Official Game Day Thread - Calgary at Winnipeg, July 12, 2024

[Blue In BC]

The Bombers needed that win, that was a ballsy call by to go for the 2 point convert, getting it gave them a huge confidence boost, similar to when Calgary converted that 3rd and 3 late in the 3rd quarter.  Sure was a fun game to watch, hard on the nerves though, LoL

Yeah. The 4 points or more was critical. Fun game to watch if you win and we did. Horrible game to watch when you consider how many huge mistakes we made but still overcame them. It was gut check time.

[Blitzer]

With Wilson and Lucky Whitehead in the lineup this should get interesting.

[Pigskin]

Excellent crowd on a very hot and humid night. ZC8 was much better, and found a way to beat there blitz in the second half.

ZC8: 27/36 2TD, 2Int, 9.6 avg. I didn't like the throw to the end zone that was picked off with Clercius wide open on the sidelines.

D was sloppy tonight. Need to find a DE that can get some pressure. Hoping Garbutt is the answer. 

[Blue In BC]

With Wilson and Lucky Whitehead in the lineup this should get interesting.

I think after the game against the Riders we'll see Lawler back on the roster. Might see Garbutt ready to be our DE.

Next week we could see 1 or 2 of our PR receivers replace Johnson and Mitchell?

[dd]

You may as well line up a pylon if you don't throw to them. We also have 3 receivers on the PR now, so I think he gets bumped to the PR or outright released over the weekend.

Gauthier still a factor on ST's. Drew an illegal block penalty just before half time. Glad he's not taking reps on defence anymore.

Thomas got flattened and the Stamps had a 53 yard running play. He also got caught in the wash including a long passing play a couple of times.

Essentially he was ineffective until he made a critical sack in the last couple of minutes when Stamps were trying to make something happen and were pressing.

He needs to be taking less reps on defence. He is increasingly become more of a liability. Mills had an average of over 8 yards with a total of 131. Obviously not all on Thomas but he certainly wasn't part of stopping it either.

No way no how Thomas should be starting but here's the sad sad part....the guy who shouldn't be starting is the only one who registered a sack. Where oh where is the highly paid and much talked about Jefferson?? He was single blocked all night and a complete non factor out there.

[J5V]

Those two throws by Zach, one for the winning TD and the other for the two point convert are elite QB throws. Very few QBs have that kind of touch on the ball, especially with so much at stake. The guy has ice water running through his veins and there isn't another QB like him in the CFL. What he showed today will do a lot to boost the swagger of this offence and as we figure out what we have in the other positions we are going to be electric on offence again. Very exciting and it bodes well for our future, near and far. We needed to show we were capable of hanging 40+ points on a team and we did. We are back!

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

The negatrons are disappointed. LOL!

Cancer is insidious, old Smokey says "only you can prevent its spread".  The parasites are consuming Bomber forums from the inside, amazingly with no assistance from outside sources.

[Big Daddy]

Those two throws by Zach, one for the winning TD and the other for the two point convert are elite QB throws. Very few QBs have that kind of touch on the ball, especially with so much at stake. The guy has ice water running through his veins and there isn't another QB like him in the CFL. What he showed today will do a lot to boost the swagger of this offence and as we figure out what we have in the other positions we are going to be electric on offence again. Very exciting and it bodes well for our future, near and far. We needed to show we were capable of hanging 40+ points on a team and we did. We are back!

Great points all around.  Didn't think of it myself, but hanging 40+ points in a tea is big, and something we haven't done lately.

I'm re-watching now that I'm home, I thought those passes at the end for the td and 2 pt were good when I saw them live, so looking forward to seeing it in review.

[TecnoGenius]

What are moronic challenge! You waste a challenge to win the challenge and lose 2 yards!! It should have been an inadvertent whistle and redo 1st down vs go 2nd and 12, doubt O'Shea knew rhat

There needs to be a solution to this type of play & challenge.  I was there, and I knew instantly live that it was a catch.

1) The whistle went after Demski had caught it and gained about 5Y.  The whistle did not sound immediately, that's what confused Demski and the D, and they played on as if there had been no whistle.  At the very least we should be allowed to keep the yards gained before the whistle!!  Because before the whistle all players were playing live ball.

2) If you are going to spot it at the catch and rob a team because of some moronic ref, and it's challenged, then perhaps it should be an automatic 1st down.  Or at the very least, the ball returns to the LoS.  Or a redo of down.  Something, anything to not create this insane situation where blind (or dirty) refs can rob teams of successful hitch screen plays.

3) Still, it wasn't a "waste" of a challenge because we got to keep the challenge flag.  The odds of using it twice in 1 game in the CFL these days is near 0.  However, I guess we lost a TO.

This is an aggravating outcome and I bet league-wide no fan is comfortable that this can happen.  Demski got robbed.

[TecnoGenius]

I'd be feeding him the rock and running play action, I don't think pierce can spell PA

Buck:  Uh, PO?  No... PU?  Umm... PY?  PE?  Drat.

[TecnoGenius]

3rd,and 3 on your own 37 and you go for it tells me you don't respect our defense st all

It's messed up.  BUT, Dickenson The Greater has been known to do mentally insane things at times, especially in the 3rd.  I think he thinks he has a good feel for the momentum of a game, and when he senses a shift (like Brady starting to tear it up, us getting the go-ahead), he goes to extra lengths to staunch the flow.

It's like he thinks he's doomed if he doesn't take the chance, so why not take the chance.  Kind of like the '19 WDF when he threw a completely useless challenge flag.

So I wouldn't take it personally.  He does it with many times.  The part I'd get upset at, is why we couldn't stop the mid-out on 3rd down.  Hey, you know what, that's the exact same play MTL won the GC with!  Well past time for our D to work on shutting those down...

[J5V]

Did we make some mistakes? Yes we did, but show me the perfect team that never makes a mistake. It doesn't exist.

This was a massive game for us against a divisional rival that wanted it just as bad. We found a way to win. That's what great teams do. We served notice that we are back and every team in this league took notice.

[Waffler]

wilson player of the week

O. Wilson came to play. It was 1 game but he showed speed, hands, effort and toughness.

Somebody tell me why J. Johnson and Mitchell are still on the roster? J. Johnson had 1 target and 1 catch for 7 yards. He hasn't had many games under his belt but sheesh.

Wilson didn't tear it up at first either. I recall Lawler and Bailey taking a few games also. Geroy Simon didn't catch fire until his 5th season. On the other hand some guys do light it up right away like Schoen. Physically I think Johnson has all the tools so I'd be patient.

Wilson is the real deal. If Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce could make a baby his name would be Ontaria Wilson. In fact I am thinking he could be called mini-Geroy, he's just smooth like that.

[Blue In BC]

Wilson didn't tear it up at first either. I recall Lawler and Bailey taking a few games also. Geroy Simon didn't catch fire until his 5th season. On the other hand some guys do light it up right away like Schoen. Physically I think Johnson has all the tools so I'd be patient.

Wilson is the real deal. If Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce could make a baby his name would be Ontaria Wilson. In fact I am thinking he could be called mini-Geroy, he's just smooth like that.

I agree that it takes time for new CFL receivers to get up to speed on the Canadian game. Wilson might have shown more earlier but Collaros was nicked and missed part of game 4 and all of game 5. We reverted to smash mouth football and went more with our run game.

Johnson hasn't been on the active roster as long and as I mentioned a good chunk of that was without Collaros

His disadvantage is the other 3 receivers on the PR and the fact that Lawler may be back after next week. He may drop on the overall depth chart.

Obviously it's reasonable to believe Whitehead will become the 3rd import receiver when Lawler returns.

[Blue In BC]

I re-watched the game this morning.

1. Another slow start allowing a 53 yard completion and YAC on the 1st pass followed by a TD on the opening drive.
2. Seemed to be a lot of slipping and sliding. Footwear problem adjusting to new turf?
3. Football is a game of inches and we saw that good and bad for both teams.

Zach is back. Yes he made some early mistakes but that last drive for a TD and 2 PA was elite. IIRC that started on our 12 yard line which is never an easy place to start.

Hubert looks like a talent that will become a good player. Still not enough experience but he was active and involved in his 1st start.

Even with re-watching it's difficult to see who is on the field with all the rotations. That's not a complaint, just trying to understand what we do and why in different sets. One is to keep players fresh but the strategic aspect in the game plan.

Don't think we took too many bonehead penalties but there were a few. Time count was annoying. The PI on Bonds would have been a completion any way but a mental mistake by him IMO.

Regardless he's getting better every game.