Bombers hang on for thrilling 35-33 road win over Roughriders

REGINA — From their post-game reactions, it was difficult to detect that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved into a share of first place in the CFL’s West Division on Sunday.

Despite a thrilling 35-33 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders that lifted Winnipeg into top spot with the B.C. Lions, the Bombers were somewhat restrained after the contest at Mosaic Stadium.

Quarterback Chris Streveler, who replaced injured starter Zach Collaros in the second half, was asked if reaching first place on this night was overly gratifying given the Bombers started the season with four straight losses. While he was happy with the win, Streveler wasn’t about to plant a flag in the ground to mark the achievement.

“There’s lots of runway to go. I mean, we're not even thinking about top of the West. There's so much ball to be played and it's about one game at a time,” said Streveler, who completed four of six passes for 46 yards.

“We did what needed to be done there at the end to get a win. It wasn't our prettiest win in the second half, but again, we did what needed to be done.”

The win, in front of a sold-out crowd in Regina, improved Winnipeg’s record to 6-6-0. The Lions, who beat the Ottawa Redblacks 38-12 on Saturday in Victoria, B.C., also have a 6-6-0 record. The Riders, who are 0-5-1 in their last six games, slipped to 5-6-1.

Like Streveler, Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea took a reserved look at the winning streak. He recognized that his squad is improving and believes they will continue to do so in the coming weeks.

“We are starting to become a team, and we are starting to understand three-phase football, so it is looking better. To a man in there, they show up and they're happy (tonight), but they're all committed to come in tomorrow and be better,” said O’Shea.

The contest had a wild finish. After Sergio Castillo gave the Bombers an eight-point lead with a 56-yard field goal with 1:35 left in the fourth the Riders took over on their own 21-yard line after the ensuing kickoff.

Facing third-and-six from the Winnipeg 27-yard line, Riders quarterback Trevor Harris connected with Samuel Emilus on a 26-yard reception. Harris then scored on a one-yard plunge to pull the Riders to within two points.

The two-point convert failed as Harris’s pass to Kian Schaffer-Baker was broken up by Winnipeg linebacker Tony Jones.

The Riders then recovered the ensuing onside kick to get one last chance with 12 seconds remaining. Harris was intercepted by Nick Hallett, but the Bombers were penalized for pass interference on the Winnipeg 52-yard line.

That gave kicker Brett Lauther a chance to win the game on a 60-yard field goal, but his attempt came up a few yards short.

The Bombers got a scare late in the half when Collaros absorbed a high hit from Saskatchewan defensive lineman Miles Brown, who was flagged for roughing the passer. The Winnipeg training staff attended to Collaros on the field and the veteran quarterback returned to the sideline under his own power.

After halftime, Collaros returned to the field with the Bombers but was without his helmet, shoulder pads and jersey. The Bombers announced early in the quarter that Collaros, who has a history of head injuries, would not return to the game. Streveler took over as the Bombers quarterback for the second half.

After the game, O’Shea confirmed that Collaros did not enter concussion protocol but was removed from the game “because it was the right thing to do.

" … We consider him the best quarterback in the league, especially in touch situations. He’s dynamite so to lose him is tough. But in terms of penalties and how things are managed from the league, I cannot comment, and I will not comment."

With the Riders holding a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter, the Bombers grabbed control with three straight touchdowns. Nic Demski scored on a 44-yard pass from Collaros to tie the game at 14-14 with Castillo giving the Bombers a one-point lead on the ensuing kickoff with a 99-yard rouge.

Disaster struck for the Riders minutes later when Mario Alford mishandled a punt on the Saskatchewan six-yard line that was recovered in the end zone by Nick Hallett for a touchdown. The quarter then went from bad to worse for Saskatchewan when Streveler scored on a one-yard run with 1:16 left to increase Winnipeg’s lead to 29-14.

Despite his team going winless for the sixth straight week, Riders head coach Corey Mace isn’t about to give up on his charges.

“We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole early in the game and we were just a hair short of climbing out of it. So that's disheartening, but they're not quitters. In the micro of a game and the macro to season, they need to keep swinging, which I know is how they're going to respond,” said Mace.

The Bombers also lost veteran linebacker Adam Bighill late in the fourth quarter with an injury to his left knee. He had to be helped off the field by the training staff.

The Riders, who dressed only six offensive linemen for the game, were forced to use defensive lineman Micah Johnson as the right guard midway through the third quarter because of injuries.

Starting centre Peter Godber left the game in the second quarter and Zack Fry, who moved to centre from his left guard position, was injured in the third quarter. Logan Ferland then moved to centre with Johnson, the CFL’s current sack leader, making his second appearance this season on the offensive line.

Streveler had two rushing touchdowns for the Bombers with Castillo adding field goals from 53 and 56 yards.

Collaros had a strong first half, completing 12 of 18 passes for 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Shawn Bane Jr., Dohnte Meyers and KeeSean Johnson had touchdown receptions for Saskatchewan. Lauther chipped in field goals from 55 and 25 yards.

Harris finished 30 of 49 passing for 368 yards and three touchdowns.

Sunday’s game was the first in a home-and-home series for the teams. They’ll meet again on Saturday in Winnipeg for the Banjo Bowl.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2024.

Jeff DeDekker, The Canadian Press