Zach Collaros, who came into Friday’s game fresh off his greatest performance of the year, had a night to forget. The offense struggled to sustain drives, committed three turnovers, and managed only nine points while the two-time CFL MVP completed 20 of 31 ball attempts for 266 yards and one interception.
Late in the third quarter, linebacker Adam Auclair made a stealthy grab for the ball after Collaros attempted to force a pass into Nic Demski and threw it behind him. Auclair was running laterally to chase the play. The ball was first down at Saskatchewan’s 27-yard line, so Collaros did not have to put it in danger. He should have just tossed the ball away and huddled up for second down as there were no targets available.
As it has done all season, Saskatchewan’s defense performed admirably, but Collaros seemed to waste some significant chances. Near the end of the first quarter, he mishandled a 50-yard bomb to Ontaria Wilson, which allowed defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. to intercept the ball. Collaros could have scored a 69-yard touchdown had he placed an additional five yards of air beneath the ball, allowing the receiver to sprint into the end zone.
Early in the second quarter, Collaros also floats a throw close to the sideline to Wilson, which Milligan also knocks down. If the pass had been delivered with a little more force, it would have resulted in a 24-yard gain and a red zone first down. Even though Collaros was under duress while throwing, a great quarterback should have been able to zip the ball in for a touchdown. He was unable to do so.
In the first minute of the third quarter, the seasoned quarterback put the ball in danger on what looked to be a post route to Wilson. Milligan almost looked surprised when the ball arrived since he had inside leverage in the receiver’s hip pocket and raised his hands too late to catch it. Even though the knockdown should have been intercepted, he was given credit for it.
Nothing went wrong for Collaros. Near the end of the game, he connected Nic Demski for a 50-yard catch-and-run. Brady Oliveira was the team’s top receiver with nine catches for 80 yards. He also checked the ball down well to Oliveira. Up until the very end, when Saskatchewan’s defensive line turned its ears back and realized Winnipeg would have to assault downfield, he also appeared at ease navigating the pocket.
Even so, given that the offensive line had a decent game against a tough Saskatchewan defensive front, the offense as a whole still had to play poorly. Nine points is hardly going to win you many games, especially in the CFL. That is all there is to it.
Increase the temperature
TyJuan Garbutt, playing opposite Willie Jefferson at defensive end, made his much awaited season debut. The majority of the previous season was spent by the former Virginia Tech star on Winnipeg’s practice squad. He made one appearance in a game and had one defensive tackle.
In the second quarter, the six-foot-two, 261-pound edge rusher showed his mettle by bullying left tackle Trevor Reid and folding Shea Patterson in half. Although Patterson managed to get the ball away just in time to avoid a sack, the play ended with the ball falling incomplete on second down.
Using a quick move, Garbutt beat right tackle Jacob Brammer late in the third quarter, forcing Patterson out of the pocket. The quarterback managed to get by Garbutt, but not Willie Jefferson, which led to a 16-yard sack. Although it was Winnipeg’s sole sack of the game, the defense seemed to apply more steady pressure, with Owen Hubert having a strong performance in the opening quarter.
It’s no secret that, despite ranking eighth in the league with seven sacks through the first three months of the season, Winnipeg’s defensive front failed to provide enough pressure. Although quarterback pressure is not monitored by the CFL, I would venture to guess that Winnipeg’s pressure rate would not exceed seventh. Simply put, opposing quarterbacks appeared too at ease and had too much time to maneuver while in the pocket.
There were some positive signs from the front, and Garbutt, who made one tackle, appears like a nice find, even though the defense was far from flawless. The team didn’t produce any takeaways following a two-game winning run in which it had six, but in the CFL in particular, you should win when you keep your opponent to 19 points. That is all there is to it.
Major conclusion
On the last play of regulation, Shea Patterson tried to run out the clock by throwing the ball until the very last second, but Adam Bighill squashed him.
Roughing the passer is defined by the law as when a defender, among other things, “(stuffs) an opposing quarterback to the ground” or “(lands) on them with most of (their) weight.” Although this rule is rarely followed, the hit should have been reported for roughing the passer as a result. Roughing the passer is typically only deemed to have occurred when a defender strikes a quarterback too late, too high, or too low—all of which Bighill did not do.
Bighill, a high-ranking member of the CFL Players’ Association, is a member of the league’s rules committee and is perhaps the most knowledgeable person regarding the rulebook. In addition, he is a football player with a strong work ethic who will, under any circumstances, seize any chance to hit the enemy quarterback. He is compensated to perform this task.
Bighill made the play, and while he ought to have attempted to avoid landing on Patterson, I don’t mind at all. The Riders ought to have kneeled to end the game if they didn’t want their quarterback to take a serious hit. With three seconds remaining, they had a ten-point lead. There was no justification for endangering Patterson.
Patterson reportedly told the media in Regina that he needed to throw the ball sooner, stating, “That’s a veteran linebacker sending me a message—respect to him,” according to Britton Gray of CJME. It’s not necessary for Rider Nation to go crazy about the hit if he’s not angry about it, though I’m sure they will.
Returning to reality
With just two catches for 47 yards, Ontaria Wilson was unable to duplicate her 200-yard breakout effort from the previous week.
He made some incredible catches, including a 20-yard reception along the sideline that will likely win play of the week, but he also dropped a pass early in the fourth quarter. Collaros hit Wilson squarely in the hands as he appeared to have inside leverage on a slant route against man coverage. He dropped the ball instead of squeezing it to move the chains.
I wondered last week if Wilson was going to be the next Carlton Agudosi or Kenny Lawler, a one-hit wonder or rising star. Naturally, the sample size is small, but he appeared to be a one-hit wonder in Regina.
Examine your eyes.
There was much room for improvement in the Friday night game’s officiating. Kyrie Wilson received a phantom holding call, Deontai Williams received a ridiculous illegal contact penalty, and Tyrell Ford received a terrible pass interference penalty.
The Blue Bombers were particularly hard-hit by the Ford penalty, which converted a third-and-two situation at Saskatchewan’s 30-yard line into a first-and-ten situation at Winnipeg’s 51-yard line, even though some of the dubious rulings were offset. After a while, the Riders made a field goal to go ahead by ten points.
I’m a devoted fan of CFL officiating since, in my opinion, it’s on level with officiating in other professional leagues in North America. But on Friday, Andre Proulx’s team performed poorly. Nothing can argue with it.
Decide on Nich.
On Friday night, Saskatchewan adopted an offensive tactic. I had never witnessed a rival CFL offense attempt to throw to Deatrick Nichols. Surprisingly, it was largely successful.
After Ajou Ajou replaced the injured slotback in the second half, the two-time CFL all-star defensive back was in coverage on multiple completions to Kian Schaffer-Baker in the first half and at least one in the second.
Nichols is usually overlooked by opponents as they examine Winnipeg’s other defensive backs. That was not the case on Friday, when the Riders put him to the test repeatedly.
It’s hard to tell for sure, but Nichols might possibly have been at fault for the covering blunder that led to Shea Patterson’s touchdown pass to Clint Ratkovic. It has to have been an error on the part of perimeter CB Terrell Bonds and him to cover the flat route. It’s likely that we will never find out which of them made the mistake.
Give the shovel to someone else.
Winnipeg made great strides during its recent two-game homestand in climbing out of a 0–4 hole at the bottom of the West Division rankings, but a lackluster showing in Riderville wasted most of that momentum.
Naturally, the season is still very early, but the Blue Bombers currently trail the Roughriders and B.C. Lions by six points. In addition, they have dropped their first of three meetings with both teams, therefore winning the season series against either will need them to play flawless head-to-head play moving forward. That seems like a very lofty request.
On Friday, Shea Patterson made just his third career start, and two inexperienced offensive tackles provided him with protection. Ajou Ajou, a seventh-round draft pick and Saskatchewan’s top receiver, gained 110 yards in a stand-in capacity. Friday night was the perfect opportunity to gain the upper hand against the Riders. Winnipeg squandered that chance.
Removed from circulation
For the Blue Bombers, Sergio Castillo had another excellent performance. He went three for four on the evening, missing only one, a 61-yard field goal just before halftime.
The official was bumped by return man Mario Alford as he was setting up for his return, preventing him from catching the kick, giving Winnipeg a break on the miss. After a while, he managed to catch the bouncing ball and returned it 32 yards along the left sideline, albeit if he had caught the ball at full speed, his return would have probably gone much farther.
Officials are occasionally picked by receivers to run routes downfield. I have never seen an official mistakenly act as a pick on a field goal return that was missed before.
Regarding the Case
Another move was made by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at returner, as rookie Kody Case was given the opportunity to take over from Myron Mitchell and Chris Smith.
The University of Illinois product returned three kickoff returns for 87 yards, including the largest of the game, which went for 38 yards, and seven punt returns for 67 yards. It was a low-key debut without any significant errors.
Walking injuries
Bailey Feltmate, who appeared to have an arm or shoulder injury, departed the game shortly after the second half began and did not come back. The seasoned fullback has contributed six special teams tackles in as many games, which has been a great addition for Winnipeg.
Due to the recent placement of rookie fullback Michael Chris-Ike on the six-game injury list, the Blue Bombers will be extremely weak at fullback in the event that Feltmate loses time.
Fit assessment
On Friday night, Saskatchewan unveiled their brand-new obsidian green uniforms. When the jerseys were unveiled in May, Rider Nation gave them high marks, and based on photos of the crowd at Mosaic Stadium, it looks like they did well on sales.
Although the outfits are quite stylish, the numbers are extremely difficult to read, much like the B.C. Lions’ gunmetal uniforms. Should this appearance become the standard in Riderville, the numerals ought to be altered to a vivid green hue surrounded by a white border. It doesn’t really matter how nice the jerseys are if you can’t tell the guys apart.
Next.
On Saturday, July 27, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-5) will play the Toronto Argonauts (3-2), with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Winnipeg won’t be playing in Toronto this season, thus this will be the team’s first trip to BMO Field till Week 4 of 2022.
The Argonauts will visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m. EDT in their seventh and final game of the season. In lieu of the suspended Chad Kelly, Cameron Dukes has been a reliable but unremarkable player, and the defense leads the league in yards allowed per play and sacks.
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