Oliveira helps Blue Bombers roll past winless Redblacks 33-21

Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) gets the throw away as he is grabbed by Ottawa Redblacks Jelani Stafford (97) during first half CFL action in Winnipeg on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

WINNIPEG — Running back Brady Oliveira began as a game-time decision, only to become a major difference-maker.

The Winnipeg native rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, while hauling in another 80 in pass receptions to lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 33-21 victory over the winless Ottawa Redblacks at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday.

Oliveira was limited at practice this week with an injured ankle, the team's final injury report putting his status in doubt. He said it wasn't until he arrived at the stadium and worked with athletic therapist Al Couture that he finally knew he could play.

"I woke up and felt pretty good," Oliveira said. "I was communicating with Al, I came in here a little bit earlier and I kind of did my routine. I got in the pool and I felt like I was good enough to go and went out there for warm-up and felt good."

A few hours later, he was climbing the CFL's all-time rushing leaders list.

Oliveira, who had 235 rushing yards on 33 carries over the previous two games, needed 67 more to jump from 24th to 21st on the all-time list. He now has 6,212 career yards, surpassing fellow Canadian Jon Cornish, and is just 22 yards shy of Willie Burden at 20th.

Winnipeg improved to 5-4 with the win and snapped a two-game losing streak on home turf. The Bombers entered the game with a 1-4 record at Princess Auto Stadium, the most losses in a single season since 2016.

Losses to the B.C. Lions and Calgary Stampeders in recent weeks had seriously threatened Winnipeg's playoff position in the West Division. With the victory, the Bombers now sit a game up on the Lions (4-5) and Stampeders (4-6), with a game in hand on Calgary.

"There's always plays you want to get back. I thought we did a good job of sticking together," Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros said. "We need to finish more drives. But I thought it was a great three-phase win. Special teams did a great job of getting us field position all night long.

"Gotta do a better job at times of extending drives. But for me, personally, I felt comfortable as the game started going."

Collaros made his return after missing four games with a neck injury and went 21-for-31 passing for 222 yards. He was on the receiving end of a violent blindside hit from Ottawa linebacker Lucas Cormier in the second quarter that forced him from the game, only to return four plays later.

The Bombers recorded 305 net yards on offence, with short-yardage quarterback Bryce Perkins punching in a pair of touchdowns. Sergio Castillo rounded out the scoring with four field goals, connecting from 46, 56, 31 and 43 yards.

Tim White led all receivers with 85 yards on eight receptions.

“It’s football. He’s tough as nails," Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea said of Collaros. "Like all the guys, if they can go back in there, they’re going to go back in. That’s the kind of leadership these guys have. They want to do it, they want to honour their teammates and that’s just another example of it.”

The Redblacks' dreadful season continued, dropping to 0-9 with the loss, extending their lengthy losing skid to 15 games dating back to last season.

According to CFL statisticians, that skid exceeds the 14 losses by the 1994 Shreveport Pirates. The league record belongs to the 1948-49 Hamilton Wildcats (the name changed to Tiger-Cats in 1950), who lost 16 consecutive games.

No team in CFL history has ever made the playoffs after losing their first nine games. B.C. is the only team to claim a championship after starting 0-5, winning the Grey Cup in 2011.

The Redblacks suffered some bad luck when Jake Maier had a pass bobbled by a receiver leading to an interception on the opening drive. Then he connected with the upright on an open pass to Ayden Eberhardt in the end zone.

When the Redblacks needed a score late in the game, they couldn't convert from Winnipeg's six-yard line, ending with two turnovers. Winnipeg had none.

"The football gods don't owe us anything," Maier said. "There’s a respect to the game you try to play with in order to get some breaks and be ready for the opportunities when the luck kind of presents itself. Right now we’re just not taking advantage of those opportunities. We’re just, unfortunately, on the wrong side of things right now.”

Maier threw for 314 yards on 28-of-43 passing, along with two touchdowns and an interception. Ottawa's offence totalled 333 net yards, with running back Greg Bell and Eberhardt adding scores.

The Bombers took their first lead of the game, 7-6, early in the second quarter and never relinquished it. They led 20-12 at halftime and 23-15 through three quarters before outscoring the Redblacks 10-6 in the final frame.

UP NEXT

Redblacks: Visit the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday.

Blue Bombers: Visit the Edmonton Elks on Friday, Aug. 21.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2026.

Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press