WINNIPEG — Mike O’Shea has never been one to show his hand. So when asked the question on everyone’s mind heading into Saturday’s East Division semifinal against the Toronto Argonauts -- who will be starting at quarterback? -- the Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach kept his cards close to his vest. But there was a minor tell. “No real update,” O’Shea said following Wednesday’s workout at the Fort Garry Lions Football Club. “Just not practising – yet.” O’Shea was referring to future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Zach Collaros, who suffered a rib injury late in last week’s win over the B.C. Lions. Dru Brown took over and led the Bombers to 31 unanswered points to earn a 34-10 victory and a playoff berth. Winnipeg (9-9) finished fourth in the West Division, resulting in a crossover to the East for a second straight year to face the second-place Argonauts (9-9). Collaros has been sidelined for the first two practices this week, leaving his status for Saturday’s must-win game in doubt. The 38-year-old has already missed six games this season, losing four games with an injured neck and two with a separate head injury. “He needs whatever he needs,” O’Shea said, noting that Collaros isn’t required to practise to play. “He needs whatever he’s going to tell us he needs.” Winnipeg’s wait-and-see approach has fuelled a fiery debate among pundits and fans alike. Even if Collaros is cleared, might it be wise to ride the hot hand after Brown’s dominating performance against the Lions? Brown went 11-for-11 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns, showing once again how effective he is off the bench. He connected with Dorian Singer for a 30-yard score and later found Nic Demski on a six-yard grab. Brown wasn’t in the mood to bask in the praise for his performance. Part of that is his humble demeanour, but it also stems from a deep respect for Collaros, whom he considers a close friend. “I don’t try to act like I’ve been in his shoes,” Brown said when asked about Collaros’s injury-riddled season. ”I try to think about it if that was me, and I wouldn’t want people asking me how I’m feeling all the time. So, I just try to treat him normally, like I always do. But, obviously, I care about him, and it’s always unfortunate, whether it’s him or anyone else, has to go through stuff like that.” It also helps that Brown has been behind centre for Winnipeg in both games against Toronto this year. He threw for more than 300 yards in a 30-21 victory in Week 6, before a narrow 30-28 loss in Week 17. “They have a great front. They get after the passer,” Brown said. ”At this point in the year, they do what they do, and they do it really well. They’re very talented. They can play the ball in the air. It’ll be a tough challenge, for sure.” Collaros has attended practice and been a full participant in meetings. While some teams might rule a quarterback out with just one workout remaining, the Bombers have a history of going to extreme lengths to get a player back on the field. Winnipeg rehabbed Matt Nichols’s knee injury in 2018, while Adam Bighill and Dalton Schoen were cleared as game-time decisions for the 2023 Grey Cup. Collaros went through a similar situation with an ankle injury in the days leading up to the 2022 championship game. “We continue to work with players to see where they end up at that last-ditch minute, when you got to make a call on it, whatever you feel that is,” O’Shea said. “We share the same philosophy where you’re gonna give a guy every chance to be out there on the field.” Given O’Shea’s deep loyalty to Collaros, coupled with the possibility this could be the veteran pivot’s final season, might the coach consider playing him at less than full health over a fully healthy Brown? “Until you’re in that situation, I guess you don’t know,” O’Shea said. “We’re not there yet. The other thing that’s really important this time of year is nobody’s 100 per cent.” While there might be outside noise, inside the Bombers’ locker room, the focus is strictly on earning a win. As for who lines up at quarterback, the players are confident they will get the best out of whoever gets the nod. “Those are two guys that we trust,” running back Brady Oliveira said. “You talk about the experience that Zach has, but also Dru has some great experience. Whoever is going to be this week – obviously, we’re not quite sure yet – we got confidence in both guys.” Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press
