Zach is back

Winnipeg Free Press

4 hours ago

VANCOUVER — Two things can be true at this juncture in the Canadian Football League season.
It's very, very early. Also, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, although far from a finished product, look like they could be hell to play against each week.
The Blue and Gold have cruised to a 2-0 start after consecutive victories over the B.C Lions, the latest of which came in a 27-14 decision at BC Place on Saturday. The offence has had moments of brilliance over the last two weeks, while the defence has been the backbone of the club, and special teams has been responsible for game-changing moments.
WTHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros capped off his first drive of the season with his 200th career touchdown pass on Saturday.
WTHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros capped off his first drive of the season with his 200th career touchdown pass on Saturday.
It's that kind of balance in all three phases that has this team looking like it will be a threat all season. There's still a long way to go, however, and things can change quickly in the three-down loop, so don't expect anyone to get ahead of themselves, especially when there is still plenty to clean up.
The Bombers' latest victory took on a much different shape than their first, but the veteran squad has continued to look comfortable in these home-and-home situations, now winners of their last three rematches dating back to last season. Winnipeg has two more back-to-backs remaining on the calendar, with Toronto in weeks 8-9 and the annual dates with Saskatchewan in weeks 13-14.
The club will await the arrival of the Edmonton Elks on Thursday at Princess Auto Stadium (7:30 p.m.), but before we turn the page to Week 4, let's put a bow on Week 3 with the latest edition of 5 Takeaways.
Historical trends ultimately don't mean a thing once playoffs come around, but let the record show that should these two teams meet up in November, a main discussion point will be how the Lions have not been able to clear the Bomber hurdle.
Winnipeg has now won the last four meetings and six of the last seven against B.C. In fact, the Lions haven't beaten Winnipeg at home since Week 19 of 2022.
Should these teams meet again, it won't be on the West Coast. Saturday's result earned the Bombers the season-series win, which could factor in huge when playoff seeding is being settled.
It all starts with the quarterbacks, and Winnipeg has been particularly cruel to the Lions' signal-callers. Nathan Rourke is 0-5 for his career against the Blue and Gold and owns a 5-8 interception-touchdown ratio over those games, while backup Jeremiah Masoli, who started in place of Rourke this week, has also struggled to a 3-7 record in his career, tossing for nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Again — and we can't stress this enough — it's early. These teams could — and likely will — look a lot different if they meet again, but, as it stands, the Bombers have the Lions' number.
It might look a bit odd watching players of the Bombers' defence sprinting to recover an incomplete pass during practice.
The club calls it 'loose change,' and it's a habit that is hammered home by defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger and defensive assistant Richie Hall.
So, it came as no surprise to hear Jamal Parker Jr. say it was second nature for him to scoop up what appeared to be an incomplete pass and return it 75 yards to the end zone in the second quarter. Turns out that ball was live, and a lateral throw dropped by running back James Butler was, in fact, a good touchdown.
That play is a microcosm of the defence's early-season success. Not only have the Bombers allowed a combined 37 points through two weeks, but the club has also forced a whopping eight turnovers in the process — six on defence and two on special teams.
There were concerns about how the Bombers would handle losing some key pieces on defence from last season but, so far, it looks legit once again.
It remains a safe bet that Dalton Schoen is the top receiving option in this offence, but the numbers have told a different story early on.
Second-year receiver Keric Wheatfall has been the guy to have if you're a fantasy football manager, as he leads the team in targets (13), catches (11) and receiving yards (213).
ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Keric Wheatfall (right) leads the team in targets (13), catches (11) and receiving yards (213).
ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Keric Wheatfall (right) leads the team in targets (13), catches (11) and receiving yards (213).
There were plenty of questions at the position entering the year with the release of veteran Drew Wolitarski and Kenny Lawler departing in free agency, and the club needed someone to step up as a trustworthy option for quarterback Zach Collaros.
Wheatfall has been that and more. The 6-1, 185-pound pass catcher has serious speed and open-field quickness, and he's shown that by making plays at every level on the field. In Week 2, he caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Chris Streveler that blew the game open, and he encored by hauling in a 48-yard pass from Collaros in the fourth quarter of Saturday's contest, which stood as the longest play of the game.
'I've brought this up many times. That last Grey Cup game left a sour taste in my mouth, and I just got back to work as soon as I got back to the crib and everything like that,' Wheatfall said. 'And I know I had a bad game here at this stadium, inside this dome, so I told myself I got to come out here and do my thing, and that's what I did for my teammates.'
Walk around the visitors' locker room following Saturday's contest, and there were plenty of smiling faces, but there was also a feeling of dissatisfaction that kept the Bombers from gloating. For the second week in a row, the Bombers did not put together a complete performance.
Bomber linebacker Redha Kramdi said the defence in particular had a weird taste in its mouth after the game, as it gave up a touchdown on the Lions' final drive, and Willie Jefferson was disqualified for objectionable conduct.
ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Dalton Schoen, second right, celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the B.C. Lions with Kevens Clercius (left), Jerreth Sterns (89) and Keric Wheatfall (88) during the first half.
ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
'Honestly, I think if you ask any player on defence, we're kind of not really happy with the way this game ended,' Kramdi shared. 'I think we give up stuff we shouldn't. Myself first, I think I have a lot of (missed assignments), so I think it's all about just keep working, keeping the game in front of us, stopping the big explosion plays that have been killing us, and just tackling when we have to.'
Indeed, the big plays have been the lone sore spot for the Bombers' defence, which has allowed six explosive gains in two contests.
On offence, things looked great after a 12-play, 82-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown to begin the game, but Winnipeg only gained three first downs the rest of the first half. The offence was also four-for-five on second-down conversions on the opening series, but went four-for-13 the rest of the contest.
Collaros was at the centre of two head-scratching interceptions. The first came with two minutes left in the first half when instead of working the clock and trying to drive into scoring range, he chucked up a long ball intended for Nic Desmki, who outran a throw that fell into the arms of Lions' defensive back Cristophe Beaulieu.
The other came on Winnipeg's penultimate drive of the game, as Collaros dialled up a deep shot from inside his five-yard line to Schoen that was picked off by Robert Carter Jr. and set up the late major for B.C.
Despite his team controlling the game from start to finish, head coach Mike O'Shea still found himself sending out his hands team to recover an onside kick late in the fourth quarter. He was not pleased about it and, after the game, he shouldered the blame for the way both halves ended, saying he was not happy about the way he managed either situation.
We wrap up Week 3 by putting a bow on Collaros' unusual start to the season.
The Bombers' veteran quarterback returned from a one-game suspension, and while he likely hoped for a more high-powered performance in his season debut — he finished 18-for-25 for 179 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions — Collaros was as gracious as anyone to be on the field again.
'I mean, it's not just that. It's the sport. You put a lot of time in, whether it's the off-season or during the season, and you only have so many opportunities. So to miss an opportunity, it's tough, because you only have 18 of them and the playoffs,' he said. 'So you really cherish them. And just something I'll never get sick of, running out of the tunnel and getting out there with the guys.'
ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) prepares to pass the ball as B.C. Lions' Ezechiel Tieide (80) attacks and Winnipeg's Kendall Randolph (69) defends during the first half.
ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Early in the week, Collaros detailed the anxiousness that overcame him while watching the club's season-opener on a treadmill. On the eve of his first contest, he did not hide his excitement for returning to game action.
Collaros couldn't have asked for a better start, as he capped the first drive of the series by feathering a 15-yard touchdown to Schoen in the back of the end zone. The pivot tossed for 70 yards while completing all seven of his pass attempts on the drive, in what was perhaps a statement to the rest of the league: 'Zach is back.'
'When you're young, you think you're going to do it forever,' Collaros said.
'I still feel good and think that I'm gonna do it forever, but I know at some point it's gonna come to an end. I don't think any time soon, but I think as you get older, you gain a little more wisdom… and you try to just cherish every moment and just be present all the time, whether it's in a facility, on the field, at home with the kids, seeing my parents, all those little things, because that's what it's all about, right?'
[e-mail]
X: @jfreysam
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.
Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.