Official Game Day Thread - Calgary at Winnipeg, July 18, 2025

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Not at all. I'm just point out that the pure math or yardage is only part of the equation. I did qualify that as I'd consider it a success.  However also just making a comment about how that was relative to Schoen's contribution in 2025. We know that was low for him , but it is what it is. Schoen was part of our offence that struggled quite a bit in 2025. Collaros missed game one and wasn't clicking at 100%.

True that Case is smaller and doesn't look to be suited as a blocker but size is not everything. He doesn't have to put an opponent on his back to be effective.

I've never seen him practice so I have no idea what his skill set looks like aside from what O'Shea says.

Kudos or complaints come after some games played.

Watch the video on Case posted earlier today, it shows he had a high level of skill, good hands and speed in college.

[TecnoGenius]

I am starting to lose patience with the Schoen situation. Off all last year with injuries, back for a short while this year and now back on the 6 game.

And his "injury" was another non-contact in the last game, right?  It's a total disaster.  Almost certainly out the whole 6G, and possibly the season.  I'll have to go back and check to see if it was the same knee.  Does anyone remember which knee was busted in '24?

[TecnoGenius]

So here's the thing, most teams are moving to huge/tall RECs, like that new CGY guy, McInnis, Cottoy, etc.  Most teams have one.  Some teams have 3+.

Schoen wasn't tall, but at least he had some beef.  Without Schoen we're a team of water bugs now.  Ya, Wheatie is a tall Kenny-type, and Clercius is huge but he's a 5th read NAT.  But Demski, Sterns, Case are all water bugs.  Easily thrown aside in blocking, and can't catch in close coverage because they are not tall.

They will all need superior routes and separation to get anything done.  And they can't be used in the middle taking widowmakers because they are too tiny with no beef.

We're in a heap of trouble against any good team right now.

[TecnoGenius]

We picked a great time to try out a completely new OL lineup, against the league best team who gets tons of pressure and 100% shuts down the run game.  Vanterpool's first start at LT I think.  Still no Lofton at RT.  Wallace with very few LG starts.

I think only 2 guys are starting in their original "desired lineup" spots: Ko-man and Neuf.

Pair that with a brand new starting REC who has zero gel with Zach in the most critical #1 REC spot and I hate to say it, but there's going to be a heck of a lot of groaning, boos, and early leavers on Fri night, maybe putting an end to our streak of sell-outs.

If we have any hope of winning, it'll have to be the D that does it with +3 takeaways.

Any chance we can trade away all our '26 DPs for E.Lewis right about now?

[TecnoGenius]

CGY already dressing Herdman-Reed in his first week as a Stamp.  Biggie never gonna play...

[The Zipp]

We picked a great time to try out a completely new OL lineup, against the league best team who gets tons of pressure and 100% shuts down the run game.  Vanterpool's first start at LT I think.  Still no Lofton at RT.  Wallace with very few LG starts.

I think only 2 guys are starting in their original "desired lineup" spots: Ko-man and Neuf.

Pair that with a brand new starting REC who has zero gel with Zach in the most critical #1 REC spot and I hate to say it, but there's going to be a heck of a lot of groaning, boos, and early leavers on Fri night, maybe putting an end to our streak of sell-outs.

If we have any hope of winning, it'll have to be the D that does it with +3 takeaways.

Any chance we can trade away all our '26 DPs for E.Lewis right about now?

dude - did you have an extra helping of lemons with your supper ??  pretty sour on the big blue.  it is going to be a rough game but i think we will compete and win an ugly one. 

[TecnoGenius]

dude - did you have an extra helping of lemons with your supper ??  pretty sour on the big blue.  it is going to be a rough game but i think we will compete and win an ugly one.

Ya, the Schoen news is hitting me pretty hard.  I'm very bummed out.  Only a return of Schoen or Pokey, or a theft of a top-5 REC from somewhere else will change my mind.

We have a non-mobile QB and now no top REC threat, possibly for weeks/season.  We have no REC that will demand top respect/coverage.  Ya Demski, and even Wheatie, will be respected, but not like Schoen or Kenny would.  This allows more blitzing and even more attention to Demski, assuring he won't be open.  You need that one elite top guy (like yards-leader in '22/'23 Schoen) to keep a D honest.

Put it this way, we stunk against CGY with a "better" OL, and better REC corps last week.  How can it be better this week with worse talent?

The only hope is scheme, if Younger/Hall can do to VAJ what they have in the past when he was in BC.  Possible, yes.  I guess Hogan could also out-scheme CGY's D, but he may be too green to pull it off.  It'll take a completely different look to get it done.

[Pete]

In football, maybe more than any other sport, intensity is everything. Last game Calgary had it and we didn't. We took to many inopportune penalties and got behind early.
I don't think that will be the case this week.
I just hope Zac trusts his o line , I've seen when he doesn't and he rushes his plays to a poor end result

[Jesse]

The only hope is scheme, if Younger/Hall can do to VAJ what they have in the past when he was in BC.  Possible, yes.  I guess Hogan could also out-scheme CGY's D, but he may be too green to pull it off.  It'll take a completely different look to get it done.

I believe the exact opposite. Scheme was fine. There were just multiple mental errors from players that cost us big.

Brady was dragging us to a TD on our first drive until a holding call held us to a FG. Multiple coverage breaks where receivers weren't handed off as they left the zone. Vaval not conceding a single. Zach turning the ball over.

Player mental errors. Not scheme.

[The Zipp]

Ya, the Schoen news is hitting me pretty hard.  I'm very bummed out.  Only a return of Schoen or Pokey, or a theft of a top-5 REC from somewhere else will change my mind.

We have a non-mobile QB and now no top REC threat, possibly for weeks/season.  We have no REC that will demand top respect/coverage.  Ya Demski, and even Wheatie, will be respected, but not like Schoen or Kenny would.  This allows more blitzing and even more attention to Demski, assuring he won't be open.  You need that one elite top guy (like yards-leader in '22/'23 Schoen) to keep a D honest.

Put it this way, we stunk against CGY with a "better" OL, and better REC corps last week.  How can it be better this week with worse talent?

The only hope is scheme, if Younger/Hall can do to VAJ what they have in the past when he was in BC.  Possible, yes.  I guess Hogan could also out-scheme CGY's D, but he may be too green to pull it off.  It'll take a completely different look to get it done.

i am worried about Hogan HOWEVER don't forget that zach served up 2 pick 6's and the bombers looked non interested.  we are at home and i hope riled up. 

[TecnoGenius]

In football, maybe more than any other sport, intensity is everything.

Intensity, physicality and violence.  The problem is our whole team is very "small".  CGY clearly went for the beef this season.  Huge R's, massive OL, massive front 7 guys.  Do they have anyone "small".

We can try to match them, but we may not have the guys to do it.  That leaves out-braining them.  We've often done it in the reg season, and WDFs, but then we brain-toot in GCs.  What kind of game will this be?

[TecnoGenius]

I believe the exact opposite. Scheme was fine. There were just multiple mental errors from players that cost us big.

Non-dive attempts by Schoen, whiffs by a couple of RECs, inaccuracies by Zach, etc.  Ya, execution was bad, but I don't think it was enough to change the result.  Look at how effortlessly CGY's O moved the ball in massive chunks...

And I also worry after seeing CGY destroying SSK's run game (with resurgent Oullette and healthy Yoshi!), as well as neutering our run game 2 weeks ago.  CGY clearly is able to stop the run.  Without the run, and no Schoen, there is no hope.

[Jesse]

Non-dive attempts by Schoen, whiffs by a couple of RECs, inaccuracies by Zach, etc.  Ya, execution was bad, but I don't think it was enough to change the result.  Look at how effortlessly CGY's O moved the ball in massive chunks...

And I also worry after seeing CGY destroying SSK's run game (with resurgent Oullette and healthy Yoshi!), as well as neutering our run game 2 weeks ago.  CGY clearly is able to stop the run.  Without the run, and no Schoen, there is no hope.

Full disclosure: I think Sask are pretenders and they'll have their usual 7 game losing streak at some point.

Calgary is much improved but I fully expect a very different game with us at home and coming off a bye.

[TecnoGenius]

Calgary is much improved but I fully expect a very different game with us at home and coming off a bye.

You're assuming anyone did any extra work during the bye to make anything different...

As for SSK, I agree, I think we shut them down real good when we face them 3 times.  But it's starting to look like they aren't the ones we have to worry about to win the W this year.

[Jesse]

You're assuming anyone did any extra work during the bye to make anything different...

WOW Dude, step off the ledge.

We're like 14-0 coming off the bye week. And still 3-1 this season. Keep it together.