Grudge match confirmed: Winnipeg Blue Bombers starting Dru Brown against Ottawa Redblacks

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

It’s official: Dru Brown will get a chance to exact revenge on the team that traded him away three weeks ago.

On Friday, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea told the media that veteran quarterback Zach Collaros would miss a second straight game with a neck injury and that Brown would get the nod against the Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday.

Brown completed 80.6 percent of his passes for 339 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 30-21 win over the Toronto Argonauts last week. He was acquired via trade from the Redblacks late last month, after losing his starting job with the team in training camp before even taking a preseason snap.

Ryan Dinwiddie, Ottawa’s head coach and general manager, later told the media Brown became “a little bit of a distraction” after requesting his release from the team, and suggested he lacked arm strength. The 29-year-old passer has taken the high road since, wishing the Redblacks the best despite their 0-5 start to the season.

Asked whether he felt Brown would approach this game differently due to the relationships involved, O’Shea was succinct.

“No,” he said, dismissing the idea as a constructed narrative. “I think it’s one of those things that the media has to cover.”

“I’ve said it a couple times already; his emotional intelligence is extremely high. I don’t really ever worry about highs and lows with that guy.”

Collaros suffered his injury early in the second quarter of the team’s 14-13 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 5. It occurred when strong-side linebacker Reggie Stubblefield came unblocked on a blitz and sacked Collaros for a seven-yard loss.

The six-foot-one, 218-pound passer has completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 985 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions through four starts this season, posting a 2-2 record. O’Shea indicated earlier this week that Collaros is working to return, but did not provide a timeline. He did not participate in practice this week.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-2) will visit the Ottawa Redblacks (0-5) on Sunday, July 19, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 30-21 win over the Toronto Argonauts, while the Redblacks lost 40-17 against the Edmonton Elks.

The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 27 degrees and a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg or TSN 1200 in Ottawa.