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News October 8, 2024

Need to Know | Week 19

Zach Collaros at Tuesday's practice -- photos by Cameron Bartlett

@EdTaitWFC

There’s been a chameleon aspect to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers offence this season which has been flashed in particular with multi-coloured showings over the last two weeks.

There was the six-touchdown passing performance by Zach Collaros & Co. in the home win over the Edmonton Elks, followed by an old school, ground-and-pound effort by Brady Oliveira and the offensive line in last week’s victory over the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton.

And if you’ve been following this bunch closely this year — shoot, over the last eight seasons of playoff football — that’s hardly a trend, but an example of why this crew has been upper-echelon in the Canadian Football League.

It’s not just adhering to their ‘whatever it takes’ mantra, it’s the buy-in from so many willing to sacrifice personal numbers. And it also makes this offence not only difficult to describe, but difficult to defend.

“That’s what offensive football is about,” said offensive coordinator Buck Pierce. “being able to adapt and win different ways and creating that balance.”

The Blue Bombers have improved their offensive ranking substantially during their current eight-game win streak. In the first eight games Winnipeg was averaging 20.4 points per game and in the run since then that total is 30.6.

“That’s been part of our DNA for a number of years,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “If you have a plan, if you have the ability to change the plan and a desire and willingness to just do whatever you need to do… it’s not so stubborn and ‘this is how we’re going to do it.’

“Bottom line is at the end of the day you need to figure out a way to win in game, not just before.”

“The way that we won last week, we’re really built for that,” added Collaros after practice Tuesday. “From an installation standpoint and the way we want to play up front, we want to be able to run the football. I know the guys up front — and Brady as well — are really excited about that.

“… That being said, we’ve got really good guys on the outside — Kenny (Lawler) and Nic (Demski) have been special for a long time and the younger guys have really come along, too, with the understanding of what we’re doing. We’re still not all the way there yet; not a finished product and I don’t know if we’ll ever be, truly.”

That’s the intriguing part about this football team right now — as solid as the defence has been, an offence featuring three rookie receivers still has ample room to grow yet.

Again, whatever it takes.

“It doesn’t matter how it goes down, how we win games — that’s the most important thing,” said Demski. “Everybody is on the same page in that offensive room and on this whole team. It doesn’t matter how we do it — as long as we play good team football and there’s a win, it doesn’t matter how it gets done.

“That’s the best thing about being here under this roof — we’re never satisfied. We always want to learn and we always want to get better.”

BOOK IT: The Blue Bombers announced Monday Friday’s game is sold out — marking the fourth consecutive capacity crowd and sixth plus-30K audience of the season.

OUCH REPORT: Not practising on Tuesday were S Brandon Alexander, LB Michael Ayers, OL Pat Neufeld, WR/KR Lucky Whitehead, DB Michael Griffin II, WR Pokey Wilson, SB Nic Demski.

As per usual, O’Shea would not rule out anyone for Friday’s game against the Argos.

“Too soon,” he said. “We’ll give them as much time as we have.”

Wednesday’s practice is closed to the media, with Thursday’s walk-through coming after the release of the depth chart.

SPECIAL MOMENT: Tyrell Ford picked off his team-leading seventh interception in Hamilton — ranking second to Saskatchewan’s Rolan Milligan — and immediately went to the sideline to give it to his father Robert in a moment that was captured perfectly by TSN cameras.

“He was a happy guy,” Ford said Tuesday of his father. “He’s always been like that. I talked to him for a little bit after the game, but I had a lot of family and friends there, too. I guess he slept with the ball the first night, but I don’t know if he’s got a spot picked out for it.

“It was pretty cool, especially playing close to home and being able to get that interception. Plus. the way I started that game — the first three quarters of the game weren’t good — so to get that interception at the end was good. That made it a good day.”

QUOTABLE: Kevens Clercius scored the first TD of his career in last week’s win in Hamilton — he forgot to keep the ball — but his growth this season mirrors that of the team. He’s now dressed for all 16 games, 10 of them starts.

“At the beginning of the season I told you I just wanted to be able to get out on the field and do my thing to help the team win,” he said. “Now that I’m out there more I really want to be able to produce, to get first downs and help my teammates be productive. I just want to do my thing to help.

“As a rookie, to be able to play games like this, to be honest I’m just so grateful for everything.”