‘Be on the same page and get it done’ Bombers Oliveira preaches collective unit to turn team’s offence around By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 4:59 PM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2026

Brady Oliveira chose his words carefully — and you can be sure that was by design.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back was speaking to members of the media for the first time since his words on the CJOB post-game show about the search for the identity of the offence created a bit of a stir and unintentionally became a frequent topic of conversation going into Thursday’s game against the B.C. Lions.

Because Oliveira (knee) was held out of workouts on Monday and Tuesday, there was no time for further context on the subject until after Wednesday’s walkthrough and it sure sounded like the star tailback was asked to tone things down.

“We’ve got a lot of good guys on this offence – all across the board and we just want this thing to go around,” said Oliveira. “We want this thing to be successful. We want to go out there and make plays. Whatever it takes, understanding that it’s a collective unit that has to go out there and be on the same page and get it done. That’s kind of where I’ll stand with that.”

Oliveira is someone who isn’t afraid to tell it like it is, and his candid nature is part of what makes him who he is — and his words carry a lot of weight.

Fans can understand why Oliveira was frustrated in the aftermath of the 52-30 loss to the Calgary Stampeders and it wasn’t because he was more interested in padding his personal statistics.

The running back hates losing and he’s fine serving as a decoy and doing some of the things that don’t show up on the stats sheet when the Bombers offence is moving efficiently and the team is piling up victories.

But with the club sitting at 4-3 so far this season and searching for more consistency in all three phases, Oliveira is asking for more out of himself and is determined to do his part to help this group take the next step.

“(Whether it’s) a win or a loss, there should be little things that motivate you to keep going and continue to strive because when you get complacent, you should probably stop playing this game,” said Oliveira, who went into this week third in CFL rushing. “For me, I really, truly just want to win football games.”

“For me, I really, truly just want to win football games.”

Oliveira is a leader on the Bombers and he embodies the “we before me” mantra that has been so prevalent during the Mike O’Shea/Kyle Walters era.

While it’s true Oliveira wants more carries and touches, he’s not alone in that category.

Playmakers want to make plays and Oliveira has the ability to impact the game in a number of ways — whether that’s running the ball, catching it out of the backfield and letting his athletic ability take over or by providing important protection for the quarterback when the situation calls for that.

Asked about the 45-yard touchdown run that was the longest of his seven CFL seasons, the first thing Oliveira did was point to the people who made the major possible.

“The offensive line did a heck of a job,” said Oliveira, who has 93 carries for 551 yards and three touchdowns to go along with 19 receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown. “I could have drove my truck through that hole.”

Before the answer was complete, Oliveira went on to praise the receivers who ensured the hole was as big as it was, pointing out how he saw Ontaria Wilson out of his peripheral make another block that prevented him from being touched during his sprint to the end zone.

“I could have drove my truck through that hole.”

What Oliveira said out loud about what the offensive group is still searching for probably struck a nerve with the coaching staff.

The reality is that the Bombers are still searching for its true offensive identity and there’s plenty of room for improvement in a number of areas, though that’s not necessarily out of the ordinary given the circumstances the 2026 season has presented to date.

With quarterback Zach Collaros (neck) sidelined and on the six-game injured list, the club is still relatively early in the process. And the integration of receivers like Tim White and Tommy Nield, who were brought in during free agency, is part of that.

“Obviously, we have some new faces on this offence and some shuffling too along the offensive line. We’re all working together to kind of see what fits right now, but I’m really happy with the guys that we’ve got,” said Oliveira, who had 128 rushing yards and two majors on 14 carries last week.

“Right now, offensively, we want to score touchdowns and finish with six (points), not three. I’ve talked about that before. We want to play our brand of football and it’s going to take everyone. Every single week, it’s going to look different.”

That’s part of the deal in a nine-team league and an 18-game season. Offences need to evolve as the season moves along, with wrinkles added and improvements made, allowing the group the chance to avoid being overly predictable or relying on one aspect more than another.

Quarterback Dru Brown is set to make his fourth start of the season for the Bombers and he’ll need to do a better job of protecting the football after he unleashed four interceptions against the Stampeders.

Ball security is one of the correctable issues the team needs to clean up and leaning a bit more on Oliveira is one of the solutions.

“Brady’s a great player,” said Brown. “We’ve got to play better and we’ve got to get (the ball) to our guys and make plays.”

 

NOT FEELING SENTIMENTAL

O’Shea was asked about what it’s like to go up against Lions head coach Buck Pierce, who was the offensive co-ordinator on his staff for a number of years after his playing career came to an end.

“With Buck, he was very good at his job, so I left him alone,” said O’Shea.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m responsible for strategizing against Buck Pierce. The co-ordinators, the coaches, put in the systems, put in the game plan, the players execute it. When it comes to decision-making in games, do I have a feel for what he might do? Maybe, but that’s just the flow of the game.”

Fair enough, but what is it like to see Pierce spread his wings as a head coach in his second CFL season?

“I don’t know if I think about it that way,” said O’Shea. “It’s just Buck. We’re friends. I’m happy for him and his family. He’s always been ready for the next challenge. I’m not looking at it all mushy like that.”

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