Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Toronto., July 26, 2025

[gobombersgo]

[Stats Junkie]

Means nothing at all.  They can use their "6G-extension" mulligan to still save the SMS, even if they dress him next week.  It's like a coy MOS move.  Tells us nothing.

Chad Kelly has been on the 1-game IL all season and practicing periodically including twice this past week. He was moved to the 6-game IL today. I see this as a setback.

TOR   KELLY, Chad   QB
Jul 25 - EXT ON SINGLE GAME INJURY
Jul 26 - TRF TO SIX GAME INJURY

[Big Daddy]

I may be alone here, and that's fine.  I may get roasted - go ahead.

O'Shea is approaching this right.  I liked his analogy about a car because he doesn't know anything about cars, and so he would panic. 

He clearly knows more than I do about coaching football, that is a low bar.  I believe he knows more than anyone here on the forum as well. 

Even Doug Brown spoke about this post-game - they see these players way more than anyone else, know more about their abilities (this was in relation to the question if Mitchell should start next week, but I think it holds true beyond that topic). 

We have had unprecedented success over the past 6 years, at least in the modern era. The ability to assess talent and pull together a winning team doesn't just evaporate.

Now it is true, we have been the big dog for years and we then lose players like every team that has been successful experiences.  Honestly we have been way more successful than past teams in keeping players because they want to be here. 

And that brings up another major point - the locker room and the buy in this team has had for years.  That is a big part of the success over the past 5 years, and years leading up to it.

Most here aren't calling for coach Osh to be fired, but I've seen that - the need for changes all around.  That would be a huge mistake.  Lose that, and someone else gets that special locker room mentality.

It's been a terrible run of 3 games, worst in a long while. 

Let's keep it in perspective. 

I don't want another 28 years of hoping to find the right combination to finally be relevant again.

[Blueforlife]

bo and kenny will break Dunigans 713 yards against us

I'll give 2 to one odds they won't

I may be alone here, and that's fine.  I may get roasted - go ahead.

O'Shea is approaching this right.  I liked his analogy about a car because he doesn't know anything about cars, and so he would panic. 

He clearly knows more than I do about coaching football, that is a low bar.  I believe he knows more than anyone here on the forum as well. 

Even Doug Brown spoke about this post-game - they see these players way more than anyone else, know more about their abilities (this was in relation to the question if Mitchell should start next week, but I think it holds true beyond that topic). 

We have had unprecedented success over the past 6 years, at least in the modern era. The ability to assess talent and pull together a winning team doesn't just evaporate.

Now it is true, we have been the big dog for years and we then lose players like every team that has been successful experiences.  Honestly we have been way more successful than past teams in keeping players because they want to be here. 

And that brings up another major point - the locker room and the buy in this team has had for years.  That is a big part of the success over the past 5 years, and years leading up to it.

Most here aren't calling for coach Osh to be fired, but I've seen that - the need for changes all around.  That would be a huge mistake.  Lose that, and someone else gets that special locker room mentality.

It's been a terrible run of 3 games, worst in a long while. 

Let's keep it in perspective. 

I don't want another 28 years of hoping to find the right combination to finally be relevant again.

Couldn't have said it better myself, we have seen eye to eye on many things on here for years, well said, well written, agree all
Nobody going to roast you on this one

Bonds should be gone as well, no question. Couldn't cover a bet.

Bonds has been a reliable player, calling for his head is a knee jerk reactionary idea.  You called for Halls head for the years before we got to 5 cups in a row.  Bonds is the least of our worries imo.

Cutting Bonds would instantly make is a worse club and I'll put 3 to 1 odds on its not happening this season.

That is entirely possible. I've never seen our secondary play as bad as it has the last 3 games.

I got money to take that action all day, will not happen, maybe not ever

And in those 3 games we've allowed passing yards of 222, 267, and 316.

But people are expecting 700+??

Cmon guys. Give it a rest.

I knew the forum would come unhinged but I was wrong, we ripped the door off the frame on this one

That is entirely possible. I've never seen our secondary play as bad as it has the last 3 games.

This era off Bombers on has had such a good run that our recent 3 games seam really bad but they are not (based on previous eras).  We sucked really bad for many many years outside of the Dave Ritchie years.  We use to lose by 40 points.  We are an average club, we have seen so much worse but not during this current era.

We have a good QB.  It seemed like there was a decade where we didn't.  Ok might be stretching a bit.

Those that say Zach is done are wrong imo.  When healthy he still has got it.  Needs an OL and a good run game.  Rest will sort out on O.  I don't have the answers for how to fix the secondary.

The suggestion that BA can fix our problems on D is a massive stretch.

I don't think we are getting Hollins.

[TecnoGenius]

Chad Kelly has been on the 1-game IL all season and practicing periodically including twice this past week. He was moved to the 6-game IL today. I see this as a setback.

Yowzers!  Now THAT is bad GM roster management.  What were they thinking??  Imagine the SMS wasted already on this!  Pinball out of his mind?  Unless he's looking superb out of TC, you put him on the 6G!

Ok, forget what I said, this roster move does mean something now.  Not that it helps us... we're gonna lose to their garbage team again next week... probably.

[TecnoGenius]

Bonds should be gone as well, no question. Couldn't cover a bet.

Bridges yes.  Bonds... you'd have to have someone stellar in the wings, and we don't.  One problem at a time.  My view of Bonds right now is "adequate".  (And let's not forget that I/we thought Bonds was the Bridges of '24... so there is hope for both, really.  It's just that I don't think we can wait this time.)

[TecnoGenius]

O'Shea is approaching this right.  I liked his analogy about a car because he doesn't know anything about cars, and so he would panic. 

I think it was a dig on us and the pundits/press.  Kinda like: shut up, I know my job you don't.  I guess that's fair, but we can still have opinions and attempt to study what is going on.

I mostly agree with your post, and in no way should we fire any Mafia.

But it's also clear that the MOS "each guy just wants 1 or 2 plays back" schtick isn't describing the situation properly.  Last 3 games it's more like "10 guys want 5-10 plays back, the rest want 1-2 plays back".

And the "you can't just replace a guy and instantly be better" also rings a bit hollow when we see so many other teams load up later in season and instantly be better.  Ya, like Sayles or Houston or Ford "coming home" wouldn't instantly make us better with Bridges on the bench.  And Kenny or Gino in for Case wouldn't instantly make us better?  Even if all of them stunk, they'd all get RESPECT from the other team instead of blatant advantage-taking!  That makes their whole unit better.

And Mafia has benched or cut underperforming, or even decent, players mid-season before, and almost always did it make us better for the playoff run.  So it's kind of hypocritical to say roster shuffling and helicopter drops can never help.

He's right that this is fixable, and right we'll be better.  But key moves have to be made.  I expect we may see the start of that very soon with Bridges as the first domino (though if Vaval to IR it makes that harder).

[Waffler]

BA37 is on the couch, AFAIK.

Yes, letting Biggie just walk away to spill all the beans to main-rival CGY was stupid.

We could have BA37 on the roster, on 6GIR, tomorrow, with no bonus and whatever salary we want to pay him... because there will be ZERO SMS HIT if he stays 6G all year.  That's what CGY is doing with Biggie.

It's a free coach, with a decade of wisdom (both players!) helping out the new guys and manning tablets.  It doesn't count against the coach cap OR the player cap.  For a $-filled team like us, it is stupid we didn't/aren't doing this.

Outsmarted by Dickenson The Greater.  Well, there's a reason he's The Greater.

Alexander is already employed by the Bombers. They call it " amateur football ambassador " but I am sure he also shares his knowledge with the DB's on occasion.

[Waffler]

that foot is broke

No need to be a Dr. When they have to support his foot like that there are broken bones. It's his season, perhaps career. Feel for him.

[Waffler]

I posted after last game how our best team has slowly been dismantled by age and free agency. Death by a thousand cuts I called it.

Virtually every major free agent we lost ended in a downgrade. How do we look with Ford, Lawler and Dobson? And that's just this year. Coaching seems the same. When we had Lapo and Hall we dominated the league.  Now I wonder if we couldn't improve by swapping Hall with Younger and Jackson with Hogan. 

Biggie, Alexander, Andrew Harris, all aged out. We are currently witnessing the final acts for Bryant and Collaros.

It remains to be seen if we can recruit like we used to without Ted Goveia. I am guessing no since this year hasn't produced anyone you would say is a future star.

I think we should take a hard look at what Calgary did this past offseason. That was a big a blow up as I have seen in recent years but it has paid off.

[Waffler]

We haven't run a FG fake since like '15.  I like the attempt, but it was a really long one.

One of the more hopeless fakes I have ever seen. Direct snap it or have Sheahan toss it to a real football player, someone faster, someone who can take on contact and still get that last yard that we needed.

[Pigskin]

I posted after last game how our best team has slowly been dismantled by age and free agency. Death by a thousand cuts I called it.

Virtually every major free agent we lost ended in a downgrade. How do we look with Ford, Lawler and Dobson? And that's just this year. Coaching seems the same. When we had Lapo and Hall we dominated the league.  Now I wonder if we couldn't improve by swapping Hall with Younger and Jackson with Hogan. 

Biggie, Alexander, Andrew Harris, all aged out. We are currently witnessing the final acts for Bryant and Collaros.

It remains to be seen if we can recruit like we used to without Ted Goveia. I am guessing no since this year hasn't produced anyone you would say is a future star.

I think we should take a hard look at what Calgary did this past offseason. That was a big a blow up as I have seen in recent years but it has paid off.

You can add Neufled to the list, but this is all true. There is a cost to going to 5 straight Grey Cups.

[BomberFan73]

Alexander is already employed by the Bombers. They call it " amateur football ambassador " but I am sure he also shares his knowledge with the DB's on occasion.

I can say he's popping in at local football teams practices and giving tips.

[TBURGESS]

Our dynasty is officially dead. We got beat by a 1-5 team by 14 who has a ton of injuries including their starting QB.  

[Blueforlife]

I posted after last game how our best team has slowly been dismantled by age and free agency. Death by a thousand cuts I called it.

Virtually every major free agent we lost ended in a downgrade. How do we look with Ford, Lawler and Dobson? And that's just this year. Coaching seems the same. When we had Lapo and Hall we dominated the league.  Now I wonder if we couldn't improve by swapping Hall with Younger and Jackson with Hogan. 

Biggie, Alexander, Andrew Harris, all aged out. We are currently witnessing the final acts for Bryant and Collaros.

It remains to be seen if we can recruit like we used to without Ted Goveia. I am guessing no since this year hasn't produced anyone you would say is a future star.

I think we should take a hard look at what Calgary did this past offseason. That was a big a blow up as I have seen in recent years but it has paid off.

Recuiting took a hit no doubt he also scooped the guys he liked from us

No need to be a Dr. When they have to support his foot like that there are broken bones. It's his season, perhaps career. Feel for him.

Showed promise with his speed
Such a setback for him
Nice to see the empathy here
Agree all