Time to turn things around

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This article was published 27/06/2024 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY – It’s far from the start to the CFL season that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were hoping for.

A 2024 campaign that began with so much promise has begun to show some early cracks, and the concern that the whole thing could come crashing down is only getting greater with each loss.

Winnipeg is 0-3 following defeats to the B.C. Lions, Ottawa Redblacks and Montreal Alouettes, marking the first time since 2012 the Blue and Gold have swung and missed three consecutive times to start a year.

The Bombers are headed to Calgary for a Week 4 matchup against the Stampeders Saturday night. It’s the first of two games between the West Division foes, with the rematch happening just two weeks later back in Winnipeg.

The Stamps should feel well-rested after coming off the bye week and won’t require any added motivation to pounce on a banged-up Bombers team. Meanwhile, Calgary is much healthier this year compared to the injury-riddled unit from last season, where it finished a dismal 6-12, narrowly making the playoffs before bowing out to the Lions in the West semi-final.

The Bombers have given their players a rare day off in the middle of the week, free to do whatever they want on Thursday before heading to Cowtown Friday. It’s a move the coaching staff hopes will pay dividends; a break from the norm, mixed with perhaps a bit of wishful thinking.

So, in the spirit of doing things a bit differently, we bring you the latest edition of 5 Storylines a day earlier than usual. Let’s dive deeper into this one, with all you need to know as we get closer to kickoff.

DOWN A FEW GOOD MEN

The Bombers offence took a step in the right direction in a 26-24 loss to the Lions last week. After two dismal efforts against the Alouettes and Redblacks, quarterback Zach Collaros and co. seemed to find their rhythm in Week 3, finishing with a season-high 339 yards and orchestrating three touchdown drives, all of which were capped off by a Chris Streveler QB sneak.

That said, there’s still plenty of room to improve. Collaros has yet to throw a passing touchdown, and despite a better performance last week, the Bombers offence is still averaging just 17 points and 310 yards per game, both of which are CFL lows.

Although there has been progress each week, the Bombers will be hard pressed to continue that trend without the services of receivers Dalton Schoen and Keric Wheatfall. Schoen and Wheatfall were unable to finish the game against the Lions and both will be added to the six-game injured list.

Winnipeg is already without all-star receiver Kenny Lawler, who broke his arm in the season-opener, and trying to replace another game-breaker like Schoen is an impossible task. Even the loss of Wheatfall is a tough pill to swallow, as Lawler’s replacement is the only Bomber receiver to crack 100 yards in a game so far this year.

Filling those vacant starting spots will be American Josh Johnson and Canadian Jeremy Murphy. That puts a ton of pressure on Nic Desmki and Drew Wolitarsky to take on bigger roles, which won’t be easy against a stingy Stamps secondary.

RUN BRADY RUN

If the Bombers offence has any hope in this one they’ll have to establish a run game.

The good news is Brady Oliveira appears ready for full-time work after playing spot duty against the Lions, in what was his first taste of action since suffering a knee injury in Week 1. The Winnipeg native was eased into the game, playing very little in the early going, but showed some flashes of what made him so dominant last season, including a 28-yard run that brought Princess Auto Stadium to its feet. He finished with 64 yards on nine carries, for an average of 7.1 yards per run.

Oliveira said earlier this week he’s ready for an increased workload, noting he needs between 15 to 20 touches, or more, to get into a solid rhythm. With a heavy dose of Johnny Augustine in the backfield, the Bombers have averaged just shy of 79 rushing yards per game – 60 yards fewer than the 139 they averaged in 2023.

There’s no better time than the present to turn things around. The Stamps are allowing a league-worst 120 rushing yards per game.

Fans might recall it was against Calgary, back in 2022, that Oliveira had his breakout game as the club’s undisputed starter, racking up 115 yards on 15 carries after struggling through the first seven games. Another big performance by Oliveira would take some pressure off the rest of the offence, particularly the depleted receiving corps.

VALUED EXPERIENCE

The Bombers defence has made life far too easy for opposing quarterbacks. Never was that more evident than last week against the Lions, with Vernon Adams Jr. enjoying all kinds of time in the pocket, leading to a 398-yard performance through the air.

The Bombers have just three QB sacks in as many games, which isn’t always a tell-all statistic, but there hasn’t been much pressure beyond that either. That’s led to some costly mistakes in the secondary, exposing a unit that has allowed the most passing plays over 30 yards this season, with seven.

A big part of the inconsistency on defence is owing to several injuries on the defensive line. Four potential starters – Miles Fox, Celestin Haba, Cameron Lawson and TyJuan Garbutt – are on the six-game, along with defensive backs Jamal Parker and Jake Kelly.

Like Wolitarsky and Demski with the receivers, the Bombers will need veterans Willie Jefferson and Jake Thomas to take on even bigger roles and ensure the rest of the D-line is assignment sound. This is a big opportunity for the likes of Devin Adams, Ali Fayed, Tanner Schmekel, Jamal Woods and Owen Hubert, all of whom are being asked to do more than they would be if the club was fully healthy. The Bombers can only hope the experience gained now will help in the long run.

There should be some good news on the injury front. Halfback Deatrick Nichols, the Bombers best defensive back and one of the best in the CFL at his position, is expected to return after missing last week with a shoulder issue.

MINIMIZE MAIER

There were a lot of question marks around the quarterback situation in Calgary heading into the offseason. Those didn’t change much, either, once training camp started in May, with newly signed QB Matthew Shiltz adding some notable competition.

Fast-forward to today and there’s no one wondering anymore. Jake Maier is back as the No. 1 option, and his up-and-down season in 2023 now feels like a thing of the past.

Maier has been very steady in his two games this season. He’s completed nearly 80 per cent of his passes (47-for-59) for 591 yards and has four passing touchdowns compared to just one interception.

The Stamps took a major hit losing top receiver Malik Henry to a season-ending injury in camp, but they still have some quality talent at the position, including Reggie Begelton, Marken Michel and Clark Barnes. They also have a motivated running back in Dedrick Mills, a dual threat that has dedicated his season to his best friend and cousin after their deaths from a car accident just days ahead of camp.

Maier will likely take this one personally. After all, the 27-year-old enters the game with a career record of 14-18 and has never beaten the Bombers in five tries. Saturday will be Maier’s 30th consecutive start – the longest by any Stampeder since Henry Burris made his 69th consecutive start back in 2011.

THE WILD WEST

It’s difficult to overstate just how important this game is for the Bombers. While getting their mojo back is important, getting two points any way possible needs to be the goal.

While it’s still early, with plenty of football to be played, Winnipeg needs to start digging itself out its hole. Put another way, the Bombers can’t afford to fall any deeper.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are 3-0, the Lions 2-1 and the Stamps 1-1. Even the Edmonton Elks, while also 0-3, have lost all their games by a combined 14 points.

A win on Saturday would put Winnipeg right back in the mix for third place. A loss, though, would have the Bombers in a serious game of catchup.

Jeff.Hamilton@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @jeffkhamilton