Bombers face season test playing best in the West Elks can clinch first series win over Winnipeg since 2018 5 Storylines
By: Joshua Frey-Sam Posted: 3:31 PM CDT Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026

The page has officially flipped to the second half of the season, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers find themselves teetering in the CFL’s grey zone, with the scale capable of tipping in either direction.

Sure, the club would be in the playoffs if the regular season ended today, but it’s closer to the bottom of the West Division than it is to the top.

The club’s perpetually optimistic head coach Mike O’Shea said earlier this week that his team is “probably where we need to be.”

Beyond O’Shea, it’s a mixed bag of reviews from coaches and players alike about how they are feeling through nine contests.

“We’re not happy where we’re at. It could be worse, too, on the other side of the coin,” said offensive lineman Patrick Neufeld.

“Haven’t played a full four quarters yet, so trying to find that.”

Are they playing their best ball? They sure hope not. Is there stuff to build on? They’d sure like to think so.

“The record kind of shows it: a lot of good, a lot of bad,” echoed defensive back Evan Holm. “Haven’t played a full four quarters yet, so trying to find that.”

Those feelings are apt for a club with a 5-4 record. They are coming off a not-so-convincing 33-21 victory over the winless Ottawa Redblacks, but it was a win, nonetheless.

Now their attention is on what should be a much more formidable challenge in the West Division-leading Edmonton Elks (7-3), who edged out the Bombers 23-18 at Princess Auto Stadium back in Week 4. With one more game between the two sides after this week, a win for the Elks would mean capturing the season series over the Blue and Gold for the first time since 2018.

If the Bombers want to get out of the middle, they must escape playing like a team that lives there. And perhaps there’s no better test right now than travelling to Commonwealth Stadium to face the Edmonton Elks on Friday (8:30 p.m. CT).

Let’s get you set for kickoff with the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

No designation for Brady

Unlike last week when Brady Oliveira was labelled a game-time decision, the Bombers star running back does not carry an injury designation ahead of Friday’s contest, leaving no doubt about his status while he continues to tend to an ankle injury.

Oliveira did not practise this week, which is actually a slight downgrade from last week when he practised once in limited fashion then sat out the rest of the week. Come game time, however, he looked no worse for wear, toting the rock 11 times for 74 yards and a touchdown, and adding a season-high eight catches for 80 yards through the air.

“You would love to have him better than last week because he was pretty damn good,” O’Shea said about whether he senses Oliveira is making progress in his rehab.

With it being unclear how serious Oliveira’s injury is, what remains to be seen is whether managing him throughout the week will be the 29-year-old’s new normal, as he rests long enough to grind through the pain on game day.

“I wouldn’t want to speculate,” O’Shea said. “I don’t think that’s what Brady would want either. Not the speculation, I think Brady would want to practice as much as he could.”

 

Fajardo en fuego

Is this the best stretch of Cody Fajardo’s career?

You would certainly have a valid argument if you thought so.

The Elks starting pivot is firmly in the Most Outstanding Player conversation at the halfway mark of the campaign and is on pace for a career-high 5,000-plus passing yards. His 110.8 passer rating ranks fourth among qualified passers, and he’s doing it while being the most efficient deep-ball thrower in the league, completing 57.1 per cent of his passes of 20 yards or further.

“Sure. I imagine the numbers would support that,” said O’Shea. “I mean, he’s good. He’s making good decisions. He’s athletic as ever. He’s making the plays that his team needs him to make. I mean, that’s what you want.”

Fajardo, who is 5-9 all-time against Winnipeg, tossed a clean game that included 267 yards and a touchdown while completing 71 per cent of his passes in Week 4. It seems he’s only gotten better since that meeting, too, currently enjoying a hot streak in which he’s amassed 11 touchdowns to just one interception across his last six outings.

“He’s always had a good, quick release, knows where he wants to go with the ball. So when he knows that, he’s pretty solid. And then you have a run game when it’s going well, he plays really well off of that,” Holm said. “He’s always been good. Especially, he has a really quick release, which is kind of hard as a DB.”

 

Rankin runneth over

When the Bombers last saw the Edmonton Elks in Week 4, Justin Rankin was amid a historic start to the season, and the running back didn’t discriminate against Winnipeg’s defence.

The 29-year-old rumbled for 106 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries on that night, and judging by his previous performances, the Bombers might’ve got off easy.

While Rankin has cooled in recent weeks — the last time he eclipsed 100 yards rushing was back in Week 6 — he’s still the focal point of the Elks’ offence and capable of exposing a defence both on the ground and through the air.

“Pursue to the football. Never let your defenders have one-on-ones; always just be running, be cautious of where he’s at, whether it’s screen or run,” Holm said. “Just don’t give up on the play because if he has you in open field, that’s what he wants; that’s what he’s best at is making people miss.

Despite no longer putting up historic numbers, Rankin still leads all players with explosive plays. He must be accounted for on every play.

 

Stay upright

These days, it’s a collective holding of the breath every time Zach Collaros gets hit, so keeping his jersey clean has been as important as ever.

That’s something Winnipeg has struggled with this season, allowing 21 sacks, which is the second-most in the league.

Last week, it was four sacks, including a hellacious blindside hit delivered to Collaros. That sequence, as Neufeld described, was simply the perfect pressure dialled up by the Redblacks defence for the protection that Winnipeg was in.

Nevertheless, the Bombers don’t want to see their starting pivot take those types of hits.

Now they face an Edmonton front that presents plenty of protection challenges for Collaros and the offensive line to decipher. The Elks, called by defensive co-ordinator J.C. Sherritt, are tied for third with 18 sacks this season.

“They’re skilled across the board, and they have a great scheme,” Neufeld said.

“They move a lot on the front, so you can’t just expect them to line up and be in that gap. They’re going to be all over the place. Linebackers feel fast, and they fly around; they’re great athletes out there, and they have great (defensive backs) who cover up in the back end, so they can fold those guys in on pressure, too. They force really well on the run, and they make you play the entire defence.”

 

Buckle up, bumpy terrain ahead

You won’t find anyone on the Bombers looking beyond Friday, but everyone is acutely aware that they are entering a stretch that could very well define the season.

After facing the Elks this week, the Bombers will welcome the league-leading Montreal Alouettes to town. Then comes the annual home-and-home with the reigning champion Saskatchewan Roughriders, who have rolled along just fine again this season.

With the West Division remaining tight, the Blue and Gold can’t afford to go on a slide.

The team needs answers to its problems, and it needs answers now.

 

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