Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Hamilton - September 12, 2025

[bunker]

I re-watched the Hamilton game, and Strev was clearly bad. But he at times did not have much help. There were a few plays were he had someone in his face almost immediately because someone on the O-line whiffed (including Bryant at least one time). There was at least one play where we kept 7 blockers in, and Hamilton rushed 6. The whole line veered to the left, and blocked 5 D players, leaving a LB to come in uncontested off the right edge and Strev had zero time to pass.

Also some plays where he had time, but did not thrown the ball. Could be he didn't read the field well (usually only looks to his first read, maybe sometimes his second), but just as possible all the receivers were covered. Zach has had this problem frequently as well, unable to find anyone open. This could be on the receivers, could be the OC, most likely both contributing.

We clearly need an upgrade at QB#2, but it may not be much of a solution is we don't fix the other problem areas, with the O-line being priority number one.

[Blue72]

Why dont the bombers try a 6 man O front to help the rush on the o line? Hopefully it would give our QB a little more time or 2 running backs one for picking up the rush.

[dd]

Strev's execution of the plays is "Mickey Mouse", it's not the OC fault if he doesn't have the ability to get beyond page one of the playbook, it's painfully obvious he's not getting any better at reading the field.

Agreed, in fact, with the pick he threw 3 plays into the game, I'd say he's even regressed on his reads. He should have saw the DB up in press ready to jump the short screen pass and pull it down. Nope, throw it anyways.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Why dont the bombers try a 6 man O front to help the rush on the o line? Hopefully it would give our QB a little more time or 2 running backs one for picking up the rush.

Because widening the line hasn't helped much. The pressure is coming through the interior that's been hardest. We've left in blockers Oliveira or someone else in the backfield which has occasionally made a difference but it comes at the cost of less receiving options.

[TecnoGenius]

Strev's execution of the plays is "Mickey Mouse", it's not the OC fault if he doesn't have the ability to get beyond page one of the playbook, it's painfully obvious he's not getting any better at reading the field.

That would be true if it was just Strev.  But Zach has been bitten by the exact same route-jumping and DB cheating.  That basically proves the problem is scheme (OC).

Our scheme is Mickey Mouse because I watch what other teams did this weekend and they get these short passes & routes correct, they do double moves, they show over-the-top threats before curling, they demand respect.  Even EDM and OTT!!

Their RECs are no better than ours.  In some cases their QBs aren't much better than Strev.  The problem is we are plain straight vanilla ball, not using any of our grey matter, and teams just hone in on our QB#1 or #2 limitations.

And we never make them pay.  So they'll just keep doing it.

[TecnoGenius]

Why dont the bombers try a 6 man O front to help the rush on the o line? Hopefully it would give our QB a little more time or 2 running backs one for picking up the rush.

Because then the D just brings another +1.  Every jumbo we add they bring another +1.  And if our 5 guys can't stop a single point of failure, how on earth are our 6 or 7 guys going to?  You just multiply the points of failure!  I think that's why we go so much straight 5 this season, except on runs.

Remember in '19 when HAM had this super-ultra jumbo (like 7 to 9 guys!) that NO ONE could penetrate?  Ya, I'd like to see something like that.  (P.S. HAM didn't run it in the GC, and if they had they probably would have won.)

Bottom line, our normal 5 just have to be better.  Start with Vant/Lofton, not Wallace/Rand.

[TecnoGenius]

He should have saw the DB up in press ready to jump the short screen pass and pull it down. Nope, throw it anyways.

Yes he should have, but it's a tough pull-down when you're already in your full-on wind up.

He, and the OC, and everyone in the world thought that was a "high percentage" super short quick hitter that nearly every team gets 99% of the time.  For us that's harder to complete than a 40Y bomb.  For some reason we know this, but no one in WFC does.

[Pete]

Because then the D just brings another +1.  Every jumbo we add they bring another +1.  And if our 5 guys can't stop a single point of failure, how on earth are our 6 or 7 guys going to?  You just multiply the points of failure!  I think that's why we go so much straight 5 this season, except on runs.

Remember in '19 when HAM had this super-ultra jumbo (like 7 to 9 guys!) that NO ONE could penetrate?  Ya, I'd like to see something like that.  (P.S. HAM didn't run it in the GC, and if they had they probably would have won.)

Bottom line, our normal 5 just have to be better.  Start with Vant/Lofton, not Wallace/Rand.

the thing is if you bring in a 6th olineman they may counter with another, but it throws them off of their normal defensive and can cause disruption. Especially if we ar switching up our schemes.
The answer might be to utilize what Hamilton does, a one or two tight end set. (Clercius is built for it)
We need to do something cause what we are doing ain't working although to be fair I thought our oline did much better last game, it wasnt there fault our qb couldn't complete passes.

[TecnoGenius]

We need to do something cause what we are doing ain't working although to be fair I thought our oline did much better last game, it wasnt there fault our qb couldn't complete passes.

Yes, you can disrupt, etc, but not so much if teams are ready for it from film.  We have been a heavy user of jumbo & TEs the last 3 seasons, so when we do it it's not too surprising for opponents.

Yes we need to do something.  But the OL did screw up on protection vs HAM.  So many times Strev had very little time and guys in his face.  If the OL seemed to do better, it may be more a function of having to respect our very successful run game that day.

[bunker]

Yes he should have, but it's a tough pull-down when you're already in your full-on wind up.

He, and the OC, and everyone in the world thought that was a "high percentage" super short quick hitter that nearly every team gets 99% of the time.  For us that's harder to complete than a 40Y bomb.  For some reason we know this, but no one in WFC does.

I think one of the reasons he was able to jump that so well is that they were showing very little respect for any risk of our receivers going long, and pressing them close to the line of scrimmage. They would likely not have been able to play that kind of defense against Zach. I also think Zach would have processed where the DB was more quickly, and not necessarily thrown that pass. (Although to be fair, Zach has thrown a fair share of interceptions where I'm going "WTH" was he thinking?".

[TecnoGenius]

I think one of the reasons he was able to jump that so well is that they were showing very little respect for any risk of our receivers going long, and pressing them close to the line of scrimmage. They would likely not have been able to play that kind of defense against Zach. I also think Zach would have processed where the DB was more quickly, and not necessarily thrown that pass. (Although to be fair, Zach has thrown a fair share of interceptions where I'm going "WTH" was he thinking?".

Yes and no.  Yes, they jumped everything because they KNEW we weren't chucking it deep.  That's a major problem.

Yes, Zach gives that deep(er) thread, but Zach has also thrown those short-pass / wide-out INTs a ton this season.  And that's a function of being way too vanilla and way too predictable.  It's like they KNOW Demski there is going to curl instead of double-move deep.  We are too simple and clearly have too many "tells".

[dd]

Yes he should have, but it's a tough pull-down when you're already in your full-on wind up.

He, and the OC, and everyone in the world thought that was a "high percentage" super short quick hitter that nearly every team gets 99% of the time.  For us that's harder to complete than a 40Y bomb.  For some reason we know this, but no one in WFC does.

When you go to throw the hitch screen, and the defending DB is further in your backfield than your receiver, common sense says pull the ball down. Peters was ridiculously downfield, in fact he was too far downfield and had to reach back to catch the ball!!

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Defenses are jumping routes because the pass rush is getting home and has been all year. The hitch screen read is just film study on Streveler, but otherwise, it comes to down to pass rush.

It's significantly easier to have an aggressive secondary if you get to the quarterback. Collaros can mitigate it somewhat because he's just that good, but it's still playing with fire.

It's also why our secondary hasn't been able to create interceptions like they used to. We have to respect every double and triple move. The clock in the heads of our secondary is way too long to play aggressively. They simply can't.

[TecnoGenius]

When you go to throw the hitch screen, and the defending DB is further in your backfield than your receiver, common sense says pull the ball down. Peters was ridiculously downfield, in fact he was too far downfield and had to reach back to catch the ball!!

I meant the Demski curl INT, but the same issues exist with the Peters screen too.  That one was a complete mess, as no way our 2 RECs should have been touching.  And the blocker needs to actually make the block.  Was it behind LoS?  Hold that guy all to heck, don't let him run past.

And the RECs need to have some situational awareness.  Like never every INT this season, if the REC just comes back to the ball they get the completion or force DPI.  Especially in this screen breakdown shambles.

[Pete]

I meant the Demski curl INT, but the same issues exist with the Peters screen too.  That one was a complete mess, as no way our 2 RECs should have been touching.  And the blocker needs to actually make the block.  Was it behind LoS?  Hold that guy all to heck, don't let him run past.

And the RECs need to have some situational awareness.  Like never every INT this season, if the REC just comes back to the ball they get the completion or force DPI.  Especially in this screen breakdown shambles.

On the peters interception the reason that the receivers were so close was that Wilsons responsibility was to block the defender, obviously he didn't do that, although given how far Peters has jumped the play it may not have been his fault. But having seen that why didnt we do a planned pump fake in subsequent plays? It would sure deter other db plays even if we dont complete it

as far as 6 man fronts go we havent used it much this year maybe cause we are going with one less olineman. Just watch hamilton games to see how effective they are in protecting blm