WINNIPEG 鈥� There is some extra fire for when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the annual Banjo Bowl at Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday.
Fresh on the Blue Bombers鈥� minds is the illegal hit that knocked their starting quarterback, Zach Collaros, out of the game late in the first half of last Sunday鈥檚 game in Regina. The CFL fined defensive tackle Miles Brown for that indiscretion.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a brotherhood, we work with all of these guys putting in work every single day,鈥� Bombers linebacker Tony Jones said Friday.
鈥淪o, whenever one of your guys goes down 鈥� especially with an illegal hit 鈥� it does add a little extra fire into you, especially your starting quarterback, who means so much to the team.鈥�
Bombers running back Brady Oliveira is determined not to allow the possibility of it happening again.
鈥淥bviously, it鈥檚 been talked about -- 鈥楬ey, we can鈥檛 have anyone hitting our quarterback,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淏ut we need to take even more pride and understanding what鈥檚 going on up front and make sure that no one touches (Collaros).
"It鈥檚 on us. It鈥檚 on the offensive line. It鈥檚 on me as a running back going back there in pass protection to make sure no one gets a finger on Zach. So, I guess that鈥檚 our little added motivation.鈥�
Brown claimed he had no intent to injure Collaros.
鈥淣ot at all did I mean to try to hurt him and intend to hit him in the head,鈥� Brown told Regina reporters.
Bombers head coach Mike O鈥橲hea believes a fine does not act as enough of a deterrent for such incidents. He thinks the CFL should introduce the possibility of an ejection after the command centre checks such plays out.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I was satisfied with this one,鈥� O'Shea said. 鈥淚t is what it is. There鈥檚 nothing that I can do about it.鈥�
Roughriders head coach Corey Mace, who insisted that Brown is not a dirty player, does not expect any extra-curricular antics as a result of the incident.
鈥淚 just know Osh (O鈥橲hea) and the type of mentality he likes to put on his team --- those guys play a physical brand of football, but they also try to play it the right way,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he game will be physical enough. Will it be chippy? I think it鈥檚 just kind of a rivalry anyway to be chippy, but I鈥檓 certain he鈥檚 telling his team the same thing that I鈥檝e told ours.鈥�
Collaros, who will return to action on Saturday, was looking ahead not behind.
鈥淵ou think about last week -- I didn鈥檛 finish the game, which was the disappointing part for me, obviously,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 treat this week like I do any other week 鈥� nothing really changes. Once that first snap happens, you鈥檙e just locked into your job and looking forward to it afterwards.鈥�
After Collaros was knocked out of the match, the Bombers held on for a 35-33 victory. So, the Roughriders are determined to avenge that loss.
鈥淟ooking for some payback,鈥� Logan Ferland, who will start at centre, told Regina reporters. 鈥淭hey came into our house and did that, and we have to go into theirs and do the same.鈥�
Starting Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris relishes playing in such an environment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fun,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he Banjo Bowl, we know it鈥檚 going to be loud. We aren鈥檛 going to be able to use our cadence because the fans are going to be too loud for us to use it. But, what more would you want? You don鈥檛 want to play a road game with 8,000 people.
"So, it鈥檚 gonna be all of them against us, so let鈥檚 go. Like Rocky IV in a hostile environment in Russia. Get ready for it and build for it.鈥�
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (5-6-1) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (6-6)
Saturday, Princess Auto Stadium
MILESTONE: Bombers defensive tackle Jake Thomas will play in his 200th CFL game.
PENDING MILESTONE: With his next victory, O鈥橲hea will move past Bombers legend Bud Grant for a club-record 103 CFL regular-season wins.
MULTI-TALENTED DEFENDER: Saskatchewan defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. leads the CFL with 17 special teams tackles six interceptions and 10 knockdowns.
INJURY WOES: Bombers linebacker Adam Bighill was moved to the six-game injury list 鈥� Roughriders wide receiver Dohnte Meyers was put on the six-gamer. Saskatchewan lost two centres to injury last week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
Jim Bender, The Canadian Press
