Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Calgary, July 3, 2025

[ModAdmin]

Short week again to prepare for the next opponent - Calgary Stampeders.

Brady Oliviera is questionable as is Jake Thomas and Peyton Logan and Mike Benson remain out for this game.  Everyone else seems hands-on-deck.



An important game to win and keep pace with the Roughriders as well as create some space between us and Calgary.

48-Hour Primer | Week 5: WPG at CAL - Ed Tait

"...A spot no one figured to have stamped on their bingo card three games into the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2025 season: linebacker Kyrie Wilson leading the team in quarterback sacks with a pair of takedowns.

It's a tasty little statistical nugget to lean into early in the campaign and it would undoubtedly be a helluva story in the unlikely case he's still leading in that department come November. Or by August, come to think of it.

Still, for right here and right now it also speaks of much more, namely Wilson's on-field savvy but just as important his offseason perseverance when so many outside of the organization were ready to kick him to the curb following the emergence of Michael Ayers last year and the free-agent signing of Jonathan Jones in the winter.

Yet, there is the 32-year-old vet getting it done in the Blue Bombers stingy defence and arguably playing some of the best ball of his career..."

https://www.bluebombers.com/2025/07/01/48-hour-primer-week-5-wpg-at-cal/

Watch for the depth chart for the game to be released on Wednesday.

[TecnoGenius]

We know how to beat VAJ.

We know how to stop CGY's run game (which is always decent to good).

No Begelton means no top-5 REC, and no go-to 2nd down guy.

We've pwned them for years now.

I see no reason not to get a solid W in this one.

[GOLDMEMBER]

I agree with Tecno.

Getting Brady back will only strengthen things.

As long as they don't beat themselves we should be golden.

[The Zipp]

from ed tait:

Brady Oliveira back for the @Wpg_BlueBombers tomorrow along with OL Micah Vanterpool.
Off are RB Quinton Cooley and LB Fabian Weitz

[The Zipp]

depth charts (posted on bomber website)

https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/WINNIPEG-at-CALGARY_JULY-3.pdf

[Jesse]

Vanterpool is the guy. I didn't expect a move back but they clearly think he's better.

I'm excited to see what Brady does.

[gobombersgo]

[Blue In BC]

As expected 2 important players to return. It appears that Thomas won't miss the game due to illness. So our roster returns essentially back to game 1 roster.

Obviously Oliveria is the spark to our offence. It will be interesting to watch the run blocking at LG. I didn't think Wallace was doing a bad job but have no problem with Vanterpool back starting.

Those changes are significant so it won't be directly easy ( for posters ) to evaluate the OL performance. Different opponent and rookie RB's not starting.

I wonder how many reps Peterson will get with Oliveria back starting?

[gobombersgo]

Official: Brady Oliveira to return for Winnipeg Blue Bombers against Stampeders
By John Hodge -July 2, 2025

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will have Brady Oliveira back in the lineup when they visit the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday, as per the team's official depth chart.

The CFL's reigning Most Outstanding Player rushed twice for 49 yards in Winnipeg's season-opening win over the B.C. Lions but left the game in the first quarter due to a shoulder injury. Oliveira spent the last two games on the injured list as rookie running back Matthew Peterson started in his place.

Oliveira rushed for 1,353 yards, caught 57 passes for 476 yards, and scored four total touchdowns in 2024 to be voted the CFL's top player. The 27-year-old native of Winnipeg, Man. has rushed for 4,366 yards, caught 127 passes for 1,284 yards, and scored 24 total touchdowns over 69 career regular-season games since being selected in the second round of the 2019 CFL Draft out of the University of North Dakota.

Peterson, a rookie out of the University of Alberta, will remain on the roster as Oliveira's backup. The 24-year-old native of Brooks, Alta. has rushed 46 times for 237 yards and one touchdown this season and caught five passes for 19 yards.

Quinton Cooley, an American rookie out of Liberty University, has been moved to the practice roster. He dressed for two games while Oliveira was out, rushing 11 times for 62 yards and catching two passes for five yards.

The Blue Bombers have made one other change to their starting lineup, giving Micah Vanterpool the start at left guard. Gabe Wallace, a second-round pick in the 2024 CFL Draft out of the University at Buffalo, started the last two games at left guard. He will dress on Thursday in a depth role. Vanterpool started the season-opener against B.C. but was a healthy scratch the past two weeks in order to get Cooley on the roster.

Winnipeg has also moved Global linebacker Fabian Weitz to the practice roster. The 27-year-old native of Germany has played nine regular-season CFL games, recording two special teams tackles.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-0) will visit the Calgary Stampeders (2-1) at McMahon Stadium on Thursday, July 3 with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT. The weather forecast calls for a high of 28 degrees, clear skies, and minimal wind.

The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and on CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and 770 CHQR in Calgary.

https://3downnation.com/2025/07/02/official-brady-oliveira-to-return-for-winnipeg-blue-bombers-against-stampeders/

[gobombersgo]

Freshly-signed LB Kyle Wilson to make Calgary Stampeders debut against Winnipeg
By 3Down Staff -July 2, 2025

Veteran linebacker Kyle Wilson will be in the lineup for the Calgary Stampeders when they take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday night.

The six-foot, 231-pound native of Wichita, Kan. started the first two games of the regular season for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at middle linebacker, recording 11 defensive tackles. He was released last week after the team gave the starting spot to Canadian rookie Devin Veresuk out of the University of Windsor.

Wilson had been a member of the Tiger-Cats since 2020. Over 51 career CFL regular-season games, he has recorded 156 defensive tackles, 10 special teams tackles, two sacks, one interception, and three forced fumbles.

The 29-year-old will dress as Calgary's second-string middle linebacker behind Micah Teitz, who has recorded 14 defensive tackles and four special teams tackles over three games this season. Adam Bighill, who recently joined the team's practice roster, will not dress this week as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL.

The Stampeders have moved Canadian running back Jeshrun Antwi to the one-game injured list and promoted Ludovick Choquette to the active roster in his place. The 23-year-old native of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. was a sixth-round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft out of Long Island University.

Calgary has also moved American defensive linemen Josiah Coatney and Cedric Wilcots II to the one-game injured. Charles Wiley, who recorded 12 defensive tackles and two sacks over 10 games last season, has been moved to the active roster in their place.

The Calgary Stampeders (2-1) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-0) at McMahon Stadium on Thursday, July 3 with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT. The weather forecast calls for a high of 28 degrees, clear skies, and minimal wind.

The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and on CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and 770 CHQR in Calgary.

https://3downnation.com/2025/07/02/freshly-signed-lb-kyle-wilson-to-make-calgary-stampeders-debut-against-winnipeg/

[gobombersgo]

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Vanterpool is the guy. I didn't expect a move back but they clearly think he's better.

I'm excited to see what Brady does.

Don't think we could run with those 6 lineman for long.

I think they like Vanterpool also from the perspective that he played both guard and tackle at Hawaii. With the 6 offensive lineman set-up, if a tackle goes down we basically have to put Neufeld out there and fill with Eli (and have Thomas swap jerseys). That's very bad.

Vanterpool is the more polished guard but he's also the first guy to go play either tackle spot if needed and then Wallace comes in at guard and we've still got Eli for max protection and as centre depth. For my eyes, that's a good a set-up as you'll find in the CFL.

[Blue In BC]

The good news is that we haven't had many injuries besides Brady.

The bad news is that there isn't a way to get Mitchell, Person, Bailey, Cooley on the AR until we have injuries happening.

I don't know whether any of those on the 6 game IR will be ready to play soon or at all in 2025. Each of them could be valuable players at some point.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Didn't see it mentioned on here but the Bombers released Josh Hagerty yesterday, that might spell the end of plan to play any Natl's in the secondary this season, looks like they're sticking with Parker at Safety.

[Blue In BC]

Didn't see it mentioned on here but the Bombers released Josh Hagerty yesterday, that might spell the end of plan to play any Natl's in the secondary this season, looks like they're sticking with Parker at Safety.

It depends on whether either of Kelly or Makonzo will be able to play this season. I'm not suggesting as full time starters but either could be valuable back up or rotation players.