WINNIPEG — Willie Jefferson didn't mince words when explaining the importance of safety Redha Kramdi to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defence. Back from a full stint on the six-game injured list with a broken bone in his left hand, Kramdi looked no worse for wear, forcing a fumble and making a late game-sealing interception to help beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-6 in the annual Banjo Bowl at Princess Auto Stadium Saturday afternoon. "Having him on the field, being able to communicate to the back end, but then being able to step into the box and let the linebackers and the defensive line know how we want the defence to move on certain downs and distance," Jefferson said. "(He) played a huge role.” Indeed, Kramdi's skill set was on full display, with the 29-year-old Kramdi forcing a critical fumble midway through the first quarter with the Roughriders threatening, and then picking off Roughriders' quarterback Trevor Harris midway through the fourth quarter with the Bombers protecting a 10-point lead. "Guys know where to go to for the answers after hours when coaches are off planning, and they need to watch more film or text somebody, they go to Redha," Blue Bombers coach Mike O'Shea said. "He’s not underrated in this building. I don’t think he’s underrated in the league, either." Winnipeg improved to 7-6 with the win and are back in the thick of the West Division playoff race. The Edmonton Elks (9-3) and Roughriders (8-5) remain ahead, while the B.C. Lions (6-6) and Calgary Stampeders (5-7) trail just behind. The Stampeders, Lions and Elks were all playing Saturday night. With the season-series now settled, tied one game apiece, the Bombers claim the series tiebreaker owing to a higher point differential in the two games. "It was a total, three-phase win. Our defence played lights-out," running back Brady Oliveira said. "They were hitting from the first snap to the last snap." Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros lasted fewer than three quarters before being pulled with an undisclosed injury. He exited with a stat line of 13-for-19 passing for 175 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Collaros took a beating before leaving, suffering four of the Roughriders' five sacks. Jake Ceresna had the lone sack for Winnipeg. Dru Brown took over in relief and finished 4-for-5 for 46 passing yards, with zero touchdowns or interceptions. The Bombers recorded 291 net yards on offence, with Tommy Nield scoring the lone touchdown. Sergio Castillo rounded out the scoring with four field goals, connecting from 31, 45, 44 and 36 yards. Oliveira registered 100 yards on 14 rushes. The last time Oliveira rushed for more than a 100 yards against Saskatchewan's defence was in the 2023 Banjo Bowl. The Winnipeg native also became the first Canadian in CFL history to record five consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. "This is an incredible milestone, something I'm extremely proud about. No one else has ever done it," Oliveira said. "But I've been very fortunate to have great offensive lines in front of me, year after year." The Roughriders are still firmly entrenched in second place in the West, behind only Edmonton. Saskatchewan finished with 278 yards of net offence and was a dismal 4-for-22 on second down. Harris struggled to find a rhythm, registering 231 passing yards and completing 24 of his 45 attempts, along with one interception. "We didn’t really get to stay on the field and get into a rhythm," Harris said. "There were a few plays there where I thought we could have made, but they did a good job defensively.” The Roughriders opted to bench struggling kicker Alex Hale, instead dressing Dawson Hodge, a 24-year-old out of Coquitlam, B.C. Hodge went two-for-two on field goals, including one from 33 yards. Dhel Duncan-Busby led all receivers with 80 yards on seven catches, with running back Quali Conley limited to 35 yards on seven carries. The game opened as a defensive battle, with the first quarter scoreless and just a combined 13 points by halftime. The Bombers opened the scoring early in the second quarter, with Collaros connecting with Nield on a 30-yard touchdown. Castillo added a field goal from 31 yards to increase Winnipeg's lead, before Hodge split the uprights on a 33-yarder to make it a 10-3 game at halftime. For Nield, who has struggled since signing with the Bombers during the off-season after a breakout year with the Riders in 2025, it was his first touchdown of the season. After the two sides exchanged field goals in the third quarter to keep it a one-score game, 13-6, the Bombers added two more from Castillo to round out the scoring and secure the win. “We cut it to a one-score game and then we fell into a hole of 10 points and that can kind of make you a little more one-dimensional," Roughriders head coach Corey Mace said. "Versus that team and their defence, if you’re just going to sit back there all day, they can be challenging. Credit to them, they do a good job. Lots of respect for this team and that coaching staff.” UP NEXT Roughriders: Visit the B.C. Lions on Friday, Sept. 25. Blue Bombers: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, Sept. 25. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2026. Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press
