The most important chapters are still to be penned on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 2023 season, what with the Grey Cup derby set to open this weekend.
In just 20 days – on November 19th – the Canadian Football League will crown its champion at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. The Blue Bombers will hunker down and watch this weekend’s West Semi-Final between the B.C. Lions and Calgary Stampeders and host the winner in the West Final at IG Field on November 11th.
And so, yes, the meaty part of the year – the part that truly matters – is yet to come.
That said, the 18-game regular season has served up some memorable moments and accomplishments, and the bye week seems as good a time as any to look back at what’s fading in the rearview mirror before focusing on what is ahead. With that in mind, here are 10 numbers that jumped out for us in our annual statistical year in review (in no particular order)…
5
The Winnipeg Football Club has been in existence since 1930 and over those 93 years, there have been just five seasons where the club posted 14 or more wins: 1960 (14-2); 1993: (14-4); 2001 (14-4), 2022 (15-3) and 2023 (14-4).
Cover your eyes for this part, Bomber Nation: none of those teams won the Grey Cup that year.
33.0
The Blue Bombers finished first in the CFL in points scored this year at 33 per game. Winnipeg finished second in points a year ago at 29.9, with Calgary first at 31.2.
The club finished first in 14 of the 24 offensive categories the CFL tracks, among them offensive TDs (62), net offence per game (414.7), rushing yards per game (139.1), passing TDs (42), passing efficiency (116.2) and time of possession (32:50).
20.9
The Blue Bombers also finished first in points allowed at 20.9 per game and first in 14 of 28 defensive categories, among them opponent offensive touchdowns (27), opponent net offence (298.8 yards per game), opponent passing yards per game (229.4) and opponent passing TDs allowed (12).
2,016
Yards from scrimmage for Brady Oliveira, the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian. That total includes 1,534 along the ground and 482 yards through the air.
That total is the fifth highest in club history, behind only Robert Mimbs (2,207 – 1,769 rushing/438 receiving – in 1991); Willard Reaves (2,140 – 1,733 rushing/407 receiving – in 1984) and Charles Roberts (2,102 – 1,554 rush/548 receiving – in 2003 and 2,098 – 1,609 rushing/411 receiving – in 2006).
101.6
Zach Collaros finished the regular season with a career best 4,252 passing yards and a league-best 33 touchdowns against 15 interceptions.
Those totals pushed his career QB-efficiency rating – widely regarded as the best way to gauge a pivot’s numbers – to 101.6. Over his career he has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 28,599 yards with 182 touchdowns against 86 interceptions.
Worth noting here: Collaros moved into the CFL’s Top 20 all time on the career passing yardage list this year and his 101.6 QB efficiency rating, incredibly, ranks second all-time to Dave Dickenson’s 110.2, set during his career with Calgary and B.C.
100/955
Winnipeg was penalized 100 times in the regular season for 955 yards, fewest in the CFL.
And here’s the number that just reinforces how disciplined this team is – over the last five seasons, 2017-23, the Blue Bombers have been the least penalized team in the league EVERY SINGLE SEASON.
90.2
Sergio Castillo went 5-for-5 in the field-goal department in last week’s win over Calgary and finished 46-of-51 on the season. As we mentioned in this week’s Upon Further Review, his 90.2 field goal conversion percentage established a new franchise record, breaking the 89.4 mark Justin Medlock – just elected to the Blue Bombers Hall of Fame – established in 2018.
Sergio Castillo’s 90.2% field goal completion percentage on the season is a new CLUB RECORD.
Congratulations, @elcastidelsur 🫡 #ForTheW pic.twitter.com/FFZRZY3HeK
— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) October 30, 2023
It’s been an incredible year for kickers in the CFL for, as good as Castillo was, his 90.2 percentag was third best behind Toronto’s Boris Bede (94.9) and Sean Whyte of B.C. (94.3).
26 in 34
The touchdown total for Dalton Schoen – 26 – in just 34 regular season games or, incredibly, one for every .765 games played. Schoen followed up his sensational first year with the Blue Bombers – one which earned him CFL Most Outstanding Rookie honours after 70 receptions for 1,441 yards and 16 TDs, with 71 catches for 1,222 yards and 10 more scores in 16 games this year.
50/204/2
Related to the above… the Blue Bombers announced the addition of veteran receiver Markeith Ambles on Tuesday, providing the club more depth following the injury to Dalton Schoen in the win over B.C. in Vancouver last month and his uncertain status.
Ambles has played in 50 regular season games with both Calgary and Toronto, pulling in 204 receptions for 2,329 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s also been a part of two Grey Cup championship teams, with Calgary in 2018 and Toronto last season.
31-3
The Blue Bombers’ record at IG Field, including victories in the last two West Finals, since 2019. That includes an 8-1 mark this year, 9-1 last season, 8-0 in 2021 and 8-1 in 2019.
The last two West Finals, it says here, were two of the most memorable home crowds/moments in franchise history.
