Five Takeaways: Back-to-back beat downs a rarity for Bombers

Winnipeg Free Press

20-07-2025

The last time the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost consecutive games by 20-plus points, Brady Oliveria was still in high school, Zach Collaros was a third-year pro and Mike O'Shea was a rookie head coach.
Oct. 3 and 13, 2014: a 42-20 rout by the Ottawa Redblacks, followed by an embarrassing 41-9 defeat at the hands of the Edmonton Elks.
Those results came during some dark days that are fortunately long behind the Blue and Gold, but the club's recent stretch of performances has left reason to revisit those times.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Brady Oliveira (20) makes the first down against the Calgary Stampeders during first half CFL action in Winnipeg Friday, July 18, 2025.
Friday's 41-20 loss to the Calgary Stampeders at Princess Auto Stadium marked the second straight lopsided decision that the Bombers have been on the wrong side of — both against the Stampeders.
The first, which came on the road, was a wake-up call for a team that had cruised to a 3-0 record out of the gates. The second has put a spotlight on some of the team's weak points that it had been able to mask in the first month of the season.
Of course, there's no hiding an absent starting quarterback, which is what the Bombers could be faced with as Collaros exited the contest in the second quarter after the back of his head smacked the turf following a big hit.
Collaros' health will be top priority, but in the meantime, the Bombers are reeling at 3-2 and need to recapture some of their earlier magic.
Friday's loss was particularly meaningful in the standings, as Calgary wrapped up the season series with Winnipeg and now owns the regular-season tie-breaker. With both teams expected to be in the thick of the West Division playoff race, this could loom large when it comes to home-field advantage in the postseason.
With consecutive matchups against the Stamps now in the rear-view mirror, the Bombers now turn their attention to a home-and-home with the Toronto Argonauts, which begins on the road at BMO Field on Saturday, July 26.
Before we turn the page to Week 8, let's revisit the latest contest with a new edition of Five Takeaways.
Calgary had already proved they would be a contender in the West, but their latest win has established some clear tier breaks in the division.
The Stamps are the class of the West by themselves currently, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Bombers grouped in a tier behind them.
The last three weeks have seen the Stamps own the Bombers at home, then follow with consecutive dominant road performances against both prairie squads. They also own the best record in the CFL, and an argument can be made that they are the best team in the league right now, with Montreal (4-2) dealing with an injured starting quarterback and Hamilton (3-2) fielding a vulnerable defence.
This is another good time to remind readers that many pundits pencilled Calgary in as the bottom-dwellers of the West Division.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) throws as he gets pressure from the Calgary Stampeders during first half CFL action in Winnipeg Friday, July 18, 2025.
At the time of writing, they are the league's No. 1 scoring offence and defence, and do not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
Who knows how long the Bombers will be without Collaros?
If it's a concussion — O'Shea would not confirm the nature of his QB's injury after the game — he must complete a five-stage protocol to return to play, which does not have a defined length and can vary by severity and the individual.
That means backup Chris Streveler could be looking at his second start of the season. The Bombers have already seen the good and the bad of the fan favourite this season.
In Week 2, Streveler had what was perhaps the best performance of his career against the B.C. Lions, tossing for three touchdowns and leading the club to a convincing victory. On Friday, it was very much the opposite, as he threw two interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown — and the game quickly slipped away from the Bombers.
Granted, those performances came in two different situations. Streveler had all of training camp to prepare for his first start, whereas he was thrust into the most recent game.
If he needs to go again, perhaps a week of preparation will help his second start look more like his first.
The O'Shea-led Bombers are consistently one of the least penalized teams in the three-down loop and have continued to be this season, committing 5.8 infractions per game, the second-fewest entering Week 7.
On this night, it wasn't the number of times they were penalized — seven times for 83 yards — but rather the nature and the timeliness of them that made for an uncharacteristically undisciplined performance.
The Stampeders' opening drive was made easier by a roughing the passer penalty on Cam Lawson that set them up on the doorstep of the end zone. That was the first of two late hits on Vernon Adams Jr. in the first half, as James Vaughters committed the other.
Another flag for unnecessary roughness was thrown on Tanner Cadwallader in the second quarter, but that one only wound up costing Winnipeg field position.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Calgary Stampeders' Erik Brooks (87) runs for the first down against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during first half CFL action in Winnipeg Friday, July 18, 2025.
In the third quarter, after Calgary had been flagged for unnecessary roughness and put into second-and-17, Deatrick Nichols was called for illegal contact on the very next play to make it second-and-manageable. Calgary promptly picked up the first down and, three plays later, scored on a 42-yard heave from Adams Jr. to Damien Alford to make it a 10-point game.
In the fourth quarter, with the game still within reach for Winnipeg (24-13), Willie Jefferson was penalized for spearing receiver Tevin Jones after delivering a hard hit to his head while leading with the crown of his helmet. It was a 15-yard infraction that set Calgary up in the red zone and eventually led to a game-sealing touchdown.
It's hard to imagine O'Shea will let that slide for much longer.
It hasn't felt like the typical Bombers defence recently.
Perhaps this unit is subject to some unfair criticism because of the standard it set by finishing No. 1 in scoring the last four years, but there is a certain level of susceptibility that's been uncovered while playing the hottest team in the league.
The Bombers have allowed seven explosive plays in their last two contests. Friday saw Adams Jr. connect with Alford for 37- and 42-yard touchdowns, and nearly another 50-plus-yard major if Dominique Rhymes had maintained possession while falling to the ground.
The more concerning part is that there are some clear busted coverages in the secondary that are leading to these gains. Alford's second score saw him alone in the end zone, waiting for the ball to arrive.
The cherry on top came in the fourth quarter, when Winnipeg lined up with one defensive back covering two receivers on the goal line — a clear breakdown in communication.
Adams Jr. flipped an easy pass to Rhymes for a three-yard touchdown.
It's tough to win when you make mistakes like that.
It's natural to live and die with every result in football, because it's only played once a week.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Calgary Stampeders' Damien Alford (80) catches a touchdown pass against Winnipeg Blue Bombers Terrell Bonds (24) during first half CFL action in Winnipeg Friday, July 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
While the Bombers have some clear wrinkles that need to be ironed out, it remains too early to have any definitive feelings about what this team is and what it could be.
Winnipeg has been handed an unusual schedule to begin the season, one that saw them open with a bye and then have another week off in the first six weeks of the year. The team has also played more than six quarters without its starting quarterback and lost its star receiver to injury.
Those circumstances can make it difficult for any team to establish a rhythm — even one as experienced as the Bombers.
Winnipeg has begun a stretch that won't lend another bye week until October.
It can take teams several games to truly find their footing, which makes the next few weeks a critical stretch that could reveal what the Bombers are really about in 2025.
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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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