But a quarterback can also be a tone setter from what he says and does during the work week and, in that respect, Zach Collaros has certainly made it clear over the last few days where he stands on tonight's critical West Division showdown with the Calgary Stampeders, a game with so many playoff implications.

"It's going to be a lot of fun. You're in Princess Auto Stadium in front of the best fans in the CFL and Canada -- shoot, North America," began the Blue Bombers QB1 in his media session Friday afternoon. "It's going to be a lot of fun.

"Like I said yesterday, it's fall time, so it has a real football feel to it, the crisp air. It's supposed to be a little bit warmer (today) but once the sun goes down, the way the lights hit the field here at the stadium, it's really a special thing.

"And when you run out there about an hour before and half the stadium is already packed it's really a great feeling. So, it's going to be a lot of fun."

Just so we're all on the same page here, by our count that's three 'lot of fun' references in one answer. And it could be said this approach is crucially important given the state this football team was a week ago after getting throttled 37-10 by the Montreal Alouettes.

Yes, there are enough veterans on this squad to preach that whether you lose by one point or 27, the response is what matters most. Still, when it's the quarterback -- a man who has missed the last two games -- who is saying it loudest, well, there's enormous value in that.

Collaros has often spoken of his appreciation over the last couple of years but clearly that gets heightened at this time of year and given how his own season has played out after missing six starts due to injury. A story he told Friday reinforced that appreciation theme.

"I remember a friend of mine in high school and we were playing in a state championship game and he said something to me like in the middle of the game, 'Take a look around the stadium' -- it was one of the biggest games I had played in to that point -- 'and remember all this.' I still remember that moment," Collaros said.

"Sometimes you've got to find little moments like that in the game, before the game. I mean, we're playing a kid's sport. So, you have to just find those little things that bring you some joy in why you play the game."

During his media session Friday Collaros was also asked a simple, but poignant question: just how much does it mean for him to be back on the field?

Winnipeg's QB1 didn't waste a second on his response.

"A lot. A lot," he said. "As I discussed yesterday, it's not a decision you make lightly. Again, I feel very comfortable with the decision that we made, that I ultimately made. And I want to be out there with the guys I've being this with for a long time and I want to do it in front of our fans.

"It's going to be a really great environment."

You can watch his entire media session here:

ICYMI, here is our Game Preview:

And what follows is this week's collection of notes and quotes in another edition of Game Day HQ...

THE 'IT FACTOR'

More on Collaros...

His return has certainly sparked this club during its practice week and, again, that's massive given how flat everything looked in the loss in Montreal. Coaches and players refer to the influence a player has in that regard as the 'It Factor.'

We asked head coach Mike O'Shea to expand on that as it relates to Collaros.

"I guess if I spoke better English, I'd probably have a better word for it," O'Shea said with a chuckle. "All those attributes that a professional quarterback should have, he has in spades. And somehow, it oozes out of his pores. You can stand near him and feel it. He's just got that grit and competitive desire -- plus, the athleticism and the vision and all the stuff that makes him a good quarterback.

"It's the intangibles. He doesn't really even need to say much. Sometimes it's just a look he has."

While we're on the QB1 subject, check out this exceptional behind-the-scenes piece Josh Kjarsgaard, our Senior Manager, Creative Content, put together after a recent visit to the Collaros household:

GO TIME

More on the joy and excitement narrative the Blue Bombers are bringing into this one from the CFL's leading rusher, Brady Oliveira:

"Last week wasn't good enough. We all know that, but what I'm seeing is a whole lot of excitement," Oliveira said Friday. "I'm just ecstatic to go out there for another opportunity to play the game that I love. There's just a lot of good vibes and energy throughout locker room.

"I've said it throughout the year, the guys put a lot of work into this, and our coaches do as well. Our expectation is to go out there and put on good performances and unfortunately, we haven't done enough of that this year. But the vibes in the locker room have been really good and I sense a lot of excitement."

Oliveira also leaned into this being the last home game of the regular season -- Winnipeg finishes with road trips to Edmonton and B.C. -- and how the chances to control their own fate are thinning.

"We're starting to realize that these opportunities are starting to become very limited," he said. "We don't know how many more opportunities we'll get this season. So, if we want more, it's on us to go out there and make sure we give ourselves more opportunities in the future to play the game that we love.

"Obviously, the stakes are high but if we just go out there and play loose, play free... we put in the work. We're confident, so just go out there and play free and let the chips fall where they may."

QUOTABLE

"We put ourselves in this spot. But we also recognize as a group that when we play good football, we can win tough games. So, it's just time to start playing good football." -- head coach Mike O'Shea

NOTABLE

• Receiver Tim White is 97 receiving yards from his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season, which is the most among active CFL players. Here's Collaros on what he has enjoyed most about working with the veteran receiver this season, his first in Winnipeg:

"His professionalism. I don't think he missed a practice and the way he conducts himself and carries himself in the locker room, in the meeting room, on the field, off the field. Getting to know his kids a little bit and being around his family has been cool, too.

"But I would say what certainly jumps off is his professionalism. On the field he's a great player, he's been a great player for a long time but it's just the way he carries himself and the leadership he provides in that room without even having to say too much. When you're around people like that he's just kind of magnetic with the way that he works and guys want to work like him. Being next to him in the locker room has been great because I can feed off that as well."

• Brady Oliveira needs 145 yards from scrimmage to become the 11^th Canadian to reach 9,000. With 6,747 rushing yards, he needs 98 to pass Jon Cornish for 16^th

  all-time.

• Tui Eli will step in for Tyler Elsbury at centre tonight in the one other noticeable change to the offensive lineup.

  

  "I'm excited to play and, as always, just to help this team however I can," said Eli. "Every game feels like the biggest game of the year to me. You always want to do your best; you always want to get that 'W.'" Asked what a good outing would look like for him, he added: "Overall, getting the win. Keeping Zach up and getting Brady some yards. Doing my job by any means."

ICYMI

Sam Calvert and yours truly always sit down to preview each game during the season. Here's our chat about tonight's critical matchup with the Stamps in this week's Game Day -1: