Castillo reflects on club-record 60-yard field goal

Fresh off a disappointing overtime loss, Sergio Castillo was in no mood to pat himself on the back for his history-making kick.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicker drilled a 60-yard field goal in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 22-19 loss to the Calgary Stampeders to set a new franchise record.

Now with some time to reflect, Castillo’s tune has changed a bit.

It’s the second longest field goal in CFL history behind former Saskatchewan Roughriders kicker Paul McCallum who hit a 62-yarder in 2001.

Winless Bombers focus on future as Streveler takes reins for injured Collaros

From four straight Grey Cup appearances to four straight losses.

The 2024 campaign has gotten off to an uncharacteristically brutal start for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and it got worse on Saturday in Calgary with a 22-19 overtime loss against the Stampeders (2-1).

While some on the outside might be ready to write this team off, the Blue and Gold are still exuding confidence.

“Outside of Winnipeg, I’ve been on teams that have started 0-4, 0-6, 0-8 and there’s always a lot of uncertainty,” said veteran kicker Sergio Castillo after Tuesday’s practice.

Blue Bombers losing streak continues

CALGARY – The hits keep on coming for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Another week, another defeat, this time in a nail-biter to the Calgary Stampeders, 22-19, in overtime at McMahon Stadium Saturday night.

Not even a gutsy fourth-quarter comeback can take the sting away from this one, with the Bombers now a dismal 0-4 on the season and still in the basement of the West Division standings.

While the losing streak continues to grow, hovering above the CFL club like a dark cloud, the result was overshadowed after the game by the status of star quarterback Zach Collaros.

Blue Bombers’ slide continues, fall to 0-4

CALGARY — It’s gone from bad to worse for the Blue and Gold. And not even a gutsy comeback to force extra time can change the harsh reality currently facing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Entering the game in a 0-3 hole to start the season for the first time in more than a decade, and with an injury list a mile long, the Bombers got another heavy dose of bad news beyond losing 22-19 in overtime to the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium Saturday night.

While dropping to 0-4 certainly stings, the worst for the Bombers came well before the final whistle.

Quarterback Zach Collaros suffered a heavy hit to the midsection by Stampeders defensive lineman Josiah Coatney just before halftime, and although Collaros would return for a couple of plays, he was eventually ruled out of the game during the break.

‘We definitely don’t have the same swagger’

CALGARY – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers say they aren’t feeling desperate despite starting the year 0-3 and having a list of injured players longer than any other CFL club — by a country mile. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t eager to turn the season around, and their sights are set on doing that this week when they play visitors to the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium Saturday night. “The reminder is it’s a long season and that you win and lose football games for a reason, and we need to be sharp enough to be on the winning side,” […]

Demerio Houston Shines with Calgary Stampeders

CALGARY – Demerio Houston has been fitting in nicely with his new CFL team and has already been up to some of his old tricks. In two games with the Calgary Stampeders, the veteran defensive back already has one interception to his name. That’s a current pace of nine interceptions spread across an 18-game season, which is two more than the CFL-leading seven Houston had last year. “I’m enjoying it,” Houston told the Free Press following the Stamps walkthrough at McMahon Stadium Friday. “They just let me play freely and just make plays. That’s why I signed here and to […]

Stampeders look to end losing streak against struggling Bombers

CALGARY - The Calgary Stampeders won’t take the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lightly when the two teams play at McMahon Stadium on Saturday night.

The Blue Bombers have surprisingly started the season with three straight losses, but Calgary quarterback Jake Maier doesn’t put much stock into Winnipeg’s sluggish start.

"As players we have a ton of respect for them, even where they are right now in the standings and what their record is," Maier said. "There’s not a single individual in this organization that’s falling for that trap or buying into anything."

The Blue Bombers are looking to end their struggles by posting their seventh straight win over Calgary (1-1). The Stampeders' last win over Winnipeg was back in November 2021.

Bombers need first win after stumbling to three losses to start season

CALGARY – It’s far from the start to the CFL season that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were hoping for.

A 2024 campaign that began with so much promise has begun to show some early cracks, and the concern that the whole thing could come crashing down is only getting greater with each loss.

Winnipeg is 0-3 following defeats to the B.C. Lions, Ottawa Redblacks and Montreal Alouettes, marking the first time since 2012 the Blue and Gold have swung and missed three consecutive times to start a year.

The Bombers are headed to Calgary for a Week 4 matchup against the Stampeders Saturday night. It’s the first of two games between the West Division foes, with the rematch happening just two weeks later back in Winnipeg.

Oliveira hungry to run

Almost everything last year — except the final game of the season — went Brady Oliveira’s way. He played every game, topped the league in rushing, was a finalist for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award, and helped his hometown Blue Bombers reach a fourth consecutive Grey Cup. It’s a tough act to follow, but his plan for 2024 was to pick up right where he left off and end things this time by hoisting the iconic silver mug. NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Brady Oliveira (20) So far, Oliveira’s plan has taken a major detour. He […]

Fines for voicing concerns off target

It’s the story that never ends. And yet another example of how the CFL just can’t seem to get out of its own way.

A couple of weeks ago, following the first game of the 2024 CFL season, Sergio Castillo brought to life the issue kickers were having with the micro-chipped balls that are being used to enhance TV broadcasts. The Blue Bombers kicker had just turned in one of his worst performances with Winnipeg, finishing one-for-three on field goals, while also missing his lone one-point convert.

While Castillo was certainly miffed, he voiced his frustration in a fairly calm manner, while also outing the CFL for not listening to the league’s kickers and their collective issue about the chipped balls. Later that night, fellow kickers Lewis Ward, Brett Lauther and Sean Whyte came to Castillo’s defence, voicing their concerns about the balls over social media.

The CFL listened and actually changed course, setting a new rule, effective immediately, that kickers now had the choice of whether or not to use the chipped balls. The league, which claimed there was no issue with the balls based on their own testing, was commended for the swift action and the story soon died.

Bombers’ sack attack falling short this season

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are not getting after opposing quarterbacks.

Through three weeks, they have three total sacks which puts them on pace for just over a third of what their tally was last season: 53.

The only team with less is the Calgary Stampeders — who they play this Saturday at McMahon Stadium at 8 p.m. CT — with one QB takedown but they’ve only played twice as they are coming off a bye.

The struggles were evident in Friday’s 26-24 loss to the B.C. Lions as pivot Vernon Adams, Jr. enjoyed a stress-free night in the pocket and passed for nearly 400 yards.

Demski gets his shot as top offensive target

Nic Demski has established himself as one of the most dangerous receivers in the CFL.

But now, for the first time in his career, the 30-year-old Winnipegger will have a chance to show what he can do for an extended period of time as a true No. 1 target in an offence.

With Kenny Lawler (arm), Dalton Schoen (knee), and Keric Wheatfall (knee) all on the six-game injured list, the Blue Bombers need Demski now more than ever.

He’s now the face of a receiving corps that features Drew Wolitarsky, rookies Ontaria Wilson, Josh Johnson, Myron Mitchell and Kevens Clercius, and second-year Canadian Jeremy Murphy.

Blue Bombers face receiver crisis as injuries mount

In less than a month, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers went from having the best receiving corps in the league to arguably the worst.

Dalton Schoen was placed on the six-game injured list on Monday, joining fellow star pass catcher Kenny Lawler who broke his arm in Week 1.

Schoen left Friday’s 26-24 loss to the B.C. Lions in the second half with a non-contact injury and was spotted on crutches after the game.

“It’s going to be a while (before he’s healthy again),” admitted head coach Mike O’Shea after Monday’s practice. “He’ll be on the six-game and we’ll see after that.”

Winless Blue Bombers remain confident despite 0-3 start

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have never won a Grey Cup after starting 0-3.

That stat doesn’t bode well for this year’s winless group, but veteran linebacker Adam Bighill isn’t losing any sleep over it.

“That doesn’t bother me at all. It’s such a long season, man,” said Bighill after Monday’s practice.

“I’ve seen Toronto win multiple Grey Cups coming in as barely a 50-50 team. It’s about getting to the playoffs and being the best team in November, not the best team in June. If you look at the last couple years, maybe we were the best team in June, July, August and we didn’t get it done.

Bombers suffer painful bite from Lions as they eye chance to get on win column against Stampeders

There certainly was progress shown by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a 26-24 loss to the B.C. Lions at a nearly sold-out Princess Auto Stadium Friday night. Unfortunately for the Bombers, when you’ve been the class of the CFL for some time, finishing in top spot in the West Division the last four years, there’s little room for silver linings. Such is life for the Blue and Gold, who are now 0-3 to the start the year — marking the first time that’s happened since 2012 — after also losing to the Ottawa Redblacks and Montreal Alouettes. The defeat to […]