WINNIPEG – Three games played, three games won to start the 2025 season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, defeating the Edmonton Elks to open WestJet Canada Day Weekend.
While the Elks certainly made the Bombers sweat, Zach Collaros showcased his two-way talents, connecting with many of Winnipeg’s talented receivers in the process, while the Bombers defence stood their ground to claim victory.
CFL.ca brings you three key stats from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ win over the Edmonton Elks.
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2 – NIC DEMSKI TOUCHDOWNS
You’d never know it with the way he played on Thursday night, but Nic Demski was a game time decision, dealing with a nagging ankle injury. Once confirmed to be playing, Demski made every play look easy as he recorded two touchdowns and 97 yards on five receptions.
His first touchdown of the game opened the scoring for the Bombers, while his second was a 60-yard rocket from Collaros that marked three touchdowns on three drives for the Bombers as they built a strong lead that allowed them to play their signature Winnipeg football despite Edmonton’s comeback attempts.
0 – POINTS ALLOWED BY THE WINNIPEG DEFENCE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER
While the Edmonton defence deserves their credit for holding the Bombers to zero points in the third quarter after amassing a 10-point lead going into the half, it was Winnipeg’s defence who flipped the script in the fourth quarter and halted the Elks from getting their first win of the season.
Winnipeg’s defence had an all around solid night, as Willie Jefferson hit a milestone with his 75th career sack late in the game. The Bombers recorded three total sacks for a loss of 32 yards, as Tony Jones and Kyrie Wilson also were able to get to Tre Ford.
Redha Kramdi had a forced fumble and James Vaughters had a massive fumble recovery after a previous Winnipeg turnover, with the two joining Jones and Wilson with at least four defensive tackles on the night.
1 – ZACH COLLAROS RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS
Three rushing touchdowns in the last ten years might not seem like much – Collaros has the juice in the air to connect with his receivers for the score – but when he decides to take it into the end zone himself, it’s always special.
Scrambling to avoid a full blitz from the Elks, Collaros made every defender in his way miss and ran in a 13-yard score to give the Bombers some much-needed insurance late after initially leading by only three points late.