Week 15 an opportunity for Bombers’ backups to shine

Few moments can silence a crowd of more than 30,000, but that’s exactly what happened on Saturday at Princess Auto Stadium when Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros went down in the third quarter of the Banjo Bowl.

The veteran quarterback took a high hit from Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back C.J. Reavis — a play that was deemed illegal following video review but didn’t appear to be dirty. Collaros laid motionless on the turf in obvious discomfort for several minutes.

While he was eventually able to jog to the locker room, the image of Collaros on the field was jarring.

We now know that the team is treating his injury like a concussion, with Collaros going through the team’s and league’s protocols. It’s unclear if the nagging neck issue Collaros has been dealing with this season is also a factor.

Any talk of a long-term prognosis, even at this point, is pure speculation. That’s what made the immediate post-game commentary so surprising.

CFL on TSN panellists Milt Stegall and Henoc Muamba seemed to be playing both doctor and concerned parent after the game. Stegall went as far as suggesting Collaros should never play football again, while Muamba spoke about the quarterback needing to consider his family and long-term quality of life.

I have no doubt their comments were well-intentioned, but that doesn’t make them any less irresponsible. Their arguments were built on an entirely speculative foundation, lacking any actual medical information.

While Collaros has a documented history of concussions, he hasn’t been formally diagnosed with one since 2019 — a span of more than six years. And though he hasn’t been able to finish three games this season, the two prior incidents to Saturday were both documented as neck injuries, with the Bombers’ medical staff and Collaros both adamant it wasn’t a head injury.

This is perhaps what we’ve come to expect from the instant analysis machine of live sports. The downside, however, is when there’s a need to fill every minute of airtime, it can lead to these kinds of baseless — albeit well-meaning — prognoses.

Now, let’s get into what else caught my attention this past week in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) Staying with the injury to Collaros, the Bombers clearly find themselves in a tough spot.

Collaros hasn’t practised this week and won’t suit up against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday. So long as he’s out, the Bombers, who are 6-6, will be in a battle to hold onto a playoff spot.

The offence will be handed over to Chris Streveler, in what may be his last opportunity to prove he can be a No. 1 quarterback in the CFL.

The Bombers don’t have time to be patient with Streveler, who has shown flashes of brilliance but also inconsistency during his career.

Given the need to evaluate third-stringer Terry Wilson, it’s fair to wonder how long of a leash Streveler will have.

 

2) In more bad news for the Bombers, star receiver Dalton Schoen will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

He first tore the ligament earlier this season but chose to rehab it, hoping to put off surgery and return to the field. \

Schoen understood the risk in playing, and while the gamble ultimately didn’t pay off, it was a valiant effort. He made it just one game, contributing a key touchdown in the Labour Day Classic loss to the Riders, before pulling up lame on the game-deciding two-point convert.

With this marking his second straight season-ending knee injury, plus an ankle injury that also cost him time in 2023, you must wonder what this latest setback means for Schoen’s long-term future. It’s a devastating blow for a player who, when healthy, has proven to be one of the league’s top talents.

 

3) With a second straight victory over the Bombers, the Roughriders improved their record to a CFL-leading 10-2, sweeping the annual Labour Day Classic-Banjo Bowl series for the first time since 2018.

The two wins give the Riders some breathing room at the top of the West Division standings.

As for the Bombers, the odds of finishing atop the division for another season look to be in serious doubt. The Riders have secured the season series, which gives them the tiebreaker should the teams finish with the same record.

 

4) The Bombers got a massive break thanks to the Ottawa Redblacks, who stunned the B.C. Lions in dramatic fashion with a fourth-quarter comeback to earn a 34-33 victory last Friday.

The game will be remembered for another one of Dustin Crum’s incredible fourth-quarter performances, with this “Crumback” including scoring 18 points and taking their first lead of the game with just 17 seconds remaining.

With 33 seconds left, Crum connected with Kalil Pimpleton for a 52-yard gain, which set up the 10-yard touchdown pass to Eugene Lewis.

The win moved the Redblacks to 4-8 on the season, tying them with the Toronto Argonauts and bringing them within two points of the 5-7 Lions for the final playoff spot in the East Division.

 

5) The Tiger-Cats finally stopped the bleeding, snapping their three-game losing skid with a win over the Montreal Alouettes, who have now dropped five in a row.

The win all but wraps up first place in the East for the Ticats, who sit at 7-5.

As for the Alouettes, at 5-7, they’re more likely to be leapfrogged by the Argonauts and Redblacks (both 4-8) than make a run for first place.

I’ve said it a thousand times now, but what a mistake it was for the Alouettes to play quarterback Davis Alexander earlier this year with a sore hamstring.

That’s got to be a tough pill to swallow for a club that had a promising start.

Montreal has re-activated QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson from the six-game injured list, so he could be an option over James Morgan this week.

 

6) The Edmonton Elks victory over the Calgary Stampeders was not only monumental in helping save their season, but it’s also made the bottom of the West one of the more interesting races as we enter the final third of the schedule.

The Bombers (6-6) are still ahead, but the Lions are now neck-and-neck with the Elks at 5-7.

Edmonton still has a lot of work to do, with their final six games being a major test.

After road matchups against Toronto and Hamilton, they’ll close out the regular season with home games against Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, followed by a road game versus B.C., before a final home game against Calgary.

No one said it was going to be easy, but the Elks have climbed their way back to give themselves a chance at the playoffs.

7) Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly is nearing his 2025 debut, having been sidelined since breaking his leg in the Eastern Final last year.

Nick Arbuckle has been playing admirably in Kelly’s absence, leading the league in passing yards (3,828) and sitting second with 23 touchdown passes — one behind Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell. But despite his strong performance, there’s no quarterback controversy brewing.

Kelly is undoubtedly the man in Toronto, and the plan was always for him to be back under centre once healthy. Still, Arbuckle has done more than enough to extend his CFL career and might even get a shot at being a club’s starter in the near future.

 

8) My friend and longtime CFL beat writer, Tim Baines, is calling it a career.

After more than 40 years in the newspaper business, Baines, who has covered the Ottawa Redblacks for the Ottawa Sun and Postmedia, is stepping away to spend more time with his family.

His wife, Kelly-Anne, was recently diagnosed with a brain tumour, and he’s decided to prioritize his time with her.

I’ve been lucky enough to call Tim a close friend, developing a strong bond over the years, covering three-down football together.

He is a class act and a true professional and will be missed on the CFL beat.

 

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca