By the Numbers: Blue Bombers stay stuck in neutral
Published
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers entered this season in the midst of a historic run of dominance for the franchise, with four straight Grey Cup appearances and two wins dating back to the 2019 season.
The last time the team had a losing record before this season was in Week 15 of the 2018 season, more than 2,000 days ago.
After a difficult start to the season, losing their first four games, the team seemed to be bouncing out of their funk with wins against the Ottawa Redblacks and Calgary Stampeders where they scored a combined 66 points. But the Bombers have dropped their past two contests with a total of 23 points scored.
Issues on the offensive side of the ball have haunted the Bombers all season, and it begins with two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player Zach Collaros.
Entering the season ranked as the top player in the TSN 2024 CFL Top 50 Players list, Collaros has struggled to collect any momentum due to inconsistent play and injuries.
The quarterback posted a career-high 4,252 yards through the air in 2023, while leading the league in passing touchdowns (33) for the third straight year, but his production has cratered through the first half of the 2024 season.
Collaros left Winnipeg's Week 4 loss against the Stampeders in the first half and did not play in Week 5 against the Redblacks. He threw his first touchdown of the season in Week 6 against Calgary - also the first game in which he surpassed 300 yards.
Zach Collaros issues this season
| Season | Games played | Passing yards | Yards per game | Passing touchdowns | Touchdowns per game | Interceptions | Interceptions per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12 | 3,185 | 265.4 | 20 | 1.66 | 6 | 0.50 |
| 2022 | 15 | 4,183 | 278.9 | 37 | 2.46 | 13 | 0.86 |
| 2023 | 15 | 4,252 | 283.5 | 33 | 2.20 | 15 | 1.00 |
| 2024 | 7 | 1,723 | 246.1 | 3 | 0.43 | 8 | 1.14 |
Since joining the Blue Bombers ahead of the 2021 campaign, Collaros has never averaged fewer than 265 yards per game, or 1.5 touchdowns per game in a season in games which he attempted more than five passes. He is at 246.1 and 0.43 in those categories respectively this season.
The problem hasn't fallen completely on Collaros' shoulders in his age-35 campaign. The Bombers have struggled as a team to stay healthy, especially on the offensive side and in the wide receiver's room.
Dalton Schoen has already been ruled out for the season with a knee issue, while Kenny Lawler continues to recover from an arm injury suffered in the season opener. Keric Wheatfall is also out with a leg injury, and top running back Brady Oliveira has missed time this season after earning the 2023 Most Outstanding Canadian award.
Rookie receiver Ontaria Wilson has been a revelation for Winnipeg in recent action.
"In the quarterback room we've been saying we've got to find ways to get this guy the ball," said Collaros after their 41-37 victory over Calgary in Week 6. “I haven't seen many guys being able to adjust to the football in the air like he does.”
Wilson has caught 30 passes for 463 yards and two touchdowns this season, but that has not been enough to fill the void left by the other stars missing from the lineup.
Production by receiver in Blue Bombers' passing attack
| Player | Receiving yards in 2023 | Touchdowns in 2023 | Percentage of passing production in 2023 | Receiving yards in 2024 | Touchdowns in 2024 | Percentage of passing production in 2024 | Games missed in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Schoen | 1,222 | 10 | 23.0% | 159 | 0 | 7.9% | 5 |
| Nic Demski | 1,006 | 6 | 18.9% | 419 | 1 | 20.7% | 0 |
| Kenny Lawler | 901 | 6 | 16.9% | 26 | 0 | 1.2% | 7 |
| Drew Wolitarsky | 668 | 6 | 12.5% | 326 | 1 | 16.1% | 0 |
| Brady Oliveira | 482 | 4 | 9.1% | 222 | 0 | 10.9% | 1 |
| Ontaria Wilson | - | - | - | 463 | 2 | 22.9% | 0 |
| Team | 5,309 | 42 | - | 2,020 | 4 | - | - |
In all, with the extended time Schoen and Lawler have missed, their contribution of 40 per cent of the team's passing yardage has shrunk to nine per cent this season, and the team has not easily filled the gap to this point.
Winnipeg has finished first or second in the league in scoring every season since 2016, with their lowest mark for scoring in a season in that time period being 25.2 points per game in 2021.
This season they rank last in the league in points per game at 20.4.
“This is pro football,” offensive coordinator Buck Pierce said to reporters last week. “Guys need to understand, and they know if they’re not executing, that we’re not going to have an opportunity to be successful offensively. We need to clean it up, and it needs to happen now.”
“We need to have more consistent focus,” head coach Mike O’Shea said. “They’re always working at it. But a higher level, a higher grade of focus. That kind of intensity of focus. Intentionality. A consistent level of that.”
The Blue Bombers (2-6) kick off Week 9 action in the CFL against the BC Lions on Thursday.