Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at BC., June 21, 2025

[ModAdmin]

Game 2 in the home and home series with BC.  Zach is back!  Time to wrap up the series with a win in BC!

Ed Tait's 24-Hour Primer is here...

https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/06/19/48-hour-primer-demskis-ascent/

"...Demski's two TDs last week gives him 38 as a Blue Bomber and moved him past Tom Casey and Darvin Adams and into a tie with Jim Washington for the 13th most in franchise history (Milt Stegall is first at 147; Jeff Boyd holds down the 10th spot at 47 and next closest to Demski is Perry Tuttle at 41).

And last week he moved past Gerald Wilcox into 11th spot on the Blue Bombers all-time receiving yardage list at 4,612 — just 56 yards back from passing Adams and moving into the Top 10.

"That is cool. That is very cool," said Demski when told of these numbers by bluebombers.com this week. "This is a city I grew up in and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were my team. So, to be moving into ranks like that with those names means a lot.

"I don't pay close attention to that stuff, but I obviously know who No. 1 is — Milt Stegall — and I know Joe Pop (Poplawski) and James Murphy, big #21, is up there. But I don't look at it much. That's the stuff I'll look at when my career is over but to be moving into a Top 10 is pretty **** cool...."

Depth Chart will be released tomorrow.

[Blueforlife]

Injuries

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Fairly significant development that Kornelson has displaced Schmekel in the starting lineup, he must be showing well to make such a move, I expected him to end up on the PR.  Should consider trading Schmeck to Sask. if he's already been surpassed.

[GOLDMEMBER]

Super excited for Saturday.

I expect Zach to come out arm blazing. Also whether it be Peterson or the shuttle bus likely be a great running game.

[Blue In BC]

We expected BO and Benson to be out. How long they're are out we'll find out tomorrow. Clercius being questionable is not going to help.

There are already 3 changes expected because of Collaros returning. It's possible we see 2 - 4 other changes with the domino effect.

It's going to be interesting finding out. Either way, I think we'll defeat the Lions that have their own issues with injuries.  Berryhill is out in Vancouver and it doesn't appear Rourke will play either.

[Blueforlife]

Party

[Blueforlife]

Party Morden

[gobombersgo]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers to dress preseason star Quinton Cooley vs. B.C. Lions with Oliveira out
By John Hodge -June 20, 2025

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have set their roster for Saturday's game against the B.C. Lions in Vancouver.

Brady Oliveira, the CFL's reigning Most Outstanding Player, has officially been moved to the one-game injured list with a shoulder injury. Matthew Peterson, who ripped off 130 yards and a touchdown as his in-game replacement last week, is listed as the starting running back on Saturday, though rookie Quinton Cooley has been promoted from the practice roster to dress in a backup role.

Cooley was a standout during the preseason, rushing 13 times for 92 yards and catching three passes for 45 in back-to-back matchups against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He also proved to he a punishing lead blocker despite standing only five-foot-seven.

The 220-pound ball-carrier was twice named first-team All-Conference USA at Liberty University, an NCAA Division I program located in Lynchburg, Va. He ran for 2,655 yards and 29 touchdowns over 25 games with the Flames, averaging 6.2 yards per carry.

The Blue Bombers have also made a change along the offensive line, starting Gabe Wallace at left guard. The former second-round CFL draft pick out of the University at Buffalo dressed for 12 games as a rookie in 2024 but this will be his first career start. Micah Vanterpool, an American out of the University of Hawaii, started at left guard last week but has been moved to the one-game injured list as a healthy scratch.

With franchise quarterback Zach Collaros returning from his one-game suspension, rookie Chase Artopoeus has been moved to the practice roster. CFL teams can only carry three quarterbacks on the active roster on game days. Chris Streveler started in place of Collaros last week and led the Blue Bombers to a 34-20 win over B.C. at Princess Auto Stadium, throwing for 246 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.

Global linebacker Fabian Weitz will dress after being a healthy scratch last week. The 27-year-old native of Germany recorded one special teams tackle over seven games in 2024. The only other change to the active roster this week for Winnipeg is Laval Université product Ian Leroux coming on as the long snapper in place of Mike Benson, who has been moved to the one-game injured list.

The Blue Bombers currently have seven players on the one-game injured list, including Oliveira, running back Peyton Logan, receiver Dillon Mitchell, Vanterpool, defensive lineman Tanner Schmekel, linebacker Jonathan Jones, and Benson. Only three of those players — Oliveira, Logan, and Benson — are actually hurt. Teams are permitted to stash healthy players on the one-game injured list as their earnings still count against the salary cap.

Defensive lineman Jamal Woods, who was a healthy scratch last week, has been moved to the six-game injured list with a knee injury.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0) will visit the B.C. Lions (1-1) at BC Place Stadium on Saturday, June 21 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.

https://3downnation.com/2025/06/20/winnipeg-blue-bombers-to-dress-preseason-star-quinton-cooley-vs-b-c-lions-with-oliveira-out/

[Pete]

We added another lb? Says a lot about what they think of Munier Bailey.
After rewatching the last game I can see why Ayers was kept on but to me weakening the oline is a mistake
To me Sterns would have been better with adding Cobb vs Weitz

[Sir Blue and Gold]

We added another lb? Says a lot about what they think of Munier Bailey.
After rewatching the last game I can see why Ayers was kept on but to me weakening the oline is a mistake
To me Sterns would have been better with adding Cobb vs Weitz

I like the feeling of safety that a 7th offensive lineman provides lol. You have an injury there and now Eli is playing guard or you're making two changes and then Thomas is switching jerseys. O'Shea and team definitely know best but I would have kept Vanterpool somehow, just preference.

The one very smart thing this does is that Cooley and Peterson can change as much as we want and the ratio stays in tact (we don't need to swap receivers when he's on the field.)  That's the benefit from Wallace at LG.

[Blue In BC]

I like the feeling of safety that a 7th offensive lineman provides lol. You have an injury there and now Eli is playing guard or you're making two changes and then Thomas is switching jerseys. O'Shea and team definitely know best but I would have kept Vanterpool somehow, just preference.

The one very smart thing this does is that Cooley and Peterson can change as much as we want and the ratio stays in tact (we don't need to swap receivers when he's on the field.)  That's the benefit from Wallace at LG.

I don't understand Weitz instead of Bailey as the global choice. In theory we were very high on Bailey and he can't even beat out another LB choice or even another Canadian like Cobb as receiver depth.

How did Woods go from healthy scratch to 6 game IR? Did he get hurt in practice this week? Unfortunate.

Ok. So Cooley is on the AR but now we only have a 6th OL. That's not good. I would have expected Vibert to be added even though inexperienced.

Weakening the OL is risky. I'm not quite sure how they will use Cooley since he isn't starting although he could now based on the ratio moving out Vanterpool.

I didn't think they'd make these choices. I understand we need depth at RB but this seems like a high price to pay in the ratio to add a RB that isn't starting.

Will we see him on the field at the same time as Peterson? That would mean an actual receiver coming off. I suppose it could be an advantage in shorter yardage plays.

The jury will be out to see how things unfold. OTOH, if the expectation is that BO is out for 2 - 4 weeks then this is somewhat of a forced issue. Two RB's that are rookies but look to have upside.

I might be considering trading to get Augustine back if BO is going to be out longer term. That maintains the ratio.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Weitz instead of Bailey is probably simply the organization's evaluation of both players and it's pretty in line with how they do things.

Weitz was here last year (the Bombers first round pick in last year's global draft it should be reminded) and Bailey is in that year of seasoning that the team loves to put Canadians and Globals through. Seems reasonable that Weitz would be further along, no?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I don't understand Weitz instead of Bailey as the global choice. In theory we were very high on Bailey and he can't even beat out another LB choice or even another Canadian like Cobb as receiver depth.

How did Woods go from healthy scratch to 6 game IR? Did he get hurt in practice this week? Unfortunate.

Ok. So Cooley is on the AR but now we only have a 6th OL. That's not good. I would have expected Vibert to be added even though inexperienced.

Weakening the OL is risky. I'm not quite sure how they will use Cooley since he isn't starting although he could now based on the ratio moving out Vanterpool.

I didn't think they'd make these choices. I understand we need depth at RB but this seems like a high price to pay in the ratio to add a RB that isn't starting.

Will we see him on the field at the same time as Peterson? That would mean an actual receiver coming off. I suppose it could be an advantage in shorter yardage plays.

The jury will be out to see how things unfold. OTOH, if the expectation is that BO is out for 2 - 4 weeks then this is somewhat of a forced issue. Two RB's that are rookies but look to have upside.

I might be considering trading to get Augustine back if BO is going to be out longer term. That maintains the ratio.

Hopefully they give Cooley plenty of playing time, it's a rare opportunity to get him into the lineup and it's what everyone wants to see.  If he stands on the sidelines all game, I'll be bitterly disappointed in O'Shea's decision.  Going to win either way, let's see what he's got.

[Blue In BC]

Hopefully they give Cooley plenty of playing time, it's a rare opportunity to get him into the lineup and it's what everyone wants to see.  If he stands on the sidelines all game, I'll be bitterly disappointed in O'Shea's decision.  Going to win either way, let's see what he's got.

That's kind of the issue with how well Peterson performed last week. I don't think we'll see a large number of plays with both on the field. If Peterson keeps getting 5+ yards a carry do we shuffle him in and out to test Cooley?

Wallace starting changes the jumbo option and we're down to Eli for depth. As long as we don't have an injury but it does change our offence options with the OL and protection.

[ModAdmin]