Brady Oliveira returns to the Blue Bombers lineup tonight after missing the last two games; photos by Cameron Bartlett
CALGARY — It’s a question Mike O’Shea absolutely knew would be asked the moment the camera lights came on and the microphones were shoved in his face at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers media availability Wednesday afternoon.
And as it turns out the Blue Bombers head coach served up a succinct and straightforward answer to this obvious query:
What does it mean to get star running back Brady Oliveira back in the lineup after a two-week absence?
“He’s the best tailback in the league, so…” began O’Shea with a shrug. “He does it all for us and is obviously great in (pass) protection, too, so there’s just a comfort level with the O-line and with Zach (Collaros).
“Matt (Peterson) did a great job for us; Quinton (Cooley) did a good job for us. But Brady’s Brady.”
Oliveira’s return to the offensive huddle is one of the key storylines heading into tonight’s showdown with the Stampeders at McMahon Stadium in the inaugural Stampede Bowl. The Canadian Football League’s reigning Most Outstanding Player and two time Most Outstanding Canadian and rushing champion injured his shoulder in the first series of the first game against the B.C. Lions a few weeks back and can now get back to work running through opposition defences.
“I’m jacked,” Oliveira said. “It’s good to be back out there with the guys and finally start competing again. It feels like I haven’t had a start to the season yet after going in Week 1 and only playing a couple plays — one series — and then coming out with an injury. This is almost my debut to the season, it feels like.
“I’m ready to go. I’m excited.”
Oliveira had just two carries in the season-opening win — the first a run for six yards and then the second a romp for 43 to set up the first touchdown of the season. But that’s also when the injury to his shoulder occurred and the momentum he had built through a winter of training and then camp had come to a screeching halt.
“I thought I had a really good training camp; I thought we all had a really good training camp,” he said. “This team was really firing on all cylinders, and we just had great days of work consecutively throughout training camp so I knew it would translate onto the field coming into Week 1.
“I was feeling really good myself; physically I was feeling really good and mentally I was just seeing it. I was on the same page as the O-line, and I just think I’m reaching a new level when it comes to the running back position and how to attack defences and run the ball efficiently and effectively. And that’s exactly what I did in the two carries I had in that game.
“I’m just excited to get back out there, get hit a few times and continue to elevate my game and run the ball effectively and efficiently.”
ICYMI, here is our Game Preview:
And follow along here as we present a collection of notes/quotes/anecdotes to help get Blue Bombers fans up to speed for tonight’s matchup against the Stamps in this week’s GAME DAY HQ…
BIGGIE LOVE
Big news out of Calgary over the last week or so with the Stamps adding former Blue Bombers all-star linebacker Adam Bighill. The future hall of famer won’t be in the lineup tonight — the Stamps did pick up former Hamilton LB Kyle Wilson a week ago and he is dressing — but that didn’t stop his old teammates from raving about him.
“He was an awesome teammate, awesome person — a guy that raised the level of everyone around him just by his actions,” said Zach Collaros. “He didn’t always have to use his words. He could and he would at times. However, it was his ability to just show his capacity for work day in, day out, whether that was grinding tape, in the weight room, on the field, watching him do other jobs outside of the building, too. He’s just an impressive human being.
“Since I was traded here in ’19 I felt privileged to be his teammate and I always told him that — “It’s an honour to take the field with you every day whether it was a practice or a game.’ I truly meant that and I still do. He’s a great player, great person. Great family and our families are friends.”
Added O’Shea when asked by Taylor Allen of The Free Press what his former teammates in Winnipeg might have learned from Bighill:
“Just his example of how much work he can get done in a day and how much it takes to be successful. You can do less work and you’ll never reach those heights. He did a lot, not only to prepare himself but to prepare his teammates, too.”
Now, there’s also a theory out there that because of Bighill’s knowledge of Winnipeg’s defence, Calgary has an advantage. We put that to Blue Bombers defensive coordinator Jordan Younger this week and he was quick to kibosh that idea.
“They’re not on field with us,” Younger said. “He can definitely give them insight as to how we move, some of the calls, some of the looks. But, ultimately, they’re not on the field. He’s not the one throwing the ball.
“We’ll be conscious of that, we’re aware of it. We understand that Adam Bighill is one of the more intelligent players I’ve been around in my career. We understand the amount of insight he can give them, but at the same time we’re not stressed about it at all.”
RETURN TO COWTOWN
James Vaughters will line up for the first time against his old squad tonight, after playing in 57 games over four seasons with the Stampeders before signing with Winnipeg this winter.
“There’s a bit of emotion to it. Calgary, as a city, was the first place I played in the CFL and the Stampeders, as a club, were the first to give me an opportunity when I needed one the most at some point in my career — more than once,” he said Wednesday. “I have nothing but love for the club, I have nothing but love for the city.
“More important than my own emotions are the club I play for now and to be able to contribute the way I want to. For me, it’s coming back to a place I played a lot but for our team it’s the next team we have to play. That’s more important than anything.”
THE STAMPEDE BOWL
The Stampeders will debut their own signature game tonight, much the same way the Blue Bombers have made the Banjo Bowl a staple on their schedule.
The winner of the game will receive a trophy custom-made by MST Bronze Limited, a Canadian art and design studio which also created the trophy for the NHL’s 4 Nations Faceoff.
Blue Bombers President and CEO Wade Miller and Jay McNeil, his counterpart with the Stamps, have made a friendly wager on the game — the losing team will make a $25,000 donation to Purolator Tackle Hunger to the winning team’s market.
And in an odd scheduling quirk, the Blue Bombers and Stampeders will meet three times in the next five weeks.
“It can get redundant but that’s what our task is,” said Collaros. “It’s been fun getting to know them this week on tape and I’m sure as the weeks go on it will be a little boring. But there will be new wrinkles, and we’ll add wrinkles so it will be a cool chess match.”
NOTABLE NOTES
- Willie Jefferson picked up his first sack of the season in last week’s win over Edmonton, giving him 75 in his career and now tied with Tim Cofield for 28th all-time in CFL history. He is the only CFL player to record 75 or more sacks and register 80-plus pass knockdowns.
- The Blue Bombers are a remarkable 49-4 (.925 winning percentage) when leading after three quarters since 2019.
- Zach Collaros threw for 334 yards in last week’s win over Edmonton — his 16th 300-yard passing game as a member of the Blue Bombers. That ties him with Don Jonas for the seventh most 300-yard passing games in club history. Dieter Brock and Khari Jones are tied for top spot with 29, followed by Matt Dunigan with 20.
- Collaros moved into fourth spot on the Blue Bombers all-time passing list last week and, as well, also set a career high with 14 consecutive passes — incidentally, coming on his first 14 attempts of the game.
