'Didn't have our best game,' but Bombers coach defends decision to keep injured quarterback in Grey Cup

Mike O'Shea stood in front of reporters Friday and kept his cool while answering questions about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' 41-24 Grey Cup loss to the Toronto Argonauts last weekend.

The head coach was asked if he made a mistake keeping injured quarterback Zach Collaros in the game, why star running back Brady Oliveira didn't get the ball more and whether a flawed game plan led to Winnipeg's third consecutive championship loss.

"As an entire team, we didn't have our best game," O'Shea said in his end-of-the-season press conference. "We didn't lack effort. We didn't lack desire.

"We didn't have our best game as an entire team. Three phases. Coaches — everybody. Me especially."

O'Shea admitted he missed calling a timeout in the fourth quarter when there were only 11 Blue Bombers on the field instead of 12.

"I don't get the count over the headset as quickly as I probably need to, we can't count. As I'm seeing a guy come off, that's the right time for that timeout that I should have used," O'Shea said.

He also said he should have used a challenge flag earlier on a play he didn't identify, and checked on his players more during the game.

But hindsight wouldn't change his decision to put Collaros back in the game after the index finger on his throwing hand was cut deep when it hit a defender's helmet.

"He absolutely deserves every opportunity to lead this team," O'Shea said. "From what I saw and from chatting with him very briefly, I felt really comfortable with that. I didn't think it was going to be easy, but I thought it's Zach, so.…"

The injury to Collaros's finger happened late in the third quarter when the Blue Bombers were trailing the Argonauts 17-10.

The veteran left the game and returned with a bandaged finger that needed five stitches and a numbing agent. He wore a glove on the hand and told reporters earlier this week it was difficult to grip the ball.

Collaros said he warned receivers in the huddle his throws might not have the usual zip and they should be prepared to come back for the ball.

"[I] saw him delivering the ball on the sidelines. Then you see him deliver a couple balls out there and some of them are pretty damn good, right?" O'Shea said.

"The awareness of Zach to say to the receivers, 'hey, work a little harder for me,' I think it's natural and what should be said. I think they already know that."

When Collaros re-entered the game, he threw interceptions in back-to-back series.

"On one of them he got rid of the ball and I thought it was a good ball and the defensive player made a good play," O'Shea said of the picks. "One slipped right out of his hand or I don't know if it got tipped or not. You've got to give him that opportunity."

Offence 'extremely well-prepared': O'Shea

Oliveira was questioning his lack of opportunities in the game when he spoke to reporters earlier in the week.

The CFL's newly minted most outstanding player and top Canadian only had 11 carries for 84 yards and one late touchdown.

About 17 or 18 run plays were called, O'Shea said.

"One starts off with a procedure penalty in the first and then six of those get pulled because there's X number of guys in the box or the read says this is not a run play anymore, this is now a pass play," he said.

"You call that many runs and then a pile of them get pulled because of the structure of the defence. That's OK with me at that point."

O'Shea said Bombers offensive co-ordinator Buck Pierce has been granted permission to talk to CFL teams with head-coaching job openings. The B.C. Lions are reportedly interested in Pierce. The Edmonton Elks also have a vacant head coach spot.

If Pierce doesn't become a head coach, O'Shea said he wants him to stay in Winnipeg. He believes Pierce had the offence "extremely well-prepared" for the Grey Cup.

"I'm never going to question the play-calling, and I think what's going on here is we're questioning," O'Shea said.

"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. We're starting to try and find all these answers and question all these people that were 0-4 and 2-6 and then 10-1, and we just didn't play our best game."

The Bombers finished 11-7 and claimed the West Division title that earned them a fifth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup. They won the championship in 2019 and '21, but lost 28-24 to the Montreal Alouettes last year and 24-23 to Toronto in 2023.

"We're the same group that got there, that went on a phenomenal run after a bad start, and a bad start for a lot of reasons that we overcame," O'Shea said.

"I just, I don't question any of it. I look for answers, too. I watch the film over and over and over again. And look to already make notes on how we're going to be better, how we're going to get back there again."