‘Make sure whoever it is back there is comfortable’

Let’s cut to the chase: Zach Collaros is dealing with a head injury and did not participate in Monday’s practice.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers returned to work Monday for the first time since beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-6 in the Banjo Bowl — a game their starting quarterback left early after his head hit the turf while attempting to force a defender out of bounds following an interception.

Given Collaros’ well-documented injury history, and the fact that he’s sidelined to start the week despite the club coming off a bye, it’s unlikely he’ll be under centre Friday when the Bombers (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts (8-6).

“Always, more so as a friend just concerned for his health,” said right guard Patrick Neufeld on his concern level for Collaros.

“But I know no one is working harder to get back and ready than he is. Plus whoever’s back there we have the utmost faith in them.”

That would be Dru Brown, who closed out the Banjo Bowl and was the quarterback working with the starters Monday.

“If Zach can’t go, there’s guys that’ll step up and honour his work,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “If he can go, he’s Zach.”

Collaros missed four straight games earlier in the year with a neck injury, with Brown going 2-2 in his absence.

“Whoever we got back there, we’re gonna compete and execute the exact same way.”

Brown has thrown for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 70 per cent of his pass attempts.

“Whoever we got back there, we’re gonna compete and execute the exact same way,” said left guard Gabe Wallace.

“Obviously, it’s not what you want with someone going down and everything. That part definitely sucks, but we come in, we have all the confidence in the world in (Brown) and we keep playing our game.”

If Collaros is unable to play against the Argos, it will mark the first time he has missed five starts in a season because of injury since joining Winnipeg in 2019.

In his last four outings, the 38-year-old has completed 70 per cent of his passes for 997 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.

He wasn’t the only offensive standout in street clothes on Monday. Running back Brady Oliveira and receiver Nic Demski were also out with ankle injuries.

“This is par for the course in pro football, there’s guys sitting out all the time,” said O’Shea. “Sometimes guys can’t practice, and I don’t know if that has a bearing on whether they play or not, especially with the vets.”

Whether it’s Collaros or Brown, the offensive line needs to be better at protecting the most important position moving forward.

The Bombers surrendered eight sacks against the Riders in their annual back-to-back. They’ve now allowed 32 quarterback takedowns, tied with Calgary — with the Bombers having played one fewer game than the Stamps — for the most in the CFL.

“I didn’t even realize that. I don’t keep a tally of that stuff,” said Neufeld.

“We just go into film sessions understanding where things broke down and all we can do is come back on the practice field and try to fix them, and take what we do in practice into the game and try and execute the best we can.

That number could climb this week, with Toronto leading the league with 33 sacks.

Brown led the Bombers to a 30-21 win over the Argos at home back on July 10.

“With sacks, no matter who it’s on, it always feels personal for the O-line. We just got to make sure we execute everything, communicate, get on the same page, and not let stupid mistakes happen,” said Wallace.

“We’ve got a new group meshing together. We can’t focus on that (sacks allowed) number. Obviously, it’s not what we want. But, at the end of the day, we just got to focus on what we can do best to make sure whoever it is back there is comfortable and make sure they’re safe. And we’re just gonna keep working and trying to do that better, better, and better.”

It’s far from an ideal time to potentially lose Collaros. The West Division playoff race is as tight as it has been in years, and the Bombers could realistically climb to the No. 2 seed over the final five games or fall to fifth and miss the playoffs entirely — something the franchise hasn’t experienced since 2015.

They’re currently fourth and have clinched the season series with Saskatchewan (8-5), but they still face Calgary (6-8) and B.C. (7-6) down the stretch. The respective head-to-head tiebreakers will be on the line in those games.

“Every game is super important. You’re watching games intently. But ultimately you have to focus on yourself,” said Neufeld.

“You can’t rely on other people. You have to go out and execute. You have to put points on the board, play our brand of football and get wins.”

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