The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-2) and the Edmonton Elks (0-7) kicked off Week 7 on Thursday night from IG Field. The Blue Bombers were 14.5-point favorites coming into this game. Many expected them to put a beatdown on Edmonton after getting embarrassed last week against Ottawa.
On the other side, Edmonton continued to search for their first win of the season. On paper, Winnipeg should’ve put a beating on Edmonton. However, this game turned out to be a competitive game on both sides of the ball.
In the first quarter, Edmonton defensive back Marcus Lewis intercepted Zach Collaros’s pass at the Blue Bombers’ 41-yard line. Edmonton quarterback Taylor Cornelius and running back Kevin Brown led the Elks down to the Bombers’ eight-yard line. Then, Cornelius made a mistake by forcing a throw into coverage and it was intercepted by Cameron Lawson.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros threw six passes for 78 yards to get them at the two-yard line. Backup quarterback Dakota Prukop came in and muscled his way into the endzone for a two-yard touchdown. Winnipeg kicker Sergio Castillo missed the extra point. It was 6-0 with 53 seconds left. Edmonton faced second down to begin the second quarter down 6-0.
Edmonton went two-and-out to begin the second quarter. When Edmonton got the ball back, Taylor Cornelius threw a 26-yard pass to Dillon Mitchell and later took off for a 22-yard run. The Elks cut Winnipeg’s lead 6-3 after Dean Faithfull converted a 28-yard field goal.
Later in the game, Edmonton kicker Dean Faithfull made a 30-yard field goal to tie the game 6-6 with 53 seconds left. The game remained tied 6-6 at halftime.
Edmonton had 158 yards on offense. Taylor Cornelius completed 8 of 12 passes (66.7%) for 82 yards, one interception, and led the rushers with three carries for 55 yards.
Running back Kevin Brown had eight carries for 25 yards, and wide receivers Dillon Mitchell and Kyron Moore combined for five catches totaling 64 yards. The Elks’ offense gave up a sack and committed four penalties for 30 yards.
Winnipeg had 136 yards on offense. Zach Collaros completed 10 of 12 passes (83.3%) for 110 yards, one interception, and one carry for two yards. Running back Brady Oliveira had six carries for 26 yards, and Kenny Lawler had four catches for 60 yards. The Blue Bombers’ offense allowed one sack.
The third quarter provided some exciting plays in the game. Winnipeg took a 9-6 lead on a 46-yard field goal by Sergio Castillo with 10:22 left. Next, Edmonton punter Jake Julian punted the ball for 54 yards into the endzone where Jamal Parker took a knee for a single point. It was now 9-7 Blue Bombers with 8:51 left.
After the single point, Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Nic Demski for a 16-7 lead with 8:03 left. Demski outran the Elks’ secondary and was all alone when he caught the ball and headed toward the endzone.
On the third play for Edmonton, Taylor Cornelius threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Dillon Mitchell that made it 16-14 Winnipeg with 6:03 left. Mitchell ran by a Winnipeg defender and Cornelius threw an excellent pass right on the hands of Mitchell before he took off for the touchdown.
Later in the third quarter, Winnipeg’s defense made a big play. Deep inside their endzone, Taylor Cornelius was looking to throw the ball when he was taken down by Jackson Jeffcoat before tossing the ball away with no one in the area. Cornelius was penalized for intentional grounding and Winnipeg earned a safety. It was now 18-14 Winnipeg with 4:29 left.
Then, Winnipeg added three more points on a 21-yard field goal by Sergio Castillo for a 21-14 lead with 1:06 left. Edmonton quarterback Taylor Cornelius completed two passes for 13 yards as the third quarter ended. Winnipeg led 21-14 after three quarters with the Elks starting the fourth quarter on their 53-yard line.
In the fourth quarter, Edmonton could not move the ball and punted it back to Winnipeg. Winnipeg took their time marching down the field while killing time. They started the drive with three rushing plays by Brady Oliveira for 34 yards. Next, Zach Collaros threw two passes for 29 yards to Kenny Lawler and Greg McCrae.
The Blue Bombers gave the ball back to Brady Oliveira for three more carries for 20 yards on the Elks’ six-yard line. Winnipeg finished the drive when Zach Collaros faked a handoff to Oliveira before spinning around and throwing a touchdown pass to Rasheed Bailey. It was now 28-14 with 6:46 left of the game.
In desperation, Edmonton tried to find a way to get back into the game. Facing third down, Taylor Cornelius tried to throw the ball toward Dillon Mitchell but Willie Jefferson was right there for the breakup and Winnipeg took over on downs.
After killing more clock, Winnipeg punted the ball back to Edmonton with 1:09 left. The Blue Bombers’ defense sacked Taylor Cornelius twice, one by Willie Jefferson and the other by Jackson Jeffcoat. On third down, Demerio Houston intercepted Cornelius’s pass and the Blue Bombers lined up in victory formation. Winnipeg defeated Edmonton by the final score of 28-14.
This was a nice rebound by Winnipeg. They took over the second half and made things hard for Cornelius. Zach Collaros finished the night completing 20 of 24 passes (83.3%) for 308 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and one carry for two yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira led the rushers with 17 carries for 110 yards, and two catches for ten yards. Wide receivers Nic Demski and Kenny Lawler combined for 11 catches totaling 208 yards and one touchdown. Winnipeg’s defense allowed 309 yards, with 43 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions.
For Edmonton, the losing streak continues. However, they hung around for three quarters until Winnipeg busted the game open. Taylor Cornelius completed 17 of 29 passes (58.6%) for 220 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, and led the rushers with four carries for 57 yards. He made some good plays in the game but he collapses under pressure and is unable to recover.
Cornelius has shown the ability to make good passes and use his legs. However, he does not have an offensive line to protect him and thus he is making crucial mistakes. Edmonton is going to have to change up the roster again and this team has an identity crisis.
Edmonton running back Kevin Brown had 11 carries for 51 yards, and wide receiver Dillon Mitchell had four catches for 115 yards and one touchdown. Edmonton’s defense allowed 424 yards, with 51 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble.
Next week, the Edmonton Elks host the B.C. Lions next Saturday at 7 pm on CBS Sports Network, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are on a bye week. Subscribe to Fubo to watch all of the 2023 CFL Season. Purchase CFL tickets today on StubHub and Viagogo.
