Official Game Day Thread - Toronto@Winnipeg, July 10, 2026

[ModAdmin]

The big question of this upcoming game with Toronto is "Will Zach Collaros play?"  The head coach's answer was "He could".

Although Collaros is listed as "questionable" it is possible or probable that he will be ready for this game and despite the positivity around Taylor Elgersma and Dru Brown, the Bombers best chance a win on Saturday is, arguably, ZC08.

The most recent injury list of the Bombers follows...



Ed Tait's insights into this game is contained in his 48-Hour Primer...

https://www.bluebombers.com/2026/07/08/48-hour-primnaer-week-6/

Key to this game, apart from the starting QB will be a quick start from Quarter 1 and with pedal to the metal throughout the entire game.  Defence needs to keep Chad Kelly off the field as much as possible.

Another big Winnipeg crowd is expected and two wins in a row sounds pretty fine to most of us, I think.

Let's Go Bombers!

[Tecno]

Didn't see what happened to Eli.  Will have to go back and check.  Although we are using Daniels heavily now and he's getting better, so 6th OL may not be as important.

Ball:thigh (better than Thigh:ball?), those things can take forever.  Wasn't Biggie a "thigh" that year he started the GC hurt?  He was out forever before that too.

I guess because Vant straight to 6G they don't have to say anything about him?  Do we have any clue what his issue is?

Uh... if Mazzcua is PR, and Vant 6G, and Eli questionable... does that mean our only possible 6th is Vibert??  Wacky times!

[Tecno]

How confident are we on this one?  TOR is an upper-middling team IMHO.  Hot/cold.  Could light it up, or Kelly throws 5 INTs.  Kelly probably won't want to get his "good" leg hit by Ceresna... PTSD.

Normally I'd say we'll get our butts kicked.  But I saw a much better overall team & individual player effort in the HAM game, and a lot less dumb/thoughtless/useless play.  It's like they were better... prepared!  Amazing.

The Ceresna presser on Wed had him saying they were spending a lot more time on this game, though with only 1 practice I wonder what he means exactly.

The problem is, if Zach is out then who knows how our backup (whoever he is) will do in a full game.  Elgersma will still get a shortened book, and Dru might have more book but not be on the same page -- that can mean INTs in zone when RECs zig when Dru thinks they are going to zag.

Is a short-game ball-control O enough to beat TOR?  Can our D show even more incremental improvement to hold Kelly & those powerhouse RECs?  An X-factor might be TOR energized over being the de facto #2 team in the East now that HAM will be out of contention.  TOR has a great shot of winning the East if they can shore up their level vis a vis MTL.

My fear is even if we play quite well, by our standards, it won't be enough.  I see the pickems is going more than half betting on TOR.

[Blue In BC]

Didn't see what happened to Eli.  Will have to go back and check.  Although we are using Daniels heavily now and he's getting better, so 6th OL may not be as important.

Ball:thigh (better than Thigh:ball?), those things can take forever.  Wasn't Biggie a "thigh" that year he started the GC hurt?  He was out forever before that too.

I guess because Vant straight to 6G they don't have to say anything about him?  Do we have any clue what his issue is?

Uh... if Mazzcua is PR, and Vant 6G, and Eli questionable... does that mean our only possible 6th is Vibert??  Wacky times!

We do have another import OL on the PR.

[Tecno]

We do have another import OL on the PR.

Ya, but crazy if we start yet another rookie IMP!!  This isn't the Chris Jones in-season tryouts.  There has to be a reason they started Mazzcua over Wallace...

[BomberFan73]

I'd say this is a must win. We're 0-2 at home this year already. In the past it took 2 years to get 2 home losses.
D will have to step up and keep it low scoring if Zach is out. Tor seems to have the worst secondary, but a good Run D.

Lets hope Brady can still bust those important runs.

[TBURGESS]

The big question of this upcoming game with Toronto is "Will Zach Collaros play?"  The head coach's answer was "He could".

That's just MOS talk for his head is still attached to his body. 

[Blue In BC]

Ya, but crazy if we start yet another rookie IMP!!  This isn't the Chris Jones in-season tryouts.  There has to be a reason they started Mazzcua over Wallace...

He was here in TC the same as Mazzucca, but I thought he was more an OT type.  Wallace must have been nicked last week.

[Jesse]

Big Dru is starting.

[blue_gold_84]

Collaros out vs. TOR, Brown to start

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

He was here in TC the same as Mazzucca, but I thought he was more an OT type.  Wallace must have been nicked last week.

Wallace did miss a practice last week due to a shoulder injury.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Collaros out vs. TOR, Brown to start

Weirdly Brown might give them a better chance of winning than Zach would, Plan B often works better for the Bombers than Plan A.

[dd]

Weirdly Brown might give them a better chance of winning than Zach would, Plan B often works better for the Bombers than Plan A.

I agree, I think Brown is the way to go, we'll see....if he lights it up, then what do the BB do, put Collaros back in to start us off with a pick six again??

[Pigskin]

I think the Bombers are doing the right thing by resting ZC8. This will give him a couple of weeks to get healthy.

[Blue In BC]

I agree, I think Brown is the way to go, we'll see....if he lights it up, then what do the BB do, put Collaros back in to start us off with a pick six again??

It wasn't a pick 6 but it was a bad outcome to start the game. I have already suggested he should have been put on the 6 game IR. If he can return to practice next week, then there is no change to SMS cost. If OTOH he doesn't return to practice and / or is moved back to AR then the 6 game IR is the way to go.