Clean game a must for Bombers to pull out win at home Club faces rookie pivot, desperate Lions team hunting for second victory of season 5 Storylines
By: Taylor Allen Posted: 6:03 PM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2026

It’s no secret the Winnipeg Blue Bombers haven’t been playing up to snuff lately.

The club suffered an embarrassing 52-30 loss against Calgary last week, but luckily for the Blue and Gold (4-3), there’s a prime opportunity to return to form on Thursday night when the team hosts the floundering B.C. Lions (1-5).

“Yeah, I mean, we’re above .500 and that might be cool in some other team’s eyes, but in our eyes, we want to be great,” said receiver Nic Demski.

“Where we’re at in the standings right now, that’s not enough for us.”

To get you ready for kickoff, here’s the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

Rookie QB for visitors

The Lions are desperate to find a spark and they’re hoping Kaidon Salter can provide one.

The rookie quarterback is being thrust into action for his first career start this week. Superstar pivot Nathan Rourke is out with a left shoulder injury, and his backup Chase Brice was ineffective in last week’s 26-12 loss to Toronto.

Salter capped off his college career at Colorado playing for former NFL star Deion Sanders.

The now 23-year-old went 3-6 as the team’s starter and finished the season completing 62 per cent of his passes for 1,414 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also added 356 ground yards and five rushing touchdowns while trying to fill the void left by Shedeur Sanders, now a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

Salter is new to the CFL, but his family has a lot of familiarity with the game. He’s cousins with former Lions quarterback Casey Printers — the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2004.

“He talked to me over the weekend; he was telling me just be prepared. Time’s moving fast, and he was telling me a little bit about the CFL and everything that he’s done here,” said Salter on Monday.

“I’m just grateful, very privileged, and I’m just ready for the opportunity.”

The Bombers got a look at Salter in the pre-season finale and he impressed by completing 11-of-12 throws for 123 yards and a touchdown. Salter also played the final six minutes against Toronto in relief of Brice where he connected on 9-of-15 attempts for 121 yards and rushed four times for 12 yards.

“He’s quite capable,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “What do I want the defence to do? Make sure they’re executing at high level and certainly understand what he’s capable of, and don’t take anything for granted.”

 

Don’t forget Brady

Brady Oliveira reminded everyone last week why he’s considered one of the most talented players in the three-down loop.

He had his best showing of the season, carrying the ball 14 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns — including a career-long 45-yard scamper to the house.

Oliveira might be due to have a similar performance against B.C. as he’s only rushed for 100-plus against the Lions once in the previous seven meetings.

It won’t be easy, though.

The Lions haven’t had much, if any, success this season, but they are doing at least one thing right: holding their opponents to just 54.8 rushing yards per game.

The Bombers should have an obvious advantage at tailback this week since the Lions are without their standout rusher James Butler.

With Butler ruled out with a foot injury, the visitors will turn to rookie Emani Bailey, who is getting the start in his first CFL game.

Bailey was the leading rusher at Texas Christian University in 2022 which was the season they made it to the National Championship Game against Georgia.

After practice roster stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers, the 24-year-old is looking to make a name for himself up north.

 

Clean it up

Through the first seven games, the Bombers have had three issues consistently plague them: starting slowly, turning the football over, and missed tackles.

The Blue and Gold have trailed at the half in every game but one this season — the 30-21 win against Toronto on July 10 — and have been outscored 121-86 through the opening two quarters.

Quarterback Dru Brown, who is once again starting for an injured Zach Collaros (neck), threw four picks against Calgary, and should’ve had three or four against Ottawa the week before but the Redblacks inexcusably dropped them all. The Bombers have committed 16 turnovers which is the second most behind Ottawa’s 19.

As for tackling, just rewatch Jalen Philpot’s 41-yard touchdown at the start of the third quarter last week where the Bombers had not one, not two, but three defenders all miss.

If this group wants to be considered a contender, they need to clean it up in all three of those areas and there’s no better place to start than now against a struggling B.C. team that’s leaning on several backups.

 

Sack masters

Two of the best pass rushers in the league will be on full display in this one.

Lions defensive end Mathieu Betts was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player last season and his talents were obvious last week with a pair of quarterback takedowns.

Betts, a 31-year-old from Montreal, is now tied with four other names for the league lead with five.

Two of those players at the top of the list are in Winnipeg: defensive end Willie Jefferson and defensive tackle Jake Ceresna.

Jefferson has especially been impressive lately by picking up sacks in three consecutive games. It’s the first three-game streak since 2023 for the 35-year-old from Texas.

“I believe he’s still arguably the most dominant player in the league,” said Bombers defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger earlier in the week.

The Lions have allowed 18 sacks this season which is the most out of any team. Meanwhile, the Bombers have dropped more quarterbacks than anyone with 15 sacks.

 

Vanterpool and Woodbey

Bomberland can let out a huge sigh of relief that the best blocker won’t be out long term.

O’Shea revealed on Wednesday that star right tackle Jarell Broxton — who left last week in the second quarter with a knee injury — was close to being able to play this week but didn’t quite cross the finish line. In his absence, the Bombers will roll with Micah Vanterpool — a third-year player set to make his ninth career start.

With the Bombers heading into a bye after this, all signs point to Broxton being good to go on Aug. 14 at home against Ottawa.

“There’s confidence there,” said Oliveira on Vanterpool. “He’s a guy that’s extremely athletic. He’s probably in the best shape that he’s ever been.”

On defence, the Bombers are getting a boost from linebacker Jaiden Woodbey, who is making his return after suffering a lower body injury in Week 1. Woodbey, who had four tackles in the season-opener, is a versatile defender used in several different spots.

“He has different skill sets and attributes,” said O’Shea on Woodbey. “He’s bigger than a lot of guys that have that kind of athleticism.”

 

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