Bombers look to bounce back

Winnipeg Free Press

18-07-2025

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were knocked down — flattened, actually — and, for the first time this season, they need to show they can get back up.
The club was collectively tossed around in a lopsided 37-16 road defeat to the Calgary Stampeders in Week 5, but, after taking the bye week to dust themselves off, it has a chance to punch back when it hosts the Stamps for a rematch at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday (7:30 p.m.).
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea said the disappointment from the loss to the Calgary Stampeders in Week 5 has turned into determination for the team to play better.
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea said the disappointment from the loss to the Calgary Stampeders in Week 5 has turned into determination for the team to play better.
The 21-point defeat was the worst that Winnipeg had suffered with Zach Collaros as the starting quarterback since Week 3 of the 2023 season when it lost 30-6 at home against the B.C. Lions, and just the second time it has lost by more than 20 points since he was traded here in 2019.
Making it worse, they've had to sit with that performance for two weeks.
While the Bombers will have revenge on their mind, one thing is certain: it won't come easily.
The Stampeders have made it known that they are, in fact, legit, rolling into Week 7 with a 4-1 record after another dominant performance against the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week.
That leaves an opportunity for the 3-1 Bombers to make a statement of their own on Friday and remind the league that they will be in this fight for the long haul.
'I wasn't with them during the bye, but I imagine they were disappointed post-game, I imagine they flushed it as quickly as they could,' head coach Mike O'Shea said earlier this week. 'They were happy to be back, they put some work in — I think that disappointment has turned into the realization that they can play better, and they're determined to do that.'
There is plenty of intrigue buzzing around these two West Division foes leading up to kickoff, so let's tee it up with the latest edition of 5 Storylines.
It was trending this way all week, but it doesn't make the news any easier to swallow.
The Bombers will be down two of their top offensive players in this one, as receiver Dalton Schoen (knee) and left tackle Stanley Bryant (ankle) have been moved to the six-game and one-game injured list, respectively.
Schoen's injury is certainly more concerning at this point, given he missed the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL. He exited the Week 5 contest against Calgary after a routine play where he leaped for a catch and fell to the ground, but took his time getting up.
There is no confirmation that this injury is as serious as last year's, however, and O'Shea said it's not season-ending.
'No. Like all those six games, we can pull them off whenever,' he said Thursday.
As for Bryant, O'Shea is confident that the 39-year-old could return next week.
'It's challenging, for sure,' Collaros said.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman Micah Vanterpool slides into the left tackle position, replacing an injured Stanley Bryant.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman Micah Vanterpool slides into the left tackle position, replacing an injured Stanley Bryant.
'Stan is the most decorated offensive lineman in the history of our league, so having to fill in for him is not an easy task. Again, I think it's more so just on a communication level, not necessarily a skill set thing. And, although Stan is unbelievable, Micah (Vanterpool) has been in that room now for a year and a half, and has really gelled with those guys, and I think he'll do a great job.
'When a guy like Dalton goes down, for a quarterback and somebody you really depend on for a lot of what goes on in a game plan, it makes it difficult, for sure. But again, I just think it's harder on a human level, like, I can't really ever get over stuff like that. I just feel for guys when they have to miss a week of work, because… you put so much time in the off-season, you only have so many opportunities, and… there's just not a lot of opportunities in this game, so it's tough.'
Replacing the trusted veterans is a pair of unheralded second-year talents in receiver Kody Case and lineman Vanterpool.
Case, 26, will make his season debut. He dressed for three games last year as he operated as the Bombers' returner. Case returned this spring and put together an impressive training camp before going down with an ankle injury that forced him to miss both pre-season contests.
The 5-10, 178-pound pass-catcher's greatest attribute is his speed, which he showcased a few times in practice this week.
HEYWOOD YU / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Kody Case will make his season debut as he steps in for an injured Dalton Shoen.
HEYWOOD YU / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Kody Case will make his season debut as he steps in for an injured Dalton Shoen.
Meanwhile, Vanterpool, 26, has started two games at left guard this season and performed well in both cases. The 6-5, 325-pounder is as versatile as they come, capable of playing guard and tackle on both sides of the line, which makes his slide to left tackle unsurprising.
'I just do my process,' Vanterpool said. 'When I say my process, I work both sides. I work guard, tackle, right and left, ever since I've been in college. Every time I'm doing drills, I make sure I get some tackle reps, I get some guard reps, regardless of the week.'
Gabe Wallace will plug in at left guard for Vanterpool. It's the third different offensive line combination the Bombers have run out this season.
Rookie American defensive end Jay Person was also elevated to the active roster and is expected to make his CFL debut.
The Stampeders won't use it as an excuse, but the club will be working at a slight disadvantage of not having a full week to rest and prepare for their rematch with the Bombers.
Calgary's Week 6 contest against Saskatchewan was scheduled for Friday, July 11, but poor air quality in Regina — owing to smoke from wildfires in surrounding areas — delayed the matchup until Saturday.
It might not sound like a big deal, but in a physical sport where collisions are akin to car crashes, every day of rest matters.
Whether one less day of rest impacts the game remains to be seen, but it's noteworthy, nonetheless.
The Bombers' record when coming off a bye week will continue to be a storyline until they show a reason it shouldn't be.
The club is a gaudy 18-1 in its return from a week off since 2017, which is the best in the CFL by a wide margin. It was the second bye week this season for the Bombers, who already bested the B.C. Lions in their return from a Week 1 bye, so the team should be well-rested for this matchup.
Hopefully, players enjoyed their most recent break, because now the Bombers will play 11 games in a row before they enjoy another bye week.
The Bombers' defence has been the class of the CFL for years, finishing as the No. 1 scoring defence in each of the last four seasons.
So far, that moniker belongs to Calgary.
Entering Week 7, the club has allowed a league-best 91 points, and has not given up more than one offensive touchdown in a game thus far.
In fact, the Stamps' defence has allowed just five drives that resulted in touchdowns through five games (68 possessions). That 7.4 per cent rate is the best of any club since the CFL began publishing this data in 2008.
The Bombers have already felt the wrath of the league's No. 1 defence, as Collaros tossed two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, and the club was held to its lowest point total of the young season in their last meeting.
'It seems like they're on the same page, they're flying around,' said O'Shea. 'I think they're an excitable group, like they're bringing a lot of energy, they're taking the ball away. Obviously, they took the ball away from us. I mean, when you see them put it all together, just as a 12-man unit, they seem to be getting after it pretty good.'
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Joshua Frey-SamReporter
Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.
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