Winnipeg got exactly what it needed from its new quarterback and exactly what it's come to expect from its most electric weapon. Dru Brown made his first start as a Winnipeg Blue Bombers starter look effortless, and Trey Vavil bailed out a costly special teams miscue with a franchise-record kick return that swung the whole night.
Brown finished 25 of 31 for 339 yards in a game head coach Mike O'Shea called "very interesting" — and up there with some of the crazier ones this league has produced. But for Brown personally, stepping into the huddle at home for the first time in Bomber colors meant more than the box score.
Brown's Homecoming Start
"It was special," Brown said of running out of the tunnel in that building for the first time as a starter. "I can't really express — I feel like I say it all the time, but I really love it here. My family loves it here. And the support that I've gotten from everyone within the building and the community, it means a lot to me."
He wasn't willing to take much individual credit for the clean, efficient night through the air. "The guys, especially on a short week, are just — up front, Brady in the backfield, the guys catching the ball, they got to the right spots. I can't do any of that without the help of the other 11," Brown said.
One target got the ball more than anyone — 10 catches worth. Brown didn't overthink why. "He's a great player. Obviously everyone kind of has their things within the plan and it all depends on what the defense plays. We were able to get him going early on some intermediate, deeper play action stuff — just routes he runs really well. And then he's obviously a weapon when it gets in his hands. He's a lot of fun to throw to," Brown said.
The usually even-keeled Brown even let some emotion out on a big completion to Tommy Neal late. "I'm excited that Tommy was able to make a play — a really important play where there's a lot of trust putting the ball up in the air in that moment. And he's a really good player. I think he's just scratching the surface," Brown said.
O'Shea: "He Makes It Look Easier Than It Really Is"
O'Shea didn't hesitate when asked what stood out about Brown's first start under center. "I think he made it look easier than it really is," O'Shea said. "It would be unjust to say that, well, he just steps in because he knows this and he knows that. He works his ass off. This isn't luck. This is a guy who puts in a tremendous amount of time. That whole room does. And they are — it's interesting to see them work together. They just love it, the four of them."
"When things look easy, it's because they work their tails off for it." — Coach Mike O'Shea
O'Shea also pointed to Brown's temperament as a difference-maker, something a teammate raised after the trade that brought him to Winnipeg. "He's a really high EQ guy," O'Shea said.
The coach was also asked about a bigger-picture trend — Winnipeg has now won with three different quarterbacks behind center this season. "I do believe that we have enough maturity on offense and Tommy has a good understanding of it," O'Shea said. "Every time there's someone different under center, there's just heightened awareness — you got to give them an easier ride. They just have to do all the little things right, which may be harder at times than trying to make one big play. But I think we have enough maturity in the group that understands that."
Too Many Men, Then Trey Vavil Erases It
The game turned on a bizarre sequence. O'Shea's sideline called a timeout before a Charleston field goal try, worried Winnipeg had 13 men on the field. "I thought we had 13," O'Shea said. "I'm not going to give them a first down there."
The opponent missed the ensuing field goal attempt anyway, and Vavil took the long miss back for a touchdown — a franchise-record 129-yard return, one better than the 128 he'd previously posted in Ottawa. O'Shea made sure to note the timeout wasn't the difference. "I don't think the timeout is why he missed it. I'm not worried about what they're doing. I'm worried about what we're doing," he said.
Vavil had just fumbled a punt moments earlier, and O'Shea credited the response as much as the return itself. "That time was frantic, and then he was obviously composed by the time he returned that ball. It was support from his teammates on the sidelines that got him through that moment," O'Shea said. He also praised the awareness that made the return possible: "Trey's awareness of the end line, making sure he stays in bounds on that — a lot of guys will step back to catch the ball. That's excellent."
Just as much, O'Shea liked how the defense responded to the chaos around it. "I like the defense's resolve to take the field after some adversity and step up. You make them kick a field goal, and you end up giving up zero if the ball goes through the end zone, but we return it," he said.
Brown, for his part, was simply happy to have Vavil on his side of the ball now. "It's definitely nice because he's done it when I'm on the other side before, so I'm happy to have him," Brown said.
Sergio's a Sure Thing, Willie's a Problem
Late in the game, O'Shea sent his kicker out for another field goal rather than lean on his defense and a long field. He wasn't second-guessing it. "With Sergio and the operation and the way these guys handle their business day in and day out, I would never be putting them out there thinking that it wasn't a sure thing. Never," O'Shea said. "That was well within his range. His warm-up was excellent. The game, he was unbelievable. So yeah, trot him out there and give us some breathing room."
O'Shea also had plenty to say about Willie Jefferson's season, which now includes three sacks through five games — matching his total from all of last year. "Willie could have no sacks right now and he'd still be the most dominant defensive lineman in the league," O'Shea said. "He's always been that special. I just think people spend too much time staring at a stat line. He's making a mess back there, whether it adds up to a sack or not. Every single game he's creating havoc."
The coach credited the room around him too, pointing to the defensive front's cohesion. "I think we have a group of defensive linemen that understand the value of working together, and I don't think it's any coincidence that Jake Thomas is pushing them in that direction every single day," O'Shea said.
What's Next
Winnipeg improves to 3-2 and snaps its home losing streak with a defense, special teams unit and now a quarterback room all pulling in the same direction. Brown wasn't ready to call it a signature moment just yet. "It's hard to tell. Every winning is hard to do. Any time you win, it's a big deal," he said. With three different quarterbacks already delivering wins this season, Winnipeg heads into its next test with more depth and more answers than it had a month ago. Check the standings and schedule for what's coming up for the Blue Bombers.
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Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Dru Brown | July 10
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Coach O'Shea | July 10