Official Game Day Thread - Ottawa at Winnipeg, August 14, 2025

[TecnoGenius]

Bridges wasn't the answer and bring him back even if its an option isn't going to help. Kelly or Smith etc can get beat just as often.

100%.  If you're going to have a free bingo spot at CB, might as well make him a cheap NAT.  Save SMS and bust the ratio.

[TecnoGenius]

I do think he was given a bit of a raw deal when you factor in how poorly the secondary as an entire unit has played for much of this season.

But DB is really the ultimate (only?) example of "it really is one on one" in football.  The goodness/badness of the unit doesn't mean anything when it's man on man 50/50 ball with 1 D in the picture.

If the DB is with the REC then you can't blame scheme.  If the DB is right there and still screws up (DPIs, can't break it up, etc) then that's 100% on him and only him.

As such you can't blame Holm or Nichols or Younger for the times Bridges was there but useless.

[TecnoGenius]

I hear there's this DB out there who is familiar with the system here. His name eludes me but I'm pretty sure it rhymes with fridges.

Fridges are on burnt bridges.  If we call him back that will SCREAM desperation.  The whole league will laugh.  To be honest, I'd rather lose with Vaval back there and him getting live snaps than go back to dead-end Bridges.  At least Vaval might be the "next big thing" by next year.

[TecnoGenius]

I am a little concerned with our DB situation. If one of the starters gets injured, we are in some trouble.

Oh, we're already in heaps of trouble.  Two new-to-WFC CBs in an already struggling corps.  Add in the fact it's well known we play the hardest, most cerebral "match coverage" that most teams won't touch... ya, major trouble already!

Even Parker magically back in 1-2 weeks won't solve the whole problem.  We really need TWO legit vet CBs, though we can scratch by on 1 (albeit with a weaker FS).

If another DB (Holm, Nichols) gets injured (knock wood), it's season over.

[TecnoGenius]

There are 2 other ideas that would allow us to ignore the crap DB situation, and they might be easier to solve:

1) Beef up OL/REC so we can just match TDs

2) Beef up the DL/blitz packages so QBs don't have time to pick on the corners, which are the longest developing routes.

Problem is: we're not beefing up any of those.  DL pressure is only so-so (lacking DT beef? lame schemes?), and no moves at OL and REC (both with IR problems)... sad days.

[TecnoGenius]

I consider this still early in the season, serious stuff happens after labour day imo.

Patience.  Guys come on when ready or best option.  Two short weeks did not help our inuried guys get ready.

Game 9, halfway through.  Cannot wait for guys.  3 wins behind SSK (almost double our win count), same number of games played.  3 games against SSK coming right up.

IR replacements are mostly no good.  PR is bare.  No rookie has "flashed" this season (except at RET, which isn't terribly important): so no help there.

Solutions must begin now.  No way these guys roll into SSK in early Nov to win a WDF... let alone in CGY in a WSF.  We have to bring in horses and dogs, otherwise our only hope is if Trevor & VAJ get Alexander'd and Kelly'd.  Sure, there's a good chance that happens, but you cannot bet your season on it.  MOS always says "worry about what you can control".  We can control who we hire/trade, etc.

[TecnoGenius]

Logan has been running for weeks. Even if he's not game ready, he's healthy and should be bumped to PR IMO.

Why on earth do that?  If we can 6G Logan then 6G him.  Moving him to PR means we have to nix someone else.  And I'm pretty sure he makes more $ on the IR than PR, so it's in his best interest.  And it's all SMS free!

We don't 6G nearly enough guys to "hide" them like every other team does.  We should be 6G'ing everyone we can.  Just say they got injured like MBT did, LOL.

[TecnoGenius]

Looks like we could feast on these weaknesses! I don't know the replacements coming in but sounds like some issues there.

Yup, major holes in both sides of OTT.  This is a winnable game if we weren't so obtuse.  It's like we're trying to lose?  Oh well, we'll see.

I would pray & hope Hogan is planning right now to pick on all the new DBs.  Well, assuming Zach gets more than 2.0s per snap once in a blue moon...

[TecnoGenius]

I didn't expect many changes to the lineup as it's a very short week. But, I would think that the Bombers are kicking the tires on a few players. A player like Chungh would improve our OL. Landing a player like Houston, would add the experience our DB group needs right now.

Chungh is only OG.  Our real need right now is OT, 1 starter and 1 depth, at minimum.  Our RT is struggling and Lofton clearly isn't healthy in any reliable way right now.  FA26 at OT will be interesting...

[Blueforlife]

Game 9, halfway through.  Cannot wait for guys.  3 wins behind SSK (almost double our win count), same number of games played.  3 games against SSK coming right up.

IR replacements are mostly no good.  PR is bare.  No rookie has "flashed" this season (except at RET, which isn't terribly important): so no help there.

Solutions must begin now.  No way these guys roll into SSK in early Nov to win a WDF... let alone in CGY in a WSF.  We have to bring in horses and dogs, otherwise our only hope is if Trevor & VAJ get Alexander'd and Kelly'd.  Sure, there's a good chance that happens, but you cannot bet your season on it.  MOS always says "worry about what you can control".  We can control who we hire/trade, etc.

Waiting a week or two > losing key depth guys for the season imo

[TecnoGenius]

Charts out, ideas:

1) Air attack the strong side mid/deep.  Only Pickett at SAM is any good.  A good run/sweep/screen game can keep him close to the line to open up behind him.

2) OL weakest on right side: stunt & blitz there.

3) OTT RECs monster: need to disrupt Dru every snap or we'll pay with deep connections.

4) Good DL, but not great.  Pretty good LBers.  Need to get the A-B gap run going somehow.  Should be able to get 4-7Y a run, which should be enough.  Can't do the past few weeks 0 to 3Y stuffings.  Find a way.

5) If OTT is smart, they'll just throw to the corners all night.  Is there any 2 FS scheme where each S just shadows a CB so every WR is double-covered?  Nichols/Holm need no help.  Yes, this sacrifices a last ditch run stopper, but oh well.

6) Dru likes the middle short/mid throws.  Clog up the middle with LBers / DE drops.  Force him to throw sharp angles / wide outs.

[TecnoGenius]

I swear, if Randolph whiffs as much in this game as the last game, I'm going to go apoplectic.  So much will hinge on him stopping that speed edge rush.

My predictions by unit:

DB - wash
OL - OTT better
QB - wash
RB - WPG better
WR - OTT waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better
LB - wash
DL - wash
coaching - WPG better

If this game was in OTT, I'd say guaranteed loss.  In PAS?  We have a shot, but my gut says we'll come up short barring miracles (read: Vaval).  Basically no changes since the CGY suckage.  How do you improve if you don't improve?

[TecnoGenius]

WPG 5 point favorites.  Vegas hasn't gotten the memo yet.  Do they not look at the IR & DB starters?  Have they not seen our recent home losses?

[Big Daddy]

Charts out, ideas:

1) Air attack the strong side mid/deep.  Only Pickett at SAM is any good.  A good run/sweep/screen game can keep him close to the line to open up behind him.

2) OL weakest on right side: stunt & blitz there.

3) OTT RECs monster: need to disrupt Dru every snap or we'll pay with deep connections.

4) Good DL, but not great.  Pretty good LBers.  Need to get the A-B gap run going somehow.  Should be able to get 4-7Y a run, which should be enough.  Can't do the past few weeks 0 to 3Y stuffings.  Find a way.

5) If OTT is smart, they'll just throw to the corners all night.  Is there any 2 FS scheme where each S just shadows a CB so every WR is double-covered?  Nichols/Holm need no help.  Yes, this sacrifices a last ditch run stopper, but oh well.

6) Dru likes the middle short/mid throws.  Clog up the middle with LBers / DE drops.  Force him to throw sharp angles / wide outs.

Doesn't #5 and #6 cancel each other out?  OTT just needs to throw to the corners (I agree, our weakest on D), so Dru shouldn't bother with the short/mid throws.  So if they are smart, they take both of those concerns out.  When you say force Dru to throw sharp angles/wide outs, that is playing into our weakness.  So basically, either way we are "fluffed" (I took that from Arnie in FUBAR btw).

I swear, if Randolph whiffs as much in this game as the last game, I'm going to go apoplectic.  So much will hinge on him stopping that speed edge rush.

My predictions by unit:

DB - wash
OL - OTT better
QB - wash
RB - WPG better
WR - OTT waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better
LB - wash
DL - wash
coaching - WPG better

If this game was in OTT, I'd say guaranteed loss.  In PAS?  We have a shot, but my gut says we'll come up short barring miracles (read: Vaval).  Basically no changes since the CGY suckage.  How do you improve if you don't improve?

No way - unless you are saying this because OTT Oline is better, but that's not fair for grading our QB's.  All things being equal - I'll still take Zach any day right now.

[TecnoGenius]

Doesn't #5 and #6 cancel each other out?

They could... except I said OTT was "best" throwing post/center.  NOT that Dru is bad at throwing wide/angles.  I wish he was, it would make our defending far easier.

No way - unless you are saying this because OTT Oline is better, but that's not fair for grading our QB's.  All things being equal - I'll still take Zach any day right now.

I was trying to make all camps happy.  Lots of people are down on Zach right now.  I'm with ya, I think Zach is the better QB, everything else being equal.  But if you +1 everyone who loves Zach and -1 everyone who thinks he's a washed up has been, you probably come out with zero.  So that's why I wrote wash.

The funniest part, is geriatric Zach and young pup Dru have about the same level of mobility.  So that aspect is definitely a wash     

Zach has a running TD this season already, I don't think Dru does?