Bombers let another one slip away and face pivotal issue

Mike O’Shea summed it up best.

“That one doesn’t feel very good.”

Nor should it.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers started out hot Friday night, only to run out of gas down the stretch and allow the visiting Toronto Argonauts to steal a 30-28 victory.

It’s been a common theme for the 2026 edition of the Blue and Gold: They impress in flashes but struggle to put together a full four quarters.

“There’s been some games where I feel like we’re right there, we’re in it, and we kind of let it slip away,” said running back Brady Oliveira.

With a win, the Bombers would have been in a three-way tie with the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders, both 8-6, for the No. 2 seed in the West Division. Instead, they fell to 7-7 and now travel to Montreal to play the 11-3 Alouettes on Saturday.

The playoffs are still within reach, but the road to get there just became that much more difficult.

Before shifting gears to the Als, let’s revisit Friday with the latest edition of 5 Takeaways.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

If Zach Collaros (head) remains on the shelf down the stretch, the Bombers are going to need more from Dru Brown.

The backup quarterback, making his fifth start of the season, looked sharp early and helped the home side jump out to a 21-7 advantage in the second quarter.

He led the team into the end zone on three of its first five drives, with Tim White and Dorian Singer catching touchdowns before Brown ran one in himself.

The Bombers looked capable of keeping pace in a shootout, but the offence stalled in the second half, scoring on just one of its final six possessions.

Early in the third quarter, Brown forced a pass to a blanketed Nic Demski that was intercepted.

In the fourth, he overthrew an open Singer downfield on a play that had the potential to go for a long touchdown. Brown then closed out the night with another interception on yet another throw intended for Demski.

Brown has completed 68 per cent of his passes for 1,341 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions this season, good for an 88.4 quarterback rating — his lowest since he was a rookie in 2021.

If Collaros retires this off-season, will anyone in Bomberland truly feel comfortable with Brown as the No. 1 quarterback in 2027 and beyond?

THE GUNSLINGER

Love him or hate him, Chad Kelly is one hell of a quarterback.

Sure, he hands out interceptions like it’s candy on Halloween, but his 84-yard touchdown toss to Damonte Coxie in the third quarter was a throw that would be difficult for any other quarterback in the CFL to make.

With the pocket collapsing, Kelly bounced around before firing a perfect toss off one leg for what was arguably the finest pass in the three-down league this season.

He also connected with Tyler Kahmann for a 56-yard touchdown bomb in the second quarter.

It wouldn’t be a typical Kelly outing without some turnovers, however. The Bombers got the best of him twice, with Deatrick Nichols and Evan Holm picking him off.

Even with Kelly making several highlight-reel plays, the Bombers’ defence deserves credit for its performance.

Kelly has thrown for 300-plus yards 10 times this season, but was held to 290 in Winnipeg, 50 below his average. The Argos also went 0-for-2 in the red zone and scored 23 offensive points, five below their season average.

GRANT IS GREAT

Janarion Grant might just be a Hall of Famer.

Not that anyone in Winnipeg needed a reminder, but Grant showed Friday that he can change a game on his own.

The Argos returner, who spent his first four CFL seasons with the Bombers from 2019 through 2023, opened the evening by returning a missed 45-yard field-goal attempt by Sergio Castillo 128 yards for a touchdown.

With the scoring play, Grant moved into sole possession of second place on the CFL’s all-time return-touchdown list with 16, trailing only Henry (Gizmo) Williams, who has 31.

Then, at the end of the game, Grant — who played quarterback in high school — fielded a punt and threw a lateral across the field to teammate David Ungerer III, resulting in a 32-yard gain that set up the game-winning field goal.

The Bombers have been consistent on special teams all season, but they had no answer for Grant, and it cost them the win.

O-LINE = GOOD AND BAD

Run blocking? No problem.

Pass blocking? Big problem.

That has been the story of the Bombers’ offensive line all year.

For the eighth time this season, the Blue and Gold surrendered three or more sacks in a game. Brown was taken down four times, with the most costly coming late, when the Bombers led 28-27 and had a chance to close out the game. Ultimately, Brown was sacked for an eight-yard loss to open the door for an Argos victory.

Then there was the running game, which was outstanding. Oliveira ran for more than 100 yards for the 28th time in his career, moving him within one of fellow Winnipeg product Andrew Harris for the all-time record by a Canadian tailback.

Oliveira had 14 carries for 102 yards in the first half alone and finished with 18 carries for 139 yards. Despite averaging 9.25 yards per carry in the second half, he received only four attempts.

The offensive line also opened a lane for short-yardage quarterback Bryce Perkins on third-and-one, which turned into a 76-yard touchdown run that put the Bombers ahead 28-24 before they let the lead slip away.

Perhaps the Bombers would have stayed in front if they had played a more disciplined game. They were flagged eight times for 92 yards, with seven of those infractions coming in the second half.

SINGING WITH SINGER

The Bombers kept one of their most talented weapons on the practice roster for 11 games.

It’s inexcusable that the club waited until Labour Day to dress rookie receiver Dorian Singer, but better late than never.

He caught the game-tying touchdown against the Riders in that one, and on Friday, he exploded for six catches for 113 yards and a touchdown — all in the first half.

If Brown hadn’t overthrown him in the fourth, his numbers would have popped even more. Even if Ontaria Wilson (hand) returns from injury this season, the Bombers cannot take Singer out of the lineup. He adds an element to this offence that they desperately need.

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