Photo: Samantha Keen/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost to the B.C. Lions in preseason action on Friday night in front of 26,269 fans at Princess Auto Stadium by a score of 30-19. Below are my thoughts on the game.
Elgersma improves
Rookie quarterback Taylor Elgersma shook off last week’s hit-and-miss preseason debut with a perfect drive out of the gate, going four-for-four for 55 yards and capping it with a three-yard touchdown run.
The 24-year-old had several chances to air it out but chose to play it safe on the opening drive, opting for short throws that moved the chains.
On the drive’s first passing play, Elgersma checked the ball down to Dorian Singer for 12 yards instead of airing it out for Christian Fredericksen, who ran a go ball one-on-one against C.J. Coldon. Two plays later, he ignored Kenneth Womack on a deep dig to hit Gavin Cobb for six yards and a first down.
There’s no question that Elgersma can and should go deep at times. He hit a streaking Dorian Singer in the hands 48 yards downfield late in the first quarter, a play that may have resulted in a touchdown had the rookie receiver not dropped the ball.
Elgersma’s problem last week was that he pressed too hard at times. Head coach Mike O’Shea encouraged him to relax and have more fun. It looked like he did exactly that, finishing the game 11-of-20 for 127 yards and three carries for 18 yards and one touchdown.
Was he dominant? No, but he showed improvement. It’d be interesting to see how well he could play with Winnipeg’s entire starting offence around him.
The native of London, Ont. stayed in the game through the end of the third quarter. Based on that alone, it seems fair to say he’s locked down the No. 2 job behind Zach Collaros with Bryce Perkins as the third-stringer.
Finding depth
Even the most hardcore fans in Winnipeg probably needed a program while watching Friday night’s game.
Close to two dozen veterans didn’t dress, including stars like Zach Collaros, Brady Oliveira, Nic Demski, Willie Jefferson, and Evan Holm. All of the team’s big-name free-agent signings, including Tim White, Tommy Nield, Jarell Broxton, Jake Ceresna, and Jonathan Moxey, were also all left off the roster.
Of the 24 players who started on Friday night, it’s possible that only two — one defensive end and one cornerback — will be in the starting lineup for next week’s regular-season opener, depending on injuries. More on that in a moment.
The Lions brought their entire starting offence to Winnipeg, including Nathan Rourke, the league’s reigning Most Outstanding Player. There were also a few projected starters on defence, including Darnell Sankey, Deontai Williams, Ronald Kent Jr., and C.J. Coldon.
Considering the discrepancy between B.C.’s starting offence and Winnipeg’s backup defence, the unit more than held its own. Rourke played into the second quarter but generated only six points and one splash play — a 44-yard bomb to Keon Hatcher.
Ja’Kobe Clinton, a newcomer at linebacker who scored on a pick-six last week, ripped the star quarterback violently to the ground for a sack, which surely had the entire Lions sideline holding its breath. Fortunately, Rourke bounced up from the turf no worse for wear.
Feeling cornered
Major Williams started at boundary cornerback after leapfrogging Warren Burrell on the depth chart.
The rookie out of Carson-Newman University laid a massive hit on James Butler in the flat on B.C.’s first drive when the veteran ball-carrier failed to reel-in a high throw. Later in the quarter, he was the first man down on punt team and quickly wrapped up Jaelon Darden, tackling him for a return of just three yards.
Things took a turn for the worse late in the second quarter when Chase Brice hit a wide-open Nick Cenacle for a 43-yard touchdown.
Deandre Lamont, who spent the last three seasons in Ottawa, looked like he bit hard before getting burned over the top. With that said, it’s possible he expected a switch between him and Williams. It’s impossible to say exactly who was at fault, though it’s clear there was a mistake made by one of the two players.
Ridge Texada, who started at field-side cornerback, appeared to have a good performance. He broke up a pass intended for Keon Hatcher to end a B.C. drive in the first quarter, then was in good position on a deep shot to Jermaine Jackson. The speedy returner had a half-step on Texada but was unable to make the catch.
Burrell, who spent most of his collegiate career at the University of Tennessee, gave up last week’s game-winning touchdown to Daniel Wiebe in Saskatoon and was in the area when Trevor Harris hit KeeSean Johnson for a 48-yard bomb on Saskatchewan’s opening possession.
On Friday, he made four tackles but got picked on during the fourth quarter on a 15-yard completion to Cenacle and a 24-yard touchdown throw to Kieran Poissant.
Target acquired
Winnipeg will likely start just two American receivers this year and both spots are accounted for by veterans Ontaria Wilson and Tim White.
Even with no starting spot available, the team would be wise to keep around at least one rookie American receiver. Based on their performance in the preseason, there are really only two candidates: Christian Frederick and Dorian Singer.
Frederick was Taylor Elgersma’s favourite target on Friday night, catching six passes for 79 yards. The big-bodied standout from Idaho State started last week’s game against Saskatchewan, though he recorded zero catches and one drop.
Singer led the team with three receptions for 59 yards in Saskatoon and was fine against the Lions, making two catches for 27 yards. His best play came midway through the fourth quarter on a 28-yard punt return.
The 23-year-old native of St. Paul, Minn. looks like the complete package — he’s got straight-line speed, a smooth stride, twitchiness out of his breaks, and sticky hands. Well, maybe not that sticky, as he dropped a 48-yard bomb from Taylor Elgersma that hit him in the hands.
Singer might have the better shot at a roster spot given his ability to contribute as a returner, though Winnipeg would be smart to keep both, even if it’s just on the practice roster.
On the edge
The starting job opposite Willie Jefferson is still wide open with suitors including Kydran Jenkins, De’Shaan Dixon, and David Reese, among others. Based on Friday night’s performance, the team hasn’t exactly found the second coming of Jackson Jeffcoat.
Reese, a Syracuse University product, was arguably the best of the bunch. The 24-year-old got pressure upfield midway through the third quarter, then chased down fleet-footed quarterback Kaidon Salter. He also batted down a pass from Jarret Doege in the fourth quarter, which forced the Lions to punt.
Dixon finished the game with five tackles and one tackle for loss, while Jenkins was held off the box score. Based on how little Jenkins played, it’s possible he suffered an injury, though that remains unclear. When so many players dress during the preseason, it can be tough to tell when a guy goes down.
In all, the Blue Bombers were unable to generate much pressure on B.C.’s various quarterbacks, who threw for a combined 381 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Bizarrely, the defence played well when the Lions had their starters on the field and struggled against B.C.’s backups.
Feeling short
Bryce Perkins appears to be Winnipeg’s best option in short yardage, which he demonstrated early in the fourth quarter. He ran a quarterback sneak off the left on second-and-two and the offensive line got an impressive push, generating a hole that Perkins powered through for four yards.
Last year, the Blue Bombers frequently pulled Zach Collaros near the goal line in favour of Chris Streveler. This was probably a mistake in hindsight, particularly given Mike O’Shea insistence that Collaros is still the best quarterback in the CFL.
Though it’d probably be unwise to put Perkins into the game in the red zone, it seems like he’s got what it takes to not only perform short-yardage duties but possibly break the occasional attempt for a big gain.
As for Perkins’ performance in the passing game, it was a shaky. He threw well behind the intended receiver on a pass that was intercepted early in the fourth quarter, though the play was negated by penalty. He also should have been intercepted in the end zone by Morice Norris on the team’s final drive but the defender didn’t appear to see the ball coming, allowing it to bounce off his body.
The 29-year-old passer made a few nice plays with his feet — including a really nice scramble to set-up a last-minute touchdown — but also overthrew a wide-open Jihad Marks on a deep shot in the fourth quarter, taking a score off the board.
Benched
B.C.’s bench was assessed an objectionable conduct penalty after Kieran Poissant scored his fourth-quarter touchdown. Though it’s unclear exactly what the infraction was for, it was likely due to how many players crossed the sideline and entered the field of play to celebrate.
This is something the CFL is taking seriously this year. Officials need to be able to sprint up and down the sidelines to perform their duties and their safety is put at risk when players or coaches cross the stripe.
Though teams are well aware of this crackdown, expect to see some early-season penalties. Old habits die hard.
Prairie punishment
When rookie camp opened a little over three weeks ago, the temperature was barely above freezing. In true prairie fashion, it was 34 degrees with the humidex at kickoff for the team’s home preseason game.
With the season starting even earlier next year, there’s been some chatter about what type of weather we’ll have in Week 1. In Winnipeg, it seems the answer is somewhere between bitterly cold and miserably hot.
Life on the prairies. What a trip.
Officially official
The head official for Friday’s game was Ritchie Miller, who also happens to be the brother of Blue Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller.
Fans in Winnipeg are probably used to seeing him on television but it was unusual to see him on the field at Princess Auto Stadium. Miller frequently serves as the head official for CFL games, but he never officiates regular-season or postseason games involving Winnipeg.
Next up
The next 24 hours will be busy in Bomberland as the club is required to complete their post-training camp cuts by Saturday evening. New this year, each team has two fully-paid reserve roster spots available, so they won’t have to cut quite as deep as they have in the past.
Come next week, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (0-0) will visit the Calgary Stampeders (0-0) for their first game of the regular-season on Friday, June 5 at 9:00 p.m. EDT. Calgary swept the season series 3-0 in 2025, including two one-sided wins in July and a one-point victory in August.
Winnipeg and Calgary are scheduled to play three times in 2026 with this being the only meeting at McMahon Stadium. For the Blue and Gold, getting a win on the road to start the year would be a good way to not only get a leg up on a West Division rival but rinse the bad taste out of their mouth that’s been lingering since last year’s loss in the East Semi-Final.
