Bombers’ not looking for scapegoat following Grey Cup defeat

Losing the Grey Cup was tough, but leaders of Winnipeg’s CFL team are not looking for a scapegoat.

“We’re trying to find blame and fault, when that’s nowhere in our DNA of how we built this eight, nine, 10 years ago, ” said Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea. 

“We didn’t play our best game. All of us, as a team. We didn’t do our best in the Grey Cup, but I don’t think that should lead to all the questioning going on.” 

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are now officially in the off-season following a crushing Grey Cup defeat, and O’Shea said there’s lots he’d change about last Sunday’s game, when questioned by reporters about key moments, he said he wouldn’t change a thing. 

“Yeah. Absolutely,” that was O’Shea’s answer when he was asked about sending Bombers’ QB Zach Collaros back into play with a hand injury when Collaros was debating with himself to go on, but later admitted he put his player in a “bad spot.”

 “When you asked me that, that’s not even something I really thought about. First of all, that internal debate is what makes Zach such a great teammate and leader. He’s always trying to put the team first.” 

 The QB would go on to throw three interceptions, in what many would say were plays that cost the Bombers’ the game, falling to the Toronto Argonauts 41 – 24, saying while he wishes things were different, “it didn’t happen that way.” 

 “Everybody wants the outcome to be different,” he said. 

O’Shea says when it comes to issuing a challenge flag earlier, calling a time-out, or even checking in on his players more during the game, he says these are all things he would have changed, but the Bombers’ head coach says when it comes to his thrower, even while injured: “He’s the best.” 

“This is something he’s going to be able to work with,” said O’Shea, of his in-game assessment, noting Collaros also deserved every opportunity possible to lead the blue and gold. 

He was also asked about the decision to not make more use of Brady Oliveira, who was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player during the game, especially after relying on him all season.

“We have pretty damn good player participation down here. Obviously, my door is always open,” he said when asked whether or not he’d be giving Oliveira an explanation as to why he saw so little time on the field. 

The head coach says every player is different and the Grey Cup is the one game they don’t watch tape of together as a team.

“They can all ask whenever they want,” he said, adding while he’s spoken to many players, Oliveira has not been one. 

O’Shea also remarked on the fact Buck Pierce, offensive coordinator with the Bombers’ may potentially be departing to take on the head coach job in B.C., saying he thinks he’s up for the task. 

However, when it comes to his contract with the Blue Bombers’ and his future with the team, he said he hasn’t given it much thought, but said he wants to see a lot of the core back in training camp next spring.