Redblacks fall to Blue Bombers for 15th straight loss

WINNIPEG — Brady Oliveira rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown, while adding another 80 through the air to lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 33-21 victory over the winless Ottawa Redblacks at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday.

The Winnipeg native also continued to climb 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 in 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.

Since 2014, the Bombers are 14-7 against the Redblacks, winning the last five matches. Winnipeg edged Ottawa 36-34 in overtime in Week 7.

The Redblacks continued their dreadful season, still in search of their first victory. Ottawa dropped to 0-9 with the loss and its lengthy losing skid dating back to last season is now at 15 games.

According to Sportsnet Stats, the skid eclipses the modern record (after 1958) of 14 losses by the 1994 Shreveport Pirates. In Canadian football history, only the 1948-49 Hamilton Wildcats (16 consecutive losses) and the 1928-32 Ottawa Senators and Rough Riders (25 consecutive losses) have more.

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

Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros returned after missing four games with a neck injury and went 21-for-31 passing for 222 yards.

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.

Ottawa quarterback Jake 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 receiver Ayden Eberhardt adding touchdowns.

It was a slow start, with Brett Lauther’s 37-yard field goal giving the Redblacks a 3-0 lead after the first quarter. The Bombers answered back early in the second with Perkins’ first score.

Minutes later, the Bombers got a serious scare as Collaros was on the receiving end of a clean, but blindside hit from Ottawa linebacker Lucas Cormier.

The Bombers veteran pivot stayed on the field in visible pain for several minutes before walking off. Collaros was sacked a season-high four times.

Collaros returned before the drive was over, leading to a Castillo field goal. Oliveira punched in a five-yard rushing touchdown on their next series to put Winnipeg up 17-6 late in the half.

A 75-yard kickoff return from Ottawa’s Kalil Pimpleton gave the Redblacks life, with Maier finding a wide-open Bell in the middle of the end zone to cut the Bombers’ lead to 17-12.

Castillo’s 56-yarder with zeros on the clock made it 20-12 through 30 minutes.

After trading field goals in the third quarter, another Castillo kick put Winnipeg up 26-15.

A roughing-the-passer penalty on Bombers defensive lineman Jake Ceresna and an illegal contact flag on defensive back Deatrick Nichols helped mount Ottawa’s brief comeback. Maier capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown to Eberhardt, with a failed two-point convert making it 26-21.

Perkins added his second rushing touchdown with just over two minutes left to put the game away. The Redblacks got as close as Winnipeg’s six-yard line but the series ended with a turnover on downs.

Redblacks: Visit the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday.

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

With files from SN Staff.