One poor result is generally not a reason to panic, but the CFL regular season schedule is only 18 games long and an 0-2 start could have a big impact come playoff time. That’s the hole the Winnipeg Blue Bombers find themselves in early in the 2024 season as their push to reach a fifth straight Grey Cup suddenly looks a little tougher.

So, what’s wrong with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers?

Positives

Call me Positive Pete because I’m giving Bombers fans the good new first. It’s still very early in the season and there’s plenty of time for Winnipeg to turn things around. There’s 16 games left in the regular season and there’s only one team in the West Division without a loss in the first two weeks, Saskatchewan.

Winnipeg’s defence looked much better in Week 2. Willie Jefferson recorded a quarterback sack and a tackle for a loss, Tyrell Ford made some big plays and Adam Bighill had four tackles in his season debut. Redha Kramdi was particularly effective, making a game-high eight tackles, one from behind the line, and knocking down a pass.

Filling in for an injured Kenny Lawler, rookie receiver Keric Wheatfall had a very impressive CFL debut in Week 2. Wheatfall racked up 111 yards on three catches, including a 76-yard run that nearly ended up in the end zone. He’ll need a better nose for the end zone, but it was still an encouraging start to his CFL career.

Negatives

Sorry, now it’s time for the negatives and it starts at the most important position, quarterback. Zach Collaros hasn’t looked right through two games. The two-time Most Outstanding Player has an awful 54.7 completion percentage and he’s thrown three interceptions with no touchdowns.

A big factor in Collaros’ struggles is the offensive line, which isn’t giving him enough time to throw the ball and make smart decisions. New starters Liam Dobson and Eric Lofton struggled against Ottawa’s pass rush in Week 2 and Collaros was sacked three times. That lack of protection will prove costly if Collaros goes down with an injury.

The rushing attack has been just as stagnant. The Bombers only had 42 rushing yards against Ottawa, averaging just three yards per run. You can’t blame the struggles on Brady Oliveira missing the game with a knee injury because Oliveira didn’t look any better the week before against Montreal, finishing with just 38 yards on 11 carries.

I gave Winnipeg’s defence their flowers already and now it’s time to fertilize those flowers. The Blue Bombers allowed RedBlacks running back Ryquell Armstead to torch them for 95 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, while Justin Hardy broke free for 111 yards in the air and a touchdown.

Winnipeg also needs to generate more turnovers. They have just one turnover on the season and zero forced fumbles.

Verdict

The big question for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers right now is, has age caught up to them, or is this a small blip on the radar? Winnipeg has been hugely impressive for a long time. They’ve won at least 10 games in seven straight seasons, they’ve reach four straight Grey Cups and their 29 wins over the last two years is the best two-year run in team history.

But, the Bombers’ franchise quarterback Collaros turns 36 this season, injuries are depleting both sides of the ball and the rest of the league looks like it’s catching up. It’s too early to write off Winnipeg, but they’re entering Week 3 with a lot of question marks.