Stamps looking to gain ground in West against Bombers on FNF
Blue Bombers face Stampeders on Friday
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are set to play the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, aiming for their fourth consecutive win. The team will be without some key players, as quarterback Zach Collaros and starting safety Redha Kramdi are both sidelined due to injuries. This marks Collaros’s third consecutive game missed with a neck injury, while Kramdi is dealing with a hand injury.
In Kramdi’s absence, Jake Kelly will step in as the starting safety. Kelly, who is in his fourth season and has played in 37 games, recorded his first career interception last week during the win against the Ottawa RedBlacks. This will be his fourth career CFL start, having made one start in 2023 and two in 2024.
Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea commented on Kelly’s opportunity, stating that he has been getting many snaps and can play various positions, understanding the team’s system. O’Shea expects Kelly to communicate effectively during the game. Kramdi has been placed on the six-game injured list, though O’Shea did not specify a return timeline.
Offensive and defensive adjustments
Quarterback Dru Brown will lead the Blue Bombers’ offence for the third straight game. While the team has secured wins in their last three outings, their starts have been a point of concern, with turnovers on their first possession in each of the last three games, including a fumble, a turnover on downs, and an interception.
Brown acknowledged the need for sustained focus throughout the game, noting that while they want to improve their starts, he has been part of teams that started strong but then faltered. He emphasized the team’s desire to address these early game issues.
The Blue Bombers have also made five changes to their active roster, bringing four players off the injured list. Receiver Kevens Clercius will make his season debut, backing up Gavin Cobb at wide receiver. Defensive back Ethan Ball, defensive tackle Tanner Schmekel, and linebacker Lane Novak are also set to make their season debuts. Additionally, defensive back Matthew Jackson will play in his first career CFL game.
To accommodate these changes, receiver Joey Corcoran, defensive end Kydran Jenkins, defensive back Ethan Stuart, and linebacker Charles-Elliot Bouliane have been moved to the practice roster.
Willie Jefferson’s strong performance
Defensive end Willie Jefferson continues to be a significant force for the Blue Bombers. He is currently tied for the league lead in sacks with four this season, matching James Vaughters of Saskatchewan, Julian Howsare of Hamilton, Clarence Hicks of Calgary, and teammate Jake Ceresna. His four sacks this year surpass the three he recorded last season.
Jefferson’s performance has moved him into fourth place on the Blue Bombers’ all-time sack list with 50, trailing Tyrone Jones (98), Tony Norman (59), and Doug Brown (52). His career total stands at 81 sacks, including his time in Edmonton and Saskatchewan, placing him 25th all-time in the CFL. He also has 97 career pass knockdowns, second only to Eddie Davis‘s 111.
Jefferson recorded a sack and two knockdowns in the season-opening win in Calgary, two sacks against Toronto, and one in the recent win over Ottawa. He expressed satisfaction with his numbers but noted it is only the first third of the season, emphasizing his desire to continue improving.
Team milestones and other notes
The Blue Bombers’ recent 17-point comeback was their largest since 2010, ranking as their ninth greatest rally. The team’s largest comeback was a 27-point deficit overcome in a 1994 win against Hamilton.
Running back Brady Oliveira is nearing a significant milestone, needing just 21 yards to move into third place on the Blue Bombers’ all-time rushing list. He currently has 5,903 yards, behind Charles Roberts (9,987), Leo Lewis (8,861), and Willard Reaves (5,923). Oliveira also needs 97 yards to reach 6,000 career rushing yards, which would make him the fifth Canadian player to achieve this mark, joining Andrew Harris (10,380), Norm Kwong (9,022), Jon Cornish (6,844), and Sean Millington (6,086).
Coach Mike O’Shea recently coached his 200th career game for the Blue Bombers last week, improving his record to 121-79. He ranks eighth all-time in games coached and seventh all-time in wins. Additionally, Trey Vaval leads the CFL with 425 punt return yards after six games, putting him on pace for 1,275 yards, which would surpass the Winnipeg record of 1,051 set by Eric Blount in 1998.
The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Princess Auto Stadium.
Source: bluebombers.com
