Blue Bombers clean out their lockers after 3rd straight Grey Cup loss
As many as 28 Winnipeg players are reportedly pending free agents next year
There was no anger in Brady Oliveira's voice when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers star running back answered questions Tuesday about a hot topic that lingers after the Grey Cup.
Why didn't the CFL's newly minted most outstanding player and top Canadian have more than 11 carries in what turned out to be a 41-24 loss to the Toronto Argonauts last Sunday?
"I think the only thing I can really touch on is the fact that I thought the offensive line and myself could have had maybe more opportunities to take the game over," Oliveira said as players cleaned out their lockers. "I don't know why there wasn't more opportunities.
"I still need to reflect on that, and maybe have some conversation with my teammates and maybe some of the coaches and really get to understand it. I think I've earned the right to understand why it played out that way."
Oliveira gained 84 yards on his 11 carries, including one late touchdown when it was clear the Blue Bombers were going to lose their third consecutive Grey Cup in their fifth straight trip to the championship game.
He also caught two passes for 18 yards.
The Winnipeg-born tailback finished the regular season with 1,353 rushing yards off 239 carries in 17 games. He also recorded 57 receptions for 476 yards.
Fans were also perplexed about why Bombers offensive coordinator Buck Pierce didn't lean on the run game more after starting quarterback Zach Collaros cut the index finger on his throwing hand in the third quarter. The Argonauts had a 17-10 lead at the time.
Collaros said Tuesday he could see inside the deep cut and had five stitches and some numbing agent applied.
When he returned to the field with a glove on his throwing hand, Collaros threw interceptions on back-to-back series. He later added another interception and finished with four picks and no touchdowns.
Collaros was asked why the game plan didn't shift to a run-first approach.
"I appreciate the faith that Buck has in me," he said. "So if you ask me to throw the ball, I'm going to throw the ball. I want to throw the ball so I'm not going to argue against that."
He said he did wrestle with the decision to return to the game and talked to Pierce and head coach Mike O'Shea.
"The thing you're dealing with mentally is like, 'am I being selfish to want to go back in, even though I don't feel like I can necessarily help to my best ability?"' Collaros said. "And the other side is, 'Am I being selfish for bailing on the guys?'
"Kind of that playing out in my head, I thought I was as honest as I could be to Buck there and [O'Shea] and they said, `yeah, go."'
He added O'Shea trusted him and knew "my heart was in the right spot."
"I don't think I was being selfish because, hey, it's my team and I want to go out there," Collaros said. "It was I just want to be out there with my guys and I think I can help."
He added he has feeling in the finger and doesn't expect any long-term effects.
Oliveira said he didn't go up to Pierce after Collaros's injury and ask for the ball more because it's not the right thing to do and he's a "team-first guy."
Collaros and Oliveria are two players signed through next season, when the Bombers host the Grey Cup and will try to get back to the championship game to avenge their three losses that came after victories in 2019 and '21.
Up to 28 Bombers are reportedly pending free agents next year.
That includes receiver Dalton Schoen, backup quarterback Chris Streveler and linebacker Adam Bighill, who all missed the Grey Cup after suffering season-ending injuries. All three said they want to return.
Others on the list echoed that desire, including veteran offensive linemen Stanley Bryant and Pat Neufeld and defensive end Willie Jefferson, who had an outstanding Grey Cup performance.
After opening the season 0-4, then going to 2-6 before finishing 11-7 and winning the West Division title, Bryant said the way they lost the Grey Cup was disappointing and embarrassing.
"Just can't go out like that," said Bryant, an eight-time CFL all-star who turns 39 in May.