The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the B.C. Lions by a score of 34-20 in front of a sold-out crowd of 32,343 at Princess Auto Stadium on Thursday night. Below are my thoughts on the game.
The Strevolution
All eyes were on Chris Streveler for Winnipeg’s season-opener with Zach Collaros serving his league-issued one-game suspension. The gregarious quarterback showed signs of improvement as a passer during the preseason and wasted no time making a great throw on Thursday night, hitting Nic Demski for a 20-yard touchdown in the middle of the end zone to open the scoring.
The fast start proved not to be a mirage as Streveler finished the night 15-of-24 for 246 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. For context, he threw for only 127 yards in his lone start last year, a 25-16 win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
He also wasn’t reliant on his legs as he ran the ball only two times for nine yards. This doesn’t appear to have been due to Winnipeg’s game plan, but a byproduct of what the Lions presented him with defensively.
“It’s just how the game goes,” said Streveler. “I’m OK with that. Two carries, 20 carries. I’ve done it both ways, so it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that scoreboard.”
It wasn’t a perfect night for the 30-year-old. In the first quarter, he looked for Kevens Clercius on second-and-nine but couldn’t find the window between two defenders and Deontai Williams almost made a diving interception. One quarter later, Garry Peters fought through a quick out route intended for Dalton Schoen and intercepted the pass.
On the whole, however, Streveler’s performance was impressive — particularly for a backup who has struggled to push the ball downfield at times.
In the third quarter, he made a decent throw to Keric Wheatfall up the sideline to convert on second-and-nine to get the Blue Bombers out of the shadow of their own goal posts. Five plays later, he threw a beautiful ball to Wheatfall for a 30-yard touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter, Streveler stood in the pocket and hit Nic Demski for a second score near the back of the end zone.
“I thought he played great. He was seeing it really well, he was throwing it really well. He executed our offence exactly like you want to see him do – great command of everything, and just a great leader,” said Dalton Schoen.
“He’s adjusted to the pace of the game up here again – last year was different when he had been down south for so long. He’s fully himself right now and he’s just seeing it really well. He knows what we’re trying to accomplish with certain schemes, and he’s getting the ball to the right guy. We know he’s a great player and he can make those throws.”
Streveler’s popularity in Winnipeg can’t be understated. Pregame, he was introduced after Brady Oliveira — a guy who was born and raised in Winnipeg, rescues dogs, and is the CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Player — and arguably got the bigger cheer.
The veteran does have some detractors, however, who don’t believe he throws the ball well enough for a professional quarterback. Streveler doesn’t appear to spend any time focusing on the outside noise.
“People are always going to say what they want to say, and it’s just not something that I pay attention to,” he said postgame. “I care about what the people in (the locker) room think about me, and that’s the way I try to play the game — to honour them. I don’t care how many yards I pass for, I don’t care about any of that. I just care about winning football games. People are always gonna have things to say and I don’t even think about that.”
If he continues to sling the ball like he did in Week 1, Streveler’s folk hero status in Winnipeg will only continue to grow.
Brady goes down, Peterson ramps up
Brady Oliveira ripped off a 43-yard run on Winnipeg’s opening drive, which was the longest carry of his career. One play later, he left the field and received attention from medical staff on the bench before heading to the locker room.
About an hour later, the Blue Bombers ruled him out for the rest of the game due to an upper-body injury. Mike O’Shea didn’t have an update on Oliveira’s status postgame and the veteran running back wasn’t in the locker room.
Canadian rookie Matthew Peterson took over the job and performed admirably given the circumstances, rushing 23 times for 130 yards and one touchdown. The native of Brooks, Alta. was a first-team U Sports All-Canadian at the University of Alberta but this was his first professional game after Winnipeg acquired his rights from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats via trade in April.
Peterson’s best play came on a 38-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter. Chris Kolankowski made a great block at the second level, then Peterson made a slick move to dodge defensive back Jalon Edwards-Cooper in the open field.
“It’s always fun to call your own pull, so it worked out on that one tonight. (Left guard Micah Vanterpool) got a great down block – he didn’t just get in the way, he moved (his defender) out a bit, so that opens a hole pretty wide,” said Kolankowski.
“When you’re pulling around for (linebacker Micah) Awe, you know he’s gonna be coming with some contact, so you’ve just gotta be ready for it. That’s what (offensive line coach) Marty (Costello) prepared us for all week. I listened to the coaching and it worked out.”
“It’s all a testament to the (offensive) line. The five guys that are in front of me, that’s what gets those yards – it’s not just a running back. You have to give props to the line,” said Peterson. “I take all the coaching Ps and Qs, I make sure that I fulfill them, and I make sure that I stick to the rules. Then within the rules, I make sure that I make my plays count.”
Peterson’s not wrong – the offensive line had a very good night and consistently opened holes in the running game while giving Streveler time to pass. Patrick Neufeld was a game-time decision at right guard but looked fine, while Kendall Randolph played well at right tackle in place of the injured Eric Lofton.
If Oliveira is out long-term, fans will be clamouring for preseason standout Quinton Cooley to get into the starting lineup. The problem is the ratio — if Cooley starts at running back, Winnipeg will have to swap a Canadian for an American elsewhere.
General manager Kyle Walters admitted during the offseason that the team’s ratio flexibility is diminished and that’s already evident after only one game. Peterson’s strong performance should boost the confidence of the team’s fans and second-year fullback Michael Chris-Ike is perfectly capable of running the ball, too.
Regardless, there’s no doubt that the Blue Bombers will miss Oliveira and their lost ratio flexibility if he’s out long-term.
On the defence
Rourke told the media in B.C. earlier this week that having a head coach — more on Buck Pierce in a moment — who knew Winnipeg’s defence was “helpful.” Based on his performance in the first half, it didn’t look helpful at all.
The Blue Bombers dominated the Lions offence for almost the entire first half, getting a sack from Kyrie Wilson and an interception from Marquise Bridges. Rourke was two-of-eleven for 10 yards and a pick when he hit Ayden Eberhardt on a 49-yard bomb near the end of the first half, which he converted into a rushing touchdown six plays later.
The only real miscue from Winnipeg’s defence in the opening 30 minutes came when Rourke scampered for a 36-yard gain midway through the first quarter. Jordan Younger rushed four on the play but no one was able to dent the pocket. Finally, when Willie Jefferson made an inside move, Rourke exploited the lack of contain by sprinting around the edge. Deatrick Nichols took a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty at the end of the play, which tacked on another 15 yards.
Jamal Parker, who has taken over at safety from Brandon Alexander, had a tough rep in the second half as he was in coverage on Keon Hatcher when Rourke hit the veteran receiver for a 77-yard touchdown. Parker was in good position in coverage but appeared to lose his footing right as the ball arrived, allowing Hatcher to make the catch relatively uncontested and reach the end zone following a great block from Stanley Berryhill III.
“I thought we played pretty solid. We gave two explosions, but they were more like 50-50 (balls). You want those back, but at the end of the day, we got to win,” said Parker. “I wish I could have that (long touchdown to Hatcher) back because I was in great coverage and when I went to look back for the ball, I just tripped over his foot.”
Winnipeg had a bust in coverage on B.C.’s next possession as Hatcher was left wide on a deep crossing route, which he extended after the catch thanks to missed tackles from Marquise Bridges and Evan Holm.
This is the second year as a defensive coordinator for Jordan Younger and Parker feels like the system has developed over the past twelve months.
“(The scheme has) evolved a lot because I feel like year one for him, he knew what he wanted but there was a lot of trial and error in certain situations, getting the right pieces he wanted, how he wanted to see the pitchers. (Younger’s) probably one of the smartest coaches I’ve ever had, so he’s got his puzzle laid out, and we’ve just gotta hit our target with the pieces.”
As an aside, some pundits have argued that more CFL teams should play American offensive linemen because Canadians aren’t good enough. Based on how Winnipeg dominated B.C.’s offensive line, which features an unheard-of four Americans, it might be time to put that argument to bed.
The Buck stops here
Buck Pierce made his first official trip back to Winnipeg on Thursday night as the new head coach of the B.C. Lions. The 43-year-old spent four seasons with the Blue Bombers as a quarterback before an eleven-year stint on the coaching staff, working his way up to the role of offensive coordinator following the 2019 season.
A video commemorating Pierce’s time in Winnipeg was played early in the game, which drew a strong ovation from the crowd. Unfortunately for the veteran coach, it came shortly after his team allowed a four-play, 80-yard touchdown drive on Winnipeg’s opening possession.
Pierce had the Lions playing well in their Week 1 win over the Edmonton Elks, a game in which they overcame a slow start in the first half. B.C. was definitely better in the second half again this week but they’re going to have to find a way to start stronger in the weeks to come if they’re going to make noise in the West Division.
Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was asked what he and Pierce said to each other after the game but he declined to answer.
Hogan’s heroes
Jason Hogan, Winnipeg’s new offensive coordinator, spoke to the media earlier this week and promised an offence that would be “exciting for the fans” and “different from every other coordinator in (the CFL).”
“I thought (Hogan) called a great game, I’m really proud of him – his first time calling a game and he called some big-time plays,” said Streveler. “I’m appreciative of the opportunities that he gave me to make some plays in there, and the way that he was able to help put guys in position to be successful and distribute the ball. I thought he did a tremendous job and he’s just a great guy. I’m so happy for him.”
“(Hogan’s got) his own feel to the game. Obviously some of (the scheme) is similar because he learned from Buck the last couple years when he was here, but some of it’s fresh. We had some new stuff today and it worked really well. I think Streveler was seeing it very well – Streveler liked it, so I’m good with it.”
After posting 438 yards of net offence and 34 points without arguably its two best players, it seems safe to say that Hogan’s offence accomplished what it set out to do in game one.
Where the Wheatfall(s)
Keric Wheatfall flashed in his regular-season debut last year and again during the preseason. After beating out free-agent addition Dillon Mitchell for a starting job, it doesn’t appear as though Wheatfall will relinquish it anytime soon.
The 26-year-old target made five catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. He made Garry Peters, one of the CFL’s best cornerbacks, look foolish on multiple plays, including on a fourth-quarter slant that he took 32 yards.
It appears last year’s Grey Cup loss, a game in which Wheatfall made only one catch, has helped motivate him to become a better player entering his second year.
“It was that championship game when we lost, I left that game with a nasty taste in my mouth. I felt like I could have played a lot better in that game, so that game really pushed me to work hard over the offseason with all my routes, catching-wise, and study and everything like that. I got two chips on my shoulder right now and I’m hungry,” he said postgame.
“(Peters) is a great player, I know he’s a top DB in this league. Honestly, I had this game marked because I was waiting to go against this man – everybody was talking about how good he is and everything like that. I felt like I did what I had to do against him and I came out on top.”
The Blue Bombers needed a young receiver to step up following the departure of Kenny Lawler and it appears they have their guy.
Rounding out the receiving corps, Nic Demski made four catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns, while Dalton Schoen caught four passes for 46 yards.
Return to basics
24-year-old rookie Trey Vaval handled the return duties for Winnipeg in his first career game and wasted no time making an impact play, reversing field on an early punt return for a 25-yard gain up the sideline. His second return was negated by penalty, though he initially managed 16 yards despite facing immediate heat from B.C. defenders.
Vaval’s third return went for only 11 yards but he made a great play to charge on the ball and catch it in the air, resulting in a net punt of only 28 yards. He finally broke a big return near the midway point of the third quarter when he brought a kickoff back 41 yards into B.C. territory. Three plays later, Sergio Castillo nailed a 50-yard field goal.
Disaster almost struck near the start of the third quarter when Vaval sprinted across the field to secure a punt and narrowly missed, allowing the ball to bounce off him and land on the turf. He was able to hop on it before an oncoming B.C. defender but the play left Winnipeg to scrimmage at their own two-yard line.
“That’s all on me to drop the ball – gotta do better,” he said postgame. “You’re carrying the organization in your hands when you’ve got the ball. With the CFL rules, you’ve gotta catch every ball, so attack the ball and catch it.”
Overall, it was a strong debut for Vaval, his one muff aside. He finished with seven punt returns for 85 yards and two kickoff returns for 41 yards.
Jermaine Jackson, B.C.’s rookie returner, tweaked his knee in warmups, leaving Robert Carter Jr. and Stanley Berryhill III to handle the return duties. Winnipeg’s cover units were excellent, allowing only 7.5 yards per punt return and 16.2 yards per kickoff return. Second-year linebacker Michael Ayers led the way with three tackles.
The group’s best play of the night came from second-year fullback Michael Chris-Ike, who popped the ball loose on a fourth-quarter return from Berryhill. Vaval recovered on the play, giving Winnipeg possession at B.C.’s 35-yard line.
Hot start
The Blue Bombers lost last year’s season-opener 27-12 to the Montreal Alouettes and head coach Mike O’Shea said afterward that he felt the loss coming. He didn’t seem happy with how he’d prepared the team in training camp and the losses kept coming as the club started the regular-season 2-6, putting them behind the eight ball.
Winnipeg started Thursday’s game like they were shot out of a cannon in all three phases – offensively, defensively, and on special teams. O’Shea chalked it up to a better, tougher training camp.
“The guys were tuned in more – I think we pushed them pretty good,” he said. “We put the work in and it shows. I don’t know that it’s an emotional response, I just think it’s the amount of quality work that they put in.”
“If you work hard and you focus – you don’t just put the time in, you freaking give it everything you got – then you have a chance.”
Sergi-OH!
Sergio Castillo had a tough fourth quarter, missing a 47-yard field goal attempt and doinking a convert attempt off the upright.
It wasn’t all bad for the veteran kicker, however, as he nailed a 50-yard field goal late in the third quarter, which restored a two-score lead for Winnipeg. He finished the game two-of-three on field goals and three-of-four on converts.
Double picks
Marquise Bridges won the starting job at field-side cornerback where he was tasked with replacing free-agent departure Tyrell Ford, who was a ballhawk last season.
It didn’t take Bridges long to notch his first interception as he picked off a pass that went through the hands of Ayden Eberhardt on B.C.’s second possession. In the fourth quarter, he grabbed another pick when a scrambling Jeremiah Masoli, who was on in relief of Rourke, threw an errant pass near the sideline.
Ford nabbed seven interceptions in 2024. After one game in 2025, Bridges has two.
Long shots
Long snapper Mike Benson left the game due to injury, leaving veteran linebacker Shayne Gauthier to handle the duties. Winnipeg’s punting game didn’t appear to skip a beat following the change, which is a credit to Gauthier’s versatility.
The 33-year-old told 3DownNation postgame that he’s been the team’s backup long snapper since last year, so he works on his snaps every practice. The last time he snapped in a game was at the cégep level, which would have been about 15 years ago.
“I think I did good – they all went to the punter,” said Gauthier. “Mission accomplished.”
“It was awesome – stepping in there for his teammates and making sure he’s got their back, that’s all important stuff, and that’s what I think our guys are happiest about,” said head coach Mike O’Shea.
“What you don’t see is the film on day three (of the practice week) of him doing all this extra work – not snapping, but all this extra work at the end of drills in the backs of lines as a nine-year vet, just continually doing more work, more work, and more work because he loves what he does and he wants to do well for his teammates. The snapping is one thing, but the stuff he does at practice is great leadership, too.”
The Blue Bombers released promising long snapper Ian Leroux out of Laval University as part of their final cuts after training camp. If Benson misses any time, it seems likely that Leroux will be back in Winnipeg in time for next week.
Packed house
Princess Auto Stadium was electric from the word go on Thursday night as a sold-out crowd of 32,343 rocked the stands. It was the first sellout of the CFL season as Montreal and B.C. fell just shy of sellouts in Week 1 and Saskatchewan was under 80 percent capacity.
“Our players really understand how powerful (the fans) are as a group, how much support they have,” said O’Shea. “I think our players would hope that they are a source of pride for the fans.”
Winnipeg set a franchise attendance record last year with 31,196 fans per game, though the season-opener fell over 2,000 fans shy of a sellout. It’s early, obviously, but improving on last year’s opening crowd puts the Blue Bombers on pace to set another record in 2025.
Long time coming
Collin Kornelson spent seven years with the University of Manitoba Bisons and fought through injuries many of those seasons to record 101 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass knockdown over 31 games.
The product of St. Paul’s High School was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 CFL Draft but he went back to school that year and again in 2024 after attending training camp with the Blue Bombers. On Thursday, he played his first career CFL game after beating out Tanner Schmekel, who was drafted one round ahead of him, for a spot on the active roster.
There’s something to be said about perseverance and Kornelson has a lot of it.
The Trews About Rock & Roll
The Trews played the halftime show on Thursday night. Admittedly, the sound quality inside the press box is terrible — everything is far too echoey — but the band sounds as good as ever. All these years later, “Not Ready To Go” still slaps.
Tackle hunger
The Blue Bombers are collecting food donations at each of Princess Auto Stadium’s four gates all season long with those who contribute being entered to win one of three prize packs. This cause was near and dear to the heart of late CFL offensive lineman and TSN analyst Chris Schultz, so bringing a tin for bin is a way to not only help out people in need but honour a departed legend.
Next up
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0) will visit the B.C. Lions (1-1) on Saturday, June 21 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Zach Collaros should be back in the starting lineup after serving his one-game suspension on Thursday.
This will be the second and final regular-season meeting between the Blue Bombers and Lions this year, which means the season series will be up for grabs. It seems like a mistake by the CFL’s schedule-makers to not have divisional rivals play against one another after Week 3 but this would hardly be the first time the league had a bizarre scheduling quirk.
