The heat is on

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This article was published 08/09/2023 (771 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Zach Collaros has yet to lose in back-to-back games since joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers late in the 2019 CFL season.

It’s an impressive run that also includes the playoffs, as Collaros has led the Bombers to the Grey Cup in all three years with the Blue and Gold, winning twice. Indeed, losing hasn’t exactly been a regular occurrence during his time in Winnipeg, with Collaros boasting a perfect 6-0 record in games following a defeat.

“You try not to let the games where you don’t play very well linger,” Collaros said following the team’s walkthrough at IG Field Friday. “You shouldn’t be here if you don’t hate losing.”

There’s losing, and then there’s losing to a rival, and the Bombers felt every bit of anger following a 32-30 overtime loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Sunday’s annual Labour Day Classic. It was a game that packed more punch than usual, owing to an egregious headbutt that led to an angry Bombers locker room after the game and resulted in a one-game suspension for Roughriders defensive lineman Pete Robertson.

Usually, a team would have to wait weeks for a chance at redemption. Not this time, though, with the Bombers welcoming the Roughriders to town for a rematch in the annual Banjo Bowl Saturday afternoon.

“You meet the day after and you go through the film and it can be quiet,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said. “Nobody’s happy with what they’re seeing, and everybody is on the edge of their seat because they know one play is coming up that they’d like to have back. It’s a little tight, maybe, for the first part of practice and then everything’s fine.”

With that, let’s dig a bit deeper into Saturday’s game in the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

Revenge game?

The Bombers are good because they’re boring. They’re boring because, win or lose, they stick to the exact same process: digesting the film, learning from it and then committing to be better next game.

Given how angry the Bombers were last week – O’Shea, Collaros, as well as team president and CEO Wade Miller all shared publicly their frustration over the headbutt – don’t believe for one second this game isn’t personal. The hatred between these two clubs is real.

While Robertson’s exclusion will help – it should be noted the two talked earlier this week and apparently reached a truce – whenever the Bombers and Riders play you can expect a physical and violent affair. This one should be no different, especially when you consider the implications the game will have on the West Division standings.

A win would keep the Bombers (9-3) in top spot in the West, while a loss opens the door for the 8-4 B.C. Lions, who are on a bye this week, to keep pace. Meanwhile, the Riders are sitting comfortably in third place in the division, at 6-5, but a second straight victory over Winnipeg would certainly give them confidence and put them into the conversation as the best in the West.

Offensive performance

Collaros was spitting fire after the game because of Robertson’s helmet-to-helmet attack, but his anger wasn’t limited to that. He was also frustrated with the way the offence played, particularly at the start, noting several times in his brief chat with reporters about a lack of execution.

It’s been four games now that the Bombers have had a slow start. That shouldn’t be the case any week, but specifically this one, with IG Field sold out for weeks the raucous crowd will be behind them.

No one could or would give a concrete answer as to why the first quarter has been a sluggish one of late. Getting the crowd into it early with some solid drives and building off that momentum has been the blueprint for the Bombers, who are 20-2 at IG Field since 2021.

The Bombers also need to get all-star receiver Kenny Lawler more involved. Lawler had 14 catches for 302 yards through his first two games, but has just eight catches for 182 yards (including three TDs) in his last seven.

It does help that Robertson, who is tied for the Riders lead in sacks (five), is out, and so, too, is defensive back Jayden Dalke with a knee injury.

Hungry for turnovers

While no one will look at giving up 32 points against an opponent as a good day at the office, the Bombers defence didn’t actually play that badly last week.

Winnipeg’s D gave up 382 yards of offence — just 10 more than the Bombers put up — and forced Saskatchewan into kicking five field goals compared to two touchdowns. The most glaring part of the defensive effort was the unit went without registering a single turnover.

Takeaways have been the bread-and-butter of the Bombers D this season. Winnipeg is currently tied with Ottawa for the most in the CFL, with 30, and it’s those big plays that have often meant the difference between winning and losing.

If Lawler needs to get going on offence, then it’s Willie Jefferson who needs to step up on D. The Bombers all-star defensive end is still getting in front of passes, with four knock-downs in the last five games, but he’s been without a sack over the same stretch of time.

Getting pressure on second-year QB Jake Dolegala will be of considerable importance. He had too much time to process last week, giving his offensive weapons time to get open, which is always a recipe for trouble.

The green giant

It can’t be understated the run Dolegala has been on. Nicknamed The Green Giant for his 6-7 stature, which makes him the tallest QB in the CFL, Dolegala has turned some heads with wins over the Lions and Bombers — the two best teams in the West.

What’s been most impressive is Dolegala’s confidence and composure in the huddle, along with his smart decision-making in a league he knew nothing about at the start of last year. Over the last two games, the 26-year-old has thrown 68 passes without committing an interception, while also connecting for three TDs.

Dolegala’s second Banjo Bowl less chaotic than first

In talking with Dolegala, he said he feels more comfortable with each game and sais his recent success has only strengthened his belief he belongs at this level. It’s also not lost on him the challenge ahead dealing with a sold-out crowd.

It’s not often that Collaros gets outduelled, with Dolegala finishing last week with 47 more passing yards, totalling 326, and fewer mistakes. If he can do it again in consecutive weeks, the hype around him is only to grow, along with the opportunity to become a full-time starter in the CFL.

Not-so-special teams

As inconsistent as the Bombers offence and defence were last week, you could argue the play on special teams was the worst of all.

O’Shea didn’t mince words when he said the group was severely outplayed by the Riders. You’d only have to look at the final numbers to come to that conclusion, with Saskatchewan putting up 237 return yards to Winnipeg’s 84.

More specifically, the Bombers need to find a way to slow down Mario Alford, who accounted for all that yardage. Alford said Friday there were two occasions last week where he felt he should have found paydirt and he’s no stranger to IG Field, returning one to the house while suffering from the flu in last year’s Banjo Bowl.

The Bombers have made some adjustments to their own units. They’ve reactivated linebacker Malik Clements from the six-game injured list and also added Canadian receiver Jeremy Murphy to the roster, both were brought in to play special teams.

By bringing in Clements and Murphy, the Bombers have opted to put RB Greg McCrae back on the practice roster. That leaves Jamal Parker, who returned last week after missing 10 games, to handle both kickoff and punt returns.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

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