Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Saskatchewan, August 31, 2025

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I think it's time to make more roster changes that aren't the result of injuries. We don't know the status of several players that might have been available this week and we may had some new ones this week. Schmekel and Ball were injured. Possibly Schoen again.

If our import DT's are not good enough, then cut them tomorrow. Airlift in some new bodies.

Our front 4 has been an issue for since 2024. Make a move and get past that everybody is a starter crap.

I already mentioned I'd release Logan.  Shake the trees.

Can't really do that half way through the season unless they're already out of the playoff picture, inserting new players is like starting over from scratch with unknowns, which always brings with it a contagion of errors (ie early season Elks). With the loss of Schmeck they'll have to dress Woods or Adams, maybe both as the D-line was short on gas in the second half and should never have gone into the game with so few players.  Did anyone see Person out there  at all? 

As for Logan, he hasn't shown a spark but he hasn't made errors yet either, they may have to ride out the season with mediocre returns or give the job back to Vaval once Parker returns.  Vaval has not been doing well with punt returns since his one huge game, anytime he stops and changes direction he is easily tackled.  He needs to pick one direction and just go, the faster he's moving the more tacklers he evades.

[Pigskin]

I think it's time to make more roster changes that aren't the result of injuries. We don't know the status of several players that might have been available this week and we may had some new ones this week. Schmekel and Ball were injured. Possibly Schoen again.

If our import DT's are not good enough, then cut them tomorrow. Airlift in some new bodies.

Our front 4 has been an issue for since 2024. Make a move and get past that everybody is a starter crap.

I already mentioned I'd release Logan.  Shake the trees.

C. Lawson probably had his best game of the season. Vaughters stepped up tonight and play very well. Thomas was missing in action most of the night. With Schmekel injured and no Canadian DTs on the PR we have a problem.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Guarantee you they all know it, heck us amateur refs know it. The trouble is in real time, it's tough to be absolutely certain was it momentum or did he purposely run into the end zone. In the end they got it right and that's all that really matters.

I came close to losing my mind on that play, especially after they denied Caddie a safety when he nailed the returner back into the endzone. 

[TecnoGenius]

He ran all over Montreal one week ago. When the other team knew we had to run. When we had to use our second string qb as a receiver.  That team has a good D line.

It's hard to understand.

It is a bit odd.  MTL has great run D personnel, but maybe they don't scheme as hard against the run as SSK does?  You have to make choices & trade-offs.

But even in the MTL game, didn't Brady take a while to get going?  Wasn't his big production in the 2nd H?  And we did a whole lot of dump passing.  We didn't do that this game.

Plus, we always run Brady more when we're up.  We often see Brady disappear when we're down, especially down big.

[ichabod_crane]

Shouldn't that Nichols punt return SINGLE have been a SAFETY?

Just imagining us being on the other side of a call like that? I think we'd be losing our minds.

Either way. Good coaching call by Mace. Oshea was lost as to what they were gonna do. I was too, thought they were gonna actual go for it

It's one of those fuzzy rules. From what I recall from The tv broadcast, since his momentum
From picking up the ball took him into the end zone when he was tackled it only is one point even if you fall down in the end zone on the tackle. I thought for sure it was 2 points for Sask too though. A weird one for sure.

[Blue72]

Why go shot guy when we need less than one yard, not once but twice. they were lucky on that one touchdown.
Does MOS sit on the film sessions because it seems things don't change much game after game with the same mistakes.
Why can't the coaching staff make changes at half time?

[TecnoGenius]

I came close to losing my mind on that play, especially after they denied Caddie a safety when he nailed the returner back into the endzone.

Ya, but the Cadwall play was a much more clear "forward progress" situation.  It's like those times over the years we thought we had a safety when we push the QB back into his EZ.  The ball is spotted where the D first stops their progress.

P.S. Amazing hit & tackle by Cadwall.  No hesitation, no mercy.  Maybe he took it personally the the other game where we got beat on a missed FG return TD.

[TecnoGenius]

C. Lawson probably had his best game of the season. Vaughters stepped up tonight and play very well. Thomas was missing in action most of the night. With Schmekel injured and no Canadian DTs on the PR we have a problem.

Fatboi was one of the only guys to put Harris on his butt.  His redirection and trackdown of Trevor to get him down was a wonderful thing to watch.  Most DTs can't do that: once behind the QB they're out of the play.

He forced the incompletion.

[TecnoGenius]

As for Logan, he hasn't shown a spark but he hasn't made errors yet either

I'd call that hitch screen drop an error.  That was guaranteed 1st down, no one in miles.  It was catchable, even by a "RB".

[TecnoGenius]

Vaval has not been doing well with punt returns since his one huge game, anytime he stops and changes direction he is easily tackled.  He needs to pick one direction and just go, the faster he's moving the more tacklers he evades.

I don't know.  It looked like Miller had things planned up for blocks to take effect for some scheme to develop and open up a lane.  They did that like 3 times.  Maybe the longest-developing schemes I've ever seen.  A couple looked like they may have worked if we got lucky.

A returner has to be able to both the instant hole hit and the dancing.  Grant was good at both.  Vaval has done both.  Maybe we were/are setting them up for a straight up the seam one next time.

[TecnoGenius]

Why go shot gun when we need less than one yard, not once but twice. they were lucky on that one touchdown.

The one that led to the missed FG was pathetic looking.  However, I do like the idea of going for it 30% of the time on 2nd & 1.  It's a "free play", why not?

But no one expected Wallace or Neuf to WHIFF COMPLETELY on their block leaving Zach without even 1 sec to heave an ol' Matt Nichols grandstand special.

Our OL has to perform to at least a minimum capability or we really can't run an effective O.

[TrueBlue4]

**** the Riders. They are not the best team on the league no matter what their record is. If not for the the refs they allowing all the holding that the Riders do they would never have won. I'm very disappointed that we didn't go for it on 3rd and goal. Also all those inbreds in Sask gor lucky that Castillo missed a field goal otherwise we would have won.
SASK SUCKS.

[tlf]

Night and day difference with him in the lineup. Wheatie had a decent game, as did Clercius, and Mitchell pitched in. Demski was his usual unbelievable self!!

It was interesting on the post game show on CJOB that ZC said when asked if he had confidence in his receivers he said Schoen and Demski yes, with his life.  So you know he has all he confidence in the world in the two of them, but you wonder about the rest and it shows with how he throws to them all.

[tlf]

Fatboi was one of the only guys to put Harris on his butt.  His redirection and trackdown of Trevor to get him down was a wonderful thing to watch.  Most DTs can't do that: once behind the QB they're out of the play.

He forced the incompletion.

You need to play the entire game though. He missed a lot of plays too and consistently gets beat.  He's also lost a few steps.  He does make plays but honestly not enough of them.

We need new bodies ASAP.  Canadians please.

[J5V]

But it was a genius move because even a rouge puts us in a bind.

I doubt Mace is any kind of a genius. That whole play could have gone so wrong for the Riders and could have left Mace looking like a moron. Harris kicks that ball and it just happens to land on it's point in such a way that it scoots with great velocity along the ground towards the end zone and puts us in a huge bind. If you had him kick that ball 10 times I doubt you'd get such a fortunate result with any of them. Pure horseshit luck! It's just as likely he squibs it sideways, or it bounces up and is easily fielded for a big return, or any of a number of results that don't favour the Riders. That play was a gift from God and saved the Riders the embarrassment of blowing that game right out their ***** which they definitely tried to do. I have a feeling that that team is going to come crashing down to earth in the most spectacular way and it's going to be so delicious when it happens. I can't wait.