Official Game Day Thread - Toronto at Winnipeg, August 1, 2025

[Jesse]

And yet throughout all his time here, he's around .500 when starting.  Weird, huh?  D and ST bailed him out every time?  Strange they only show up when Strev is QB?  Again, weird!     

I'm not even saying you're wrong: I'm saying at some point you have to look at his record and give him credit.  Milt doesn't care how you win, how many INTs you threw: Just count the W's!

I'm pretty sure Strev is, at this moment, the winningest backup QB (in terms of record this season) in the CFL.  MBT or Masoli and the like sound better on paper (i.e. they can throw!) but Strev is the one actually getting it done.

It's funny everyone (except Strevy's mom on the forum here) thinks Strev will fail all the time, and yet here we are.

He's actually the only QB with a losing record since his time here. Nichols and Collaros have winning percentages of like 90% with the same team around them that Strev has had, yet he was 5-8 entering the season (now 7-8).

[TecnoGenius]

...Strev has had, yet he was 5-8 entering the season (now 7-8).

I rest my case.

Edit, addtl:
Now, how many games has Masoli won "as a backup"?  MBT (as a backup only)?  Maier?  Arbuckle (GC notwithstanding)?  Crum?

Would you rather have never-wins Tre Ford??

[Jesse]

I rest my case.

Edit, addtl:
Now, how many games has Masoli won "as a backup"?  MBT (as a backup only)?  Maier?  Arbuckle (GC notwithstanding)?  Crum?

Would you rather have never-wins Tre Ford??

I love Strev as a back-up.

I do have to push back slightly when people prop him up too high. There's always an excuse for why he's not doing better.

[TecnoGenius]

The 2nd KO Cooley whiff, the one where TOR gets possession...

So a couple of kicks before this (a punt I think) TOR does another "moonshot".  One of our mid-wave guys takes it (Gauthier).  This is the setup...

So MOS said that he was coaching the team to move up on moonshot so that the real returner can still make the play.

Did he/Miller coach them up on this after that first moonshot??  Sure looks like it, because on this clearly short kick the blockers all move up (incl Gauthier).  Normally we'd see a mid-pack guy take it again.

So TOR set us up?  Get our coaches drilling into the guys to move up, but not specifying ONLY ON PUNTS NOT KOs.  Then they spring their trap by doing the same thing on a KO.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't want "everyone to move up" on a KO because there's a high risk ANY coverage player can get to it first, right?  And as we see, that's disaster.

So coach the "move up" on punts, but stress that nearest 2nd level guy (like Guathier) takes the ball on KOs.

We shot ourselves in the foot.

[TecnoGenius]

4Q0:24 The Coxie takedown of Bonds: this is EXACTLY what we saw CGY Alford do to us twice.  I think it was always Bonds too (maybe 1 on Bridges)?

Anyhow, these takedowns where the big-bodied REC pushes/pulls the DB down well before the ball arrives really irk me.  The fact the refs ignore it is really aggravating.

If the DB is on the turf and he didn't trip on his own feet, then there's usually a reason.

I'm so glad that command is starting to address this.  Now I want to see refs call this on-field.  It shouldn't take a challenge.  And they need to watch the whole route, because RECs are doing it really early (though not in this case).

The 6'4+ RECs already are at a huge advantage.  Can't let them cheat on top of that by dropping the DBs.

[Pigskin]

The 2nd KO Cooley whiff, the one where TOR gets possession...

So a couple of kicks before this (a punt I think) TOR does another "moonshot".  One of our mid-wave guys takes it (Gauthier).  This is the setup...

So MOS said that he was coaching the team to move up on moonshot so that the real returner can still make the play.

Did he/Miller coach them up on this after that first moonshot??  Sure looks like it, because on this clearly short kick the blockers all move up (incl Gauthier).  Normally we'd see a mid-pack guy take it again.

So TOR set us up?  Get our coaches drilling into the guys to move up, but not specifying ONLY ON PUNTS NOT KOs.  Then they spring their trap by doing the same thing on a KO.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't want "everyone to move up" on a KO because there's a high risk ANY coverage player can get to it first, right?  And as we see, that's disaster.

So coach the "move up" on punts, but stress that nearest 2nd level guy (like Guathier) takes the ball on KOs.

We shot ourselves in the foot.

 Gauthier made a heads up play on the first short KO. On the second one, it looked like he thought Cooley was much closer to him and would be catching the ball in the air. 

[bunker]

https://3downnation.com/2025/08/04/winnipeg-oc-jason-hogan-defends-play-call-blames-misplaced-throw-for-late-game-interception/

I don't like Hogan's take on this at all:

1. Although the views are limited it didn't look like Stearns had enough separation to make that a high percentage throw when you're giving up 7 inches to the DB. Its possible putting it a bit deeper in the end zone might have helped avoid the interception, but I'm not convinced it would have turned it into a touchdown.
2. If you're trying to take a few deep shots to avoid them stuffing the box, you don't wait until there's 2:58 left in the game. At that point your focus should be on making the plays you need to to win the game, not trying to change the behaviour of the Toronto D.
3. It was FIRST DOWN! Give Brady the ball and see what happens. If he gets stuffed, and you really feel you need the touchdown, take a shot on second down if your're going to do it. Maybe Brady get 7 or 8 yards and sets up a second and short.
4. Why the emphasis on trying to get a touchdown at all costs? Up by 13, versus up by 9 with the field goal, its still a 2 possession game, and if you run Brady twice before kicking the field goal, you can probably take another minute off the clock. So you're up by 9, with under 2 minutes left. Pretty good odds.
5. Even if you give Hogan the benefit of the doubt, and assume that all of what he says is true, I don't like the optics of him throwing Streveler under the bus there publicly. Something tells me he'd be more cautious if Collaros had made that throw.

[dd]

Wow. Can't put what I really think of Hogan's comments or I'd get kicked off the forum. Really disappointing. If they wanted to throw a pass, throw to the deep corner where the reciever gets it or nobody goes. Ricky Ray made a career out of that pass!!

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

https://3downnation.com/2025/08/04/winnipeg-oc-jason-hogan-defends-play-call-blames-misplaced-throw-for-late-game-interception/

I don't like Hogan's take on this at all:

1. Although the views are limited it didn't look like Stearns had enough separation to make that a high percentage throw when you're giving up 7 inches to the DB. Its possible putting it a bit deeper in the end zone might have helped avoid the interception, but I'm not convinced it would have turned it into a touchdown.
2. If you're trying to take a few deep shots to avoid them stuffing the box, you don't wait until there's 2:58 left in the game. At that point your focus should be on making the plays you need to to win the game, not trying to change the behaviour of the Toronto D.
3. It was FIRST DOWN! Give Brady the ball and see what happens. If he gets stuffed, and you really feel you need the touchdown, take a shot on second down if your're going to do it. Maybe Brady get 7 or 8 yards and sets up a second and short.
4. Why the emphasis on trying to get a touchdown at all costs? Up by 13, versus up by 9 with the field goal, its still a 2 possession game, and if you run Brady twice before kicking the field goal, you can probably take another minute off the clock. So you're up by 9, with under 2 minutes left. Pretty good odds.
5. Even if you give Hogan the benefit of the doubt, and assume that all of what he says is true, I don't like the optics of him throwing Streveler under the bus there publicly. Something tells me he'd be more cautious if Collaros had made that throw.

I wonder if O'Shea is completely hands off with rookie OC Hogan's play calling and if he should be, considering the conservative approach he takes to the overall game.  Jarious doesn't have a reliable record of winning games either, so not sure how much he can trust him to do the right thing at the right time yet either.

[TecnoGenius]

I don't like Hogan's take on this at all:

1. Although the views are limited it didn't look like Stearns had enough separation to make that a high percentage throw when you're giving up 7 inches to the DB. Its possible putting it a bit deeper in the end zone might have helped avoid the interception, but I'm not convinced it would have turned it into a touchdown.

I'm fine with a pass on 1st, even here, because every single person in that barn knew we were going to run it.  That's when you want to pass.  The fact we caught them in 1-on-1 was proof of that.  If they want to stuff the box, make them pay.  I agree.

I'm not sure I can blame Strev though, as it sure looked like Sterns ran his route as instructed and did a sit down.  It wasn't like he was still doing more moves to go to the corner!  Ya, Strev probably threw late and a little short.  Even a little deeper would have given Sterns a chance to dive behind him, even if still sitting.

MOS/Hogan both said they were fine going for the kill shot.  I like the attitude!  So little of that missing the last few seasons.  Tepid end-of-game calls are what lost '23 & '24 GC.  Probably '22 too.  See my "Be Bold" thread.  In so many cups we'd go run (stuffed) then short curl (miss) then punt/FG.  What if we had gone pass on 1st with no one expecting it?

So the pass call was fine, the exact route, the personnel (shrimpken vs giant), and execution stunk.  That's why it failed.  I get that Sterns was the hot hand, but you need to chuck it to our "giants", Clercius or Wheatie.

[Jesse]

I'd be fine if it was Collaros in there. You love the kill shot when it works.

But with Strev in, with the game he was having. The match-up wasn't there, imo. Everything kind of went against the call.

And Hogan throwing Strev under the bus wasn't super media savvy.

[markf]

I don't recall a Bomber coach dumping on a player like that. Very obnoxious. Great for morale on offence I'm sure.
And what a weak excuse. The game was over with a field goal.

Has he taken  personal responsibility at all for the league worst offence?

This is not typical of O'Shea's team  over the years and I don't like it. Wish I hadn't seen this actually.

[blue_gold_84]

I'd be fine if it was Collaros in there. You love the kill shot when it works.

But with Strev in, with the game he was having. The match-up wasn't there, imo. Everything kind of went against the call.

And Hogan throwing Strev under the bus wasn't super media savvy.

Another knock on him as OC, IMO. What a bad look for an unproven rookie.

[Pete]

yeah for a team that preaches accountability this is not a good look.

[The Zipp]

MOS is torn - toss his player under the bus?  He usually doesn't do that OR toss your new OC that you hired under the bus...

Likely the correct response would have been: "we need to do much better in the red zone, both from a play call and on field execution.  Both needed to be better on that play - we are learning, there was reason for that play call but given a review of the film there could have been better options for the scenario we were in"