Blue Bombers roll past winless Redblacks 33-21

WINNIPEG – Running back Brady Oliveira began as a game-time decision, only to become a major difference-maker.

The Winnipeg native rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, while hauling in another 80 in pass receptions to lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 33-21 victory over the winless Ottawa Redblacks at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday.

Oliveira was limited at practice this week with an injured ankle, the team’s final injury report putting his status in doubt. He said it wasn’t until he arrived at the stadium and worked with athletic therapist Al Couture that he finally knew he could play.

“I woke up and felt pretty good,” Oliveira said. “I was communicating with Al, I came in here a little bit earlier and I kind of did my routine. I got in the pool and I felt like I was good enough to go and went out there for warm-up and felt good.”

A few hours later, he was climbing the CFL’s all-time rushing leaders list.

Oliveira, who had 235 rushing yards on 33 carries over the previous two games, needed 67 more to jump from 24th to 21st on the all-time list. He now has 6,212 career yards, surpassing fellow Canadian Jon Cornish, and is just 22 yards shy of Willie Burden at 20th.

Winnipeg improved to 5-4 with the win and snapped a two-game losing streak on home turf. The Bombers entered the game with a 1-4 record at Princess Auto Stadium, the most losses in a single season since 2016.

Losses to the B.C. Lions and Calgary Stampeders in recent weeks had seriously threatened Winnipeg’s playoff position in the West Division. With the victory, the Bombers now sit a game up on the Lions (4-5) and Stampeders (4-6), with a game in hand on Calgary.

“There’s always plays you want to get back. I thought we did a good job of sticking together,” Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros said. “We need to finish more drives. But I thought it was a great three-phase win. Special teams did a great job of getting us field position all night long.

“Gotta do a better job at times of extending drives. But for me, personally, I felt comfortable as the game started going.”

Collaros made his return after missing four games with a neck injury and went 21-for-31 passing for 222 yards. He was on the receiving end of a violent blindside hit from Ottawa linebacker Lucas Cormier in the second quarter that forced him from the game, only to return four plays later.

The Bombers recorded 305 net yards on offence, with short-yardage quarterback Bryce Perkins punching in a pair of touchdowns. Sergio Castillo rounded out the scoring with four field goals, connecting from 46, 56, 31 and 43 yards.

“It’s football. He’s tough as nails,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said of Collaros. “Like all the guys, if they can go back in there, they’re going to go back in. That’s the kind of leadership these guys have. They want to do it, they want to honour their teammates and that’s just another example of it.”

The Redblacks’ dreadful season continued, dropping to 0-9 with the loss, extending their lengthy losing skid to 15 games dating back to last season.