off the field in the final 30 minutes.

“You’ve got to finish drives with touchdowns. It’s something we’ve talked about, obviously. for a long time,” said quarterback Zach Collaros. “There were a few plays there that you wish you would do better on and each man feels the same way. But, yeah, it felt pretty good in the first half.

“It’s frustrating because it’s on us as an offensive unit to stay on the football field. On our first drive there (of the second half), we had a pretty productive run on the first one and then we wish we could have executed the next play better. And then we didn’t have the ball back until one minute left (in the third quarter) and then we went two and out again. So, it’s unacceptable.

“We have to do better at being on the football field, extending drives and then you can call more plays and into the meat and potatoes of what you want to do that day. But when you go two and out, it makes it hard.

“It just comes down to execution and when you lack that you’re just not going to get four strong quarters in a row,” Collaros added. “You’re always frustrated when you don’t do well but you can’t let that affect your attitude, your mentality the way that you play the game. As we’ve talked about since I’ve been here, the most important play is the next play. Once that one’s over, you’ve got to treat it like it’s its own thing because it is. But you’ve got to move on the next play.”

We mentioned a lot of the numbers from the good first half to the ugly second in this week’s Upon Further Review, but the big one is this: the Blue Bombers ran 40 offensive plays and had 300 yet yards offence in the first half but ran just 13 plays for 19 total yards in the second.

And while they took a 16-0 lead, they also settled for 15 and 20-yard field goals from Sergio Castillo and had a third-and-three from the Elks five-yard line fizzle out.

So, that’s a pile of points left on the field.

“It’s unfortunate it went down that way but there’s lots of things to learn from that, not just to get better from but just from the potential we have,” said slotback Nic Demski. “We’re rolling in that first half. The way we came out in the second half wasn’t good enough but at the end of the day and most importantly we’ve shown ourselves what we can do. We’ve just now got to find a way to stay consistent for all four quarters.”

So, it was put to Demski by Paul Friesen of The Winnipeg Sun, who are the real Blue Bombers? The team we saw in the first half last Friday or the team we saw in quarters three and four?

“When we put everything together and get the consistency that we need to it’s the first half Blue Bombers. for sure,” he said. “That’s one of the positive things. It’s hard taking positive things from losses, but a positive thing is that we showed ourselves what we can do.

“But now the real battle is doing that for all four quarters. That’s a lot harder said than done but the potential is there. We’ve just got to go out there and do it.”

Watch Coach O’Shea’s full press conference here:

And here are more notes and quotes in another instalment of NEED TO KNOW…

OUCH REPORT: There’s always a danger into reading too much into the first practice day of the week — often players don’t practice on Day 1 to save the wear and tear for later in the week — but there were some notable developments on Monday.

First, safety Redha Kramdi — who has been out since the OT win in Ottawa on July 19th — was back at work. Also, Collaros was in full gear and throwing on occasion, but it was Dru Brown who ran things when the offensive period started. RB Brady Oliveira was not present and veteran OL Stanley Bryant and DB Deatrick Nichols didn’t practice.

As we saw in Friday’s loss, when Nichols exited the game, the Blue Bombers slid Trey Vaval into the cornerback spot and moved Major Williams inside.

Vaval, the dynamic kick returner, looked comfortable at the corner and is always volunteering for more snaps.

“I’m down that we couldn’t get the job done, but onto the next,” Vaval told bluebombers.com after practice. “We had an injury situation, and I just wanted to come in and help my team as much as possible. I take every week as if I’m going to go in and play. I want to be ready wherever they may need me to be.”

COMINGS/GOINGS: The Blue Bombers released Global LB Ayo Oyelola on Monday while adding LB Kyahva Tezino (6-0, 224, San Diego State).

Now, 29, Tezino signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2020, later getting a look by the Carolina Panthers.

He was an USFL all-star with the Pittsburgh Maulers in 2023, and after a look from the San Franisco 49ers, signed with the Birmingham Stallions, where he was part of a championship team in 2024. He got another NFL look from the Pittsburgh Steelers that year before rejoining the Stallions, where he was again named an all-star this past season.

CONDOLENCES: To the family of former Blue Bombers DL/OL Glen Schapansky, who passed away on August 20th.

A product of the Weston Wildcats junior program, Schapansky played with the Blue Bombers from 1967-70 before finishing his CFL career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

You can read more about Glen’s career here, courtesy the Winnipeg Police Museum.