Defence beyond dominant

Put your hand up if you had the Winnipeg Blue Bombers beating the B.C. Lions on Thursday night?

Few would have predicted a victory for the Blue and Gold over the high-powered Lions, let alone a dismantling of a club that, for a lot of people’s money, is the best team in the West Division and a favourite to win the Grey Cup.

That’s exactly what the Bombers did to their opponent, putting forth what was among the franchise’s most historic defensive efforts in a 25-0 blanking of the Lions in front of 31,589 fans at a sweltering Princess Auto Stadium.

The win temporarily salvages what was quickly feeling like a lost season after the Bombers dropped their last two games to fall to 2-6. While 3-6 might not look a heck of a lot better, defeating as formidable a team as the Lions the way they did is the kind of performance that can galvanize a club and turn a season around.

That said…

“It does nothing for us if we don’t treat the bye week properly,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said after the game. “They certainly need a break from football, but they need to work their asses off all week long, so they come back ready to go again.”

The Bombers are on the first of three bye weeks, getting a full 10 days off before returning to the practice field for a Week 11 rematch against the Lions. It’s an important game, too, not just because of the much-needed two points, but also because it’s the final game of a three-game season series that is now locked at a game apiece.

Before we gaze too far ahead, let’s take a deeper look back at the win over the Lions in the latest edition of 5 Takeaways.

1) It would be foolish not to start with the play of the defence and what an effort it was by the group. Domination doesn’t even seem to do it service, as the Bombers limited the Lions to four first downs and 102 net offensive yards.

Here’s what CFL stats guru Steve Daniel had on where this performance ranks:

• From 1950 to 2024, the four first downs ties an all-time low for any Winnipeg opponent. (1952 was the first time vs. Saskatchewan). It is one short of the league record of three first downs allowed by B.C. in 1959 and again in 1975.
• It was the seventh-lowest net offence ever recorded by B.C. in a regular season game. It was the First Winnipeg shutout since 2021 (45-0 vs B.C.).
• B.C. was held to their lowest first-down total (twice before, both in 1954).

The Bombers forced 10 punts, including eight two-and-outs, with the other two drives ending with a Tyrell Ford interception and a turnover on downs. Time of possession heavily favoured the Bombers 42:37 to 17:21.

Vernon Adams Jr. completed eight of his 17 passes for 74 yards and the pick, resulting in a QB efficiency rating of 34.9. Jake Dolegala attempted three passes in a quarter of relief — after Adams went down with a right knee injury that is expected to keep him out weeks — and the Lions officially conceded defeat by running out the final 90 seconds.

The Lions averaged a mere 2.8 yards per play and were 13 per cent (two-for-15) on second down. To think B.C. entered the game as the CFL’s top offence, including averaging the most passing yards, total yards and points.

The Bombers defence has been a bright spot all year, keeping the team in games. On Thursday, they took matters into their own hands and almost single-handedly won the game.

2) It’s time we start talking about the Bombers secondary and how good a group it is. You know they’re a talented bunch when veteran safety Brandon Alexander, while the unit’s undisputed leader, may just be its weakest link.

Deatrick Nichols and Evan Holm are among the top halfbacks in the CFL. Nichols has held that designation for some time, emerging as one of those defensive backs who rarely gets thrown to, while Holm has evolved into one of the top coverage guys after earning a West Division all-star nod last season.

What a find the Bombers have in boundary corner Terrell Bonds, who is looking like the next coming of Nichols and Dee Alford, both of whom starred as rookies in 2021. Ford has also lived up to his hype, returning to Winnipeg after a brief stint with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers to lead the club in interceptions, with three.

Let’s not forget the play of Redha Kramdi at strong-side linebacker, which is a position often included with the secondary. Kramdi has been a physical presence and a playmaker on defence, including a pair of QB sacks.

Against the Lions, the secondary was relentless in their coverage, getting into lanes and breaking up passes. B.C. came into the game with the league’s top two receivers, with Justin McInnis and Alexander Hollins combining for 1,443 yards. Hollins caught three passes for 43 yards, while Hollins caught none of his three targets.

3) It was another solid game by the offence, with the only difference — a huge one, mind you — from last week’s performance in Toronto being that they didn’t give the ball away. Actually, they did, but just once compared to the five turnovers against the Argonauts.

Zach Collaros played a clean game, throwing for nearly 295 yards and a touchdown. It was the first time in four games Collaros didn’t throw an interception, and his 17-yard run late in the second quarter was not only his second-longest since the 2017 season, but it also helped set up the lone TD — a 10-yard strike to Lucky Whitehead.

Ontaria Wilson continues to make his case as a potential No. 1 target, pacing all receivers with 112 yards on seven catches. Brady Oliveira was also leading the charge, racking up 100 rushing yards on 17 carries — for a solid 5.9-yard average per run — and adding 42 more yards through the air on four catches.

The offensive line had a notably improved performance, which was made all the more impressive by the fact veteran guard Patrick Neufeld was put on the six-game injured list ahead of kickoff. Kendall Randolph took over at right guard and played admirably, as the O-line allowed one sack compared to the defence registering four against the Lions.

4) It’s not exactly an I-told-you-so moment, as the plan with Lucky Whitehead always seemed to take on a wait-and-see approach. That said, Whitehead was signed nearly a month ago and had it not been for an injury to Drew Wolitarsky, he likely wasn’t cracking the roster this past week — and, maybe, not at all.

While the Bombers could definitely use Wolitarsky, who was also added to the six-game with an injured shoulder, they now know what they’ve got in Whitehead. The early reviews are overwhelmingly positive, as Whitehead appears to have picked up the playbook quickly, learning an offence that is much different from the one he was a part of back in 2019.

There were some questions about whether or not the 32-year-old still had gas left in the tank after remaining a free agent months into the season. Whitehead temporarily silenced his critics by catching all six of his targets for 56 yards and the TD.

Whitehead reminded everyone after the game that he was once an all-star in the league. If he can get back to anywhere near that level again, the Bombers attack will continue to improve. With Kenny Lawler also expected to return to practice after the bye week, it could even look downright dangerous.

5) It’s not surprising Sergio Castillo rebounded from an off night against Toronto, when he missed a pair of field goals, including one in overtime, in what was a two-point loss.

The Bombers kicker was a perfect six-for-six on field goals, accounting for a majority of Winnipeg’s points. Castillo’s biggest moment came with nearly five minutes remaining in the second quarter, when he stepped into and connected on a 60-yard field goal to put the Bombers up 6-zip.

It was the second 60-yard FG of the season for Castillo, who booted the first one in a Week 4 loss to the Calgary Stampeders. Not only do both kicks stand as the longest field goals in Bombers history — and the second-longest in league history — but Castillo is also the first kicker ever to hit from 60 yards twice in a season.

When asked what it was like to have a reliable kicker like Castillo at his disposal, O’Shea took exception with the word, saying reliable wasn’t strong enough to describe what he means to the club. Castillo isn’t just a pleasure on the field, he’s also one of the best individuals off it, making his accomplishments all the more worthy of celebration.

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Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

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