First, the hard news from Bomberland, because when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers returned to the practice field Monday all eyes were locked – and rightfully so – squarely on Zach Collaros.
The Canadian Football League’s two-time reigning Most Outstanding Player did not practice in the club’s first session before Friday’s game in Calgary against the Stampeders and instead watched as Dru Brown ran the controls with the offensive starters.
Injured in the second quarter after he was pancaked by Edmonton Elks defensive lineman Kony Ealy, Collaros returned to the sidelines in civvies to watch Dru Brown come out of the bullpen and throw for 307 yards and four touchdowns to erase a 22-zilch deficit into a 38-29 victory that was the second-largest comeback in franchise history.
Collaros mirrored Brown’s movements through a portion of the session and did throw the ball in the stretch period and his injury is officially listed as ‘neck’ meaning this could be a right to the wire call before head coach Mike O’Shea indicates who will get the start in Calgary.
“With this group of quarterbacks we have, we’re OK with (deciding) whenever,” said O’Shea. “With most of our team it would be. I don’t think we change a lot and the way we practise a lot of guys get a lot of meaningful reps. I don’t know that there’s a non-meaningful rep.”
That’s a predictable take from the head knock five days out from the game in Calgary. In the meantime, it’s been five days since Brown’s handiwork in the win over the Elks and the superlatives and bouquets keep piling up for the club’s No. 2 QB.
Kenny Lawler called him a ‘dawg’ in our game recap and seeking a fresh perspective we went to Drew Wolitarsky, who just so happens to lead the league in fresh perspectives.
“I told Dru after the game,” Wolitarsky began, “that if you were playing Madden on ‘expert’ and you have a scenario where you’ve got 2 ½ quarters and you’re down 22 to come back and win the game… that’s really hard to do in a video game, bro, never mind real life. I just told him how proud of him I was and ‘maybe you don’t realize it now, but what you just did was really special.’
“And with what’s happened to him in the last month with a lot of bad news (including the sudden passing of his father, Dave), he needed something like that. I’m not surprised. I’m just really happy for him and amazed.”
While Blue Bombers fans are still learning about Brown’s skillset – he is 23 for 33 for 408 yards with five TDs and zero interceptions this year – this much we already knew: he is a well-spoken and respectful sort, quick to praise everyone around him, including Collaros. An example, served up by Brown following practice Monday:
“Zach’s been a really important person in my life since I’ve met him. He’s taught me a lot of things, given me a lot of shortcuts, made me feel welcome since the first day I got here.”
“… The first thing that goes into your mind (after Collaros was injured) is, ‘Is he going to be OK?’ It’s always a double-edge sword situation. If you’ve ever gotten a chance to play it’s either someone got benched, or someone got hurt. It’s the bad part of getting your opportunities.
“You just try and go in there and do what you’re asked to do. All three of us in that room (including Dakota Prukop) communicate very fluidly throughout the week on what we’re thinking about the job, getting us all to understand that.
“As I reflect on it, it was really nice to get out there and be able to showcase what I can do… I haven’t had much of an opportunity to thus far. But, more importantly, it was just really exciting to be out there and have the guys’ trust – the receivers, the offensive line, the defensive guys believing in me stepping in there. That means a lot to me, personally. As I look back on it, that was pretty meaningful to me.”
There were obvious signs of growth in Brown’s game compared to his start late last year against the B.C. Lions in which he threw for 325 and three TDs along with two interceptions, both of which were returned for scores. Against the Elks Brown effectively moved around and outside of the pocket to extend plays before delivering strikes instead of tucking the ball away and running at the first sign of trouble.
In the process, he not only rallied the squad to victory, but he also gained even more trust of those he shares a huddle with and in the Blue Bombers clubhouse.
“He was forced into a situation and sometimes that’s the best, bro,” Wolitarsky said. “He’s always worked really hard and been ready. We saw it last year and we’ve seen it this year with his opportunities coming in and what he can do. He’s grown a lot since last year, too, after getting some more playing time.
“He was forced to gain trust and he gained it. I mean, you can’t look at that game and say we’re iffy about this guy and whether he can perform. He did it and he did it in a very detailed and very smart way. He played a great game. There’s no doubt of what he’s capable of.”
There’s also this: in a quarterback-starved league, Brown’s performance this year is the kind of handiwork that can lead to opportunity in the offseason. That’s eons from now, however, and Brown is all in for the right here and right now.
“We’re so busy on what we’re supposed to be doing,” he said. “We’re always very present and texting or meeting about what we’re going to do. It’s hard to think down the road. But I’m human and I have before but I always brushed it aside because it’s not important right now what happens after this year. That’s not important to me now. I’m just going to handle what it’s in front of me.”
More on the Blue Bombers first day back at practice in this week’s NEED TO KNOW…
THE DREADED ‘EXPLOSIVE’ PLAYS:
The Blue Bombers took some punches in the win over the Elks, including a 65-yard TD run by Kevin Brown on the first play and a 70-yard score on a Kyran Moore reception. Add in a 53-yard catch by Dillon Mitchell – which the Elks then ran another play quickly right after because it looked like he did not maintain possession – and more than half of Edmonton’s net offence of 356 yards came on those three snaps totalling 188 yards.
“The explosives hurt us,” said veteran linebacker Adam Bighill. “But other than that, that was about it.”
Bighill said the Brown TD came on a new defensive run scheme implemented for the game and that some miscommunication led to a gap being left open. The defence did steady itself after giving up the early TDs, with the unit forcing five punts and turning the ball over in seven of the Elks’ last nine possessions.
And as O’Shea pointed out Monday, the Evan Holm interception and Jackson Jeffcoat forced fumble and recovery not only took potential Elks’ points off the board, but they also both led the Blue Bombers scoring drives.
There’s also this: the continuity on defence and Blue Bombers leadership certainly didn’t have anyone panicking when it was 22-0.
“We’ve got the guys in the locker room that know we can get stuff done,” Bighill said. “It’s huge to have guys who have been able to play from behind and win games before. I mean, you’ve got to have had that experience to know this is no big deal. We have a bunch of guys in that locker room who know that is exactly the case. With a younger group and guys that haven’t been there, it might have been more of an emotional roller coaster and more frustration and not as much focus on getting back into that next play mentality to win that game.
“That’s just a generalization, but we knew what we were capable of and what we had to go do.”
FYI:
Here’s the Elks Kony Ealy – the guy who fell on Collaros – on the play in conversation with Gerry Moddejonge of Postmedia in Edmonton: “I heard that he got hurt, I definitely wasn’t trying to hurt him, but it’s an unfortunate situation sometimes. I saw him scramble; I’m just trying to get to the ball. Really trying to get a sack.
“When a quarterback’s out of the pocket, he’s no longer protected, so I was playing to the whistle, honestly.
“For myself, trying to get to the ball, carrying 300 pounds and the force of gravity equals a lot more. So, trying to stop yourself, trying to catch yourself, or whatever, is kind of hard in those situations. I was just trying to get a sack, that’s it. Not trying to hurt nobody. I’m not trying to hurt myself, obviously. Trying to get a dub.”
Veteran Canadian LB Shayne Gauthier was back at practice on Monday. He’s still on the six-game injured list, but is eligible to practice after being out for five games.
