Photo: Samantha Keen/3DownNation
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are safe from identity theft for the time being because, according to star running back Brady Oliveira, they don’t have one.
The 28-year-old ball carrier expressed his frustration following Friday’s 52-30 loss to the Calgary Stampeders, telling 680 CJOB colour commentator Doug Brown on the post-game show that he agreed with his assessment that the team lacked an offensive identity.
“I don’t know who we are right now as an offence, or who we want to be. What is it that we do well? Or what are we great at, and can we really do more? Then, things we have to improve on, let’s improve on it,” he said. “When it comes to an identity, the identity of a team and especially an offence, you gotta lean on that. I really don’t know what our identity is right now on offence. I think we’re still trying to find that.”
The Bombers have built their identity around the ground game for much of Oliveira’s tenure with the organization, as well as that of his predecessor Andrew Harris. That was true for stretches against Calgary as well, as the Winnipeg native carried the ball 14 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. That allowed him to cross the 6,000-yard rushing mark for his career, becoming just the fifth Canadian in CFL history to accomplish the feat.
The five-foot-10, 226-pound back’s crowning achievement came late in the third quarter, when he ripped off a 45-yard touchdown run to cut Calgary’s lead to 12 points. At the time, it felt like a pivotal momentum swing, foreshadowing a potential second-half comeback.
“That’s what I do when I get going. I have the right guys around me, and I know when I get going, I’m a hard guy to stop,” Oliveira said of the play, crediting his offensive line and blockers downfield. “I’ve just got to keep this thing going.”
It was not to be. Winnipeg offensive coordinator Tommy Condell elected not to call another run play until the final minute of the game, when Oliveira was used to wind down the clock with victory well out of reach. Asked whether he was surprised by his lack of fourth-quarter touches, a clearly frustrated Oliveira declined to answer.
“Yeah, I’ll pass,” he told host Derek Taylor flatly.
The former CFL Most Outstanding Player was slightly more forthcoming in a separate locker room scrum with reporters after the game, acknowledging the logistical challenges of running the ball when trailing late in games while still advocating for a greater role.
“I think if something’s working well, you obviously want to stick with it,” Oliveira stated. “It’s going to look different every single week. I do understand that when we do get down, it’s going to be hard and challenging to run the football. Of course, everyone wants us (to), we’ve got the offensive line to get that job done, but when we’re down, we’ve got to get back in this game and, unfortunately, running the ball takes a little bit too much time off the clock. I don’t know if that’s the smart decision, but I would say that I thought the offensive line did an amazing job today. We were moving them in the run game, and I do really believe that this gets our team going. They feel the juices, they feel the energy, and usually good things happen if we stick with it.”
Oliveira has been critical of team strategy when underutilized in the past. In 2024, he called for more carries amidst an 0-3 start for the Bombers. Last season, he had a conversation with then-offensive coordinator Jason Hogan about his limited usage in the Labour Day Classic.
Typically, those comments have been met with increased touches, though it is unclear how the notoriously pass-happy Condell will respond this time around. Some saw him and Oliveira as a potentially awkward fit entering the season, though the star back’s numbers have been solid, if unspectacular, through the first third of 2026.
Oliveira has carried the ball 93 times for 551 yards and three touchdowns through seven games, adding 19 receptions for 126 yards and one major. That puts him on pace to surpass his rushing total from 2025, though his receiving total is tracking towards a four-year low.
Friday marked his second 100-yard rushing performance of the year, but the Bombers went away from their biggest star when it mattered most, despite having a backup quarterback at the helm. After that decision resulted in the team’s third defeat, some urgent re-evaluation may be required.
“Obviously, it’s a long season, but we can’t continue to say it’s a long season because what game was this? Game six or seven? I don’t know. I just know that this thing is moving fast, and we’re going to lose out on opportunities,” Oliveira emphasized. “We need to figure out what the identity of this team is, especially on offence, I would say, quicker rather than later.”
The Bombers (4-3) will return to action on Thursday, July 30, when they host the B.C. Lions. Kickoff at Princess Auto Stadium is slated for 8:30 p.m. EDT.
