Stamps trample Big Blue 37-16

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This article was published 03/07/2025 (271 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — The Stampede Bowl was nothin’ but a bad time for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Calgary Stampeders trampled all over the Blue and Gold en route to a 37-16 victory Thursday night in front of 22,485 fans at McMahon Stadium. The poor showing chopped the previously undefeated Bombers down to 3-1, while the Stamps improved to 3-1.

“We got our asses beat. I mean, it’s pretty straightforward,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea postgame.

“They played pretty well, we didn’t play well, and they deserve full credit. They came out and put it on us pretty good.”

It was a putrid performance by the Bombers on both sides of the ball, but their weakest link on this night was quarterback Zach Collaros who threw the game away with a pair of pick-sixes — one in the first quarter, and another in the fourth.

Collaros was nearly perfect last week at home against Edmonton but couldn’t get it going versus Calgary — a team that only allowed one 20-plus yard passing play in their first three games. Collaros ended with 288 passing yards and one late touchdown while completing 34-of-48 attempts.

“They outplayed us. I can speak for the offence and myself, obviously, when you turnover the football, especially when it goes for touchdowns the other way, that’s not a winning recipe,” said Collaros.

“We have to do a better job of protecting the football and that’s on me, it starts with me.”

His first pick was just one of many early mistakes by the Bombers — the defence gave up several explosive plays — as they found themselves in a 29-6 hole at half. It was the most points surrendered by Winnipeg in the first two quarters since Sept. 17, 2022, when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats dropped 34 on them on their way to 48-31 drubbing.

“It feels like a bad dream almost because this isn’t who we are. I think everyone could see that,” said Bombers running back Brady Oliveira.

“We didn’t play clean football in all three phases. It’s hard to win games when you’re not playing clean football. So, it’s fine. We got a really good group in this locker room. We’ll be fine.”

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-0), who play next on July 11 in Regina against Calgary, are the only undefeated team left in the CFL. The Bombers have now lost two in a row at McMahon Stadium.

“I’m pretty sure we can look back in recent history and see that we’ve been in tougher spots before. One win doesn’t crown us, and one loss doesn’t do anything to put us out of the race either,” said O’Shea.
“It’s so early.”

Star running back Brady Oliveira was making his return after missing two games with a shoulder injury and started hot, but the score difference made Winnipeg abandon their ground game. Oliveira finished with 61 rushing yards on 13 carries, and six catches for 51 yards.

Calgary Stampeders passer Vernon Adams Jr. – now 5-3 all-time against Winnipeg — entered the evening with zero touchdown passes this season but managed to get the monkey off his back early Thursday by capping off the opening drive with a 43-yard TD strike to Clark Barnes. The Bombers responded with Oliveira leading them on a 12-play drive down the field with 36 rushing yards on six touches that ultimately resulted in a 19-yard Sergio Castillo field goal after right tackle Kendall Randolph spoiled the possession with a costly holding penalty.

After forcing a two-and-out, the Bombers started their next touch on their own six-yard line after rookie returner Trey Vaval took a punt out of the end zone. Three plays later, Collaros — who started the contest with five straight completions — forced a pass to the middle of the field to Nic Demski that was intercepted by Stampeders safety Damon Webb and taken back to the house to give Calgary a 15-3 advantage heading into the second quarter. The Stamps continued to pour it on in the second with an impressive 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive — that featured a Tevin Jones 29-yard catch over Bombers corner Terrell Bonds and a 21-yard rush by running back Dedrick Mills — that looked way too easy. It ended with Adams spotting rookie Canadian receiver Damien Alford open for an 11-yard score to increase the lead to 22-3 for the home team with just under seven minutes left in Q2.

The Bombers entered the week as the CFL’s No. 1-ranked defence for allowing 19 points per game.

Neither team recorded a sack Thursday.

“I’m gonna be honest, we played like the worst (defence),” said Bombers dime back Redha Kramdi.

“We weren’t sound, we didn’t execute… We weren’t surprised by what they did. When we’d go back to look at the iPad, it wasn’t anything that we weren’t expecting, they just executed better than us.”

The Stamps would throw another haymaker before the first half whistle with Adams finding a wide-open Jalen Philpot for a 66-yard gain before Mills punched it in from two yards out to give Calgary a commanding 29-3 lead.

“It just wasn’t us today,” said Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson. “We just didn’t have a good day. Offence, defence, special teams came out and couldn’t get it rolling. We couldn’t get the momentum on our side and we were playing from behind the whole time… We know we can be special, it’s just one game.”

Soon after it should’ve been a 29-10 game, but Collaros misfired over the head of an uncovered Keric Wheatfall in the end zone with one second left on the clock to force the Blue and Gold to begrudgingly kick a 21-yard three-pointer.

“I wish I had that one back,” said Collaros.

Rock legend Bret Michaels performed at half time.

All the Bombers could muster in the third quarter was yet another Castillo field goal, this time a 29-yarder to make it 29-9. That’s as close as the visitors would get, as the game was put to bed at the start of the fourth when Collaros made a bad read and was intercepted by linebacker Derrick Moncrief at the sideline and returned for a 70-yard touchdown to put the team in red and white ahead 37-9.

“Oh man, me and Zach had some battles along the years. He’s great,” said Moncrief. “He is phenomenal. You just got to give him different looks and you just try to frustrate him, hit him as much as you can, just try to frustrate him and put him in second and long and that’s what we did.”

Collaros threw a four-yard touchdown pass in garbage time to receiver Jerreth Sterns to change the score to 37-16. Second-year Canadian receiver Kevens Clercius led the Bombers in receiving with 10 catches for 78 yards. Star pass catcher Dalton Schoen left the game late with an apparent leg injury after dropping a pass and didn’t return.

“Yeah, not sure on anything right now,” said Schoen in the locker room when asked for an update on his status.

“Obviously, not great when you have to leave a game, but I’m not sure of the severity.”

Adams completed 13-of-18 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Mills ran for 93 yards on 18 tries.

The Bombers are on a bye next week and don’t return to action until they host the Stamps in a rematch on July 18.

“I won’t be enjoying my bye week that much,” said Kramdi. “I’ll be thinking about (this game), watching it, trying to learn from it, and be prepared to attack the week after that.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca