Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Edmonton, October 11, 2025

[Tecno]

Ford going for Fords knee's. Didn't think Ford was that kind of player.

Not sure it's malicious... he could have just forgotten.  Muscle memory.  The rule is brand new and it may not have sunk in yet.  That said, as a DB it's his job to internalize rule changes and make sure he's doing things right.

I bet the league (small-)fines him, too, to send a message about the new rule.

And if he really did mean to cripple the REC, he did a pee-poor job of it!!  They just shrugged it off.

[Tecno]

I don't know what we did to prepare/game plan for this game even with the extra week. This isnt new as Techno will attest. I really feel coaching lost us this game.
While most of it is on coaches especially Hogan and OShea, what also concerns me is our leaders/vets.

Ya, I think the main problem is they come up with plan A and expect to execute it perfectly.  Then when Murphy hits (the fumble chaos) or the opponent gets an inevitable explosion (Rankin 60Y romp) we literally have no way to cope or recover.

It's been nearly every loss this season that wasn't a blowout.  We're keeping pace and then Murphy/explosion hits and it's all over.

I think we do gameplan against that week's opponent, but it's not enough.  It's not like what Dinwiddie will do each game (see: 2024 GC).  Clearly it's not even what noob Killam did.

Losing Demski didn't help... He's really the only REC commanding respect right now.  EDM D gloves really came off after he left.

One thing I will say is we're getting badly out-physicalled and beaten up by everyone for weeks now.  We're the 90 lb weakling and everyone beats the tar out of us on both sides.  The sling-nasty just isn't there anymore.  We aren't laying any wood.  We aren't imposing any will on anyone.  Quite the opposite.  We look wimpy and completely devoid of swagger.  And that might be even more detrimental than crap schemes or weak players.  And maybe not possible to overcome this season.

[Tecno]

Jake Thomas reminds me of Sam Hurl (Canadian Linebacker) from 2015 to 2017 we stuck him in the middle to fill the gaps and was a favorite of O'Shea... just saying

I thought about that, but it's not a fair comparison.  Hurl as MLB had a ton of other jobs (just look at T.Jones).  Well, he was supposed to have.  But MOS made him just run up and stuff holes.  And so there was that big gap where Hurl was supposed to be but was instead being molested by OL.  And that's why Loffler had to always step up in the middle to make the plays.

Fatboi, as a DT, can pretty much fill gaps and try to wash to stop a run, or bull rush to collapse the pocket, and that really is the job of a DT.  The fact that he can't turn the bull rush (which he's good at) into a sack, or wash the OL to stop the run, well, that speaks to his size & talent.  But at least he's actually doing DT things.  Hurl never ever "did MLB things".

In that sense Fatboi is a far better choice than Hurl, should you have to pick from one of those players.

[Jesse]

I am not worries about our D at all. Arguing about Jake is completely besides the point, he's just being used as a scapegoat for some reason.

Like every other loss, the offence was unable to stay on the field and turned the ball over. Whatever magic Zach had last week left him this week.

I'm still hopeful he can put three straight games together to end the season.

[markf]

The final Zach pass or the final one that was INTed?  If the latter (which is what it sounds like) can you tell me when it occurred?  I'm having trouble finding it.

I can tell you that on the final 3rd down pass by Zach no one was really open.  There was 1 guy at the top of the screen that could have done a turn-back route to come back for the ball at the sticks.  I'd say 90% they could get that easily.  But Zach saw Sterns 1-on-1 with no help over the top and he's said a zillion times when he sees this setup he'll take the shot.  And he did.  Funny thing is all night he's underthrowing and this one time he throws early enough and far enough that it's a big overthrow (with out-bodied impeding by the DB and bad ball placement inside not outside by Zach).  It was a bad pass, Zach clearly wasn't dialed in all night.

I'll try to check, can't remember now.

[Waffler]

he scrambled many times in that game and basically every time escaped enough

He scrambled, yes. But it felt like watching a ghost of the scrambler he used to be. Slow and plodding now. He used to able to hit receivers while on the run too. Now if he is not planted, I worry about every throw. He does run smart though, give him that. His football mind is as good as ever, it's the body that betrays him.

[dd]

I thought about that, but it's not a fair comparison.  Hurl as MLB had a ton of other jobs (just look at T.Jones).  Well, he was supposed to have.  But MOS made him just run up and stuff holes.  And so there was that big gap where Hurl was supposed to be but was instead being molested by OL.  And that's why Loffler had to always step up in the middle to make the plays.

Fatboi, as a DT, can pretty much fill gaps and try to wash to stop a run, or bull rush to collapse the pocket, and that really is the job of a DT.  The fact that he can't turn the bull rush (which he's good at) into a sack, or wash the OL to stop the run, well, that speaks to his size & talent.  But at least he's actually doing DT things.  Hurl never ever "did MLB things".

In that sense Fatboi is a far better choice than Hurl, should you have to pick from one of those players.

I don't want to pick from either player, as neither player should be on the field.

[RebusRankin]

All complaints about who was rostered on D aside, they gave up 18 points which should let you win most games.

[Blue In BC]

All complaints about who was rostered on D aside, they gave up 18 points which should let you win most games.

I agree. The defence played well enough to win. It was the broken 3rd down play that did us in along with the punt fumble that went for a TD.

Those are the kinds of plays that could have gone a different direction. Bombers nearly recovered that fumble but didn't.

One missed tackle or missed block can change the outcome.

[gordo]

He scrambled, yes. But it felt like watching a ghost of the scrambler he used to be. Slow and plodding now. He used to able to hit receivers while on the run too. Now if he is not planted, I worry about every throw. He does run smart though, give him that. His football mind is as good as ever, it's the body that betrays him.

It looks to me that when he scrambles now, one of his key objectives is to avoid the big hit which is a good thing. Don't want to see any more concussions and trying to protect his long term health should be a priority.

But having said that, it also hampers his ability to take the extra second to plant or find the open receiver. He's now in hurry up and get it away mode more than ever, especially when scrambling.  Again, I don't blame him but combine that with having lost half a step with a declining arm and he's not nearly as effective.

Did I read we just signed an arena league QB who sounds promising?

[Blue In BC]

It looks to me that when he scrambles now, one of his key objectives is to avoid the big hit which is a good thing. Don't want to see any more concussions and trying to protect his long term health should be a priority.

But having said that, it also hampers his ability to take the extra second to plant or find the open receiver. He's now in hurry up and get it away mode more than ever, especially when scrambling.  Again, I don't blame him but combine that with having lost half a step with a declining arm and he's not nearly as effective.

Did I read we just signed an arena league QB who sounds promising?

It would help if we could game an " A game " from our OL for the rest of the season.

I didn't hear anything about a new QB but that might have been an addition to our neg list. Either way, rookie QB's seldom get much playing time in their 1st season.

Hopefully we get Elgersma here for TC in 2026.

[markf]

The final Zach pass or the final one that was INTed?  If the latter (which is what it sounds like) can you tell me when it occurred?  I'm having trouble finding it.

I can tell you that on the final 3rd down pass by Zach no one was really open.  There was 1 guy at the top of the screen that could have done a turn-back route to come back for the ball at the sticks.  I'd say 90% they could get that easily.  But Zach saw Sterns 1-on-1 with no help over the top and he's said a zillion times when he sees this setup he'll take the shot.  And he did.  Funny thing is all night he's underthrowing and this one time he throws early enough and far enough that it's a big overthrow (with out-bodied impeding by the DB and bad ball placement inside not outside by Zach).  It was a bad pass, Zach clearly wasn't dialed in all night.

Our last  offensive play...  need four for a first down, Mitchell running across the field, right on the line that would have been a first down, minute and six seconds left, basically about at most, a ten yard pass... there was a guy behind him, but it should be an easy completion, to keep the drive going.

Zach goes for the bomb, overthrows, game over.

Stupid decision by Zach.  I thought it was the call but the play caller. Nope.

On one int the receiver he threw it to ... Stearns I think, had four defenders around him. It looks like Zach initially thought no, double clutched, and threw it anyway. Again Stupid.

A coach needs to talk to him. Somebody got Fajardo to stop trying to be a hero. We need the same thing from Zach.

[Blue In BC]

Our last  offensive play...  need four for a first down, Mitchell running across the field, right on the line that would have been a first down, minute and six seconds left, basically about at most, a ten yard pass... to keep the drive going.

Zach goes for the bomb, overthrows, game over.

Stupid decision by Zach. 

A coach needs to talk to him. Somebody got Fajardo to stop trying to be a hero. We need the same thing from Zach.

Yes. Sometimes it's making a 4 yard pass when you need 6 for a 1st down. Sometimes it's an under throw or an over throw. It might have been the call based on desperation at that point of the game. IDK. The play was there but not executed well.

Somewhat ironic that many posts about the under throws during the game and here we're complaining about an over throw on a deep route to an open player. High risk and high reward situation in a game where we had injuries at receiver and not much time left needing a TD.

I was shocked that was attempted but we were not having great success with extended drives and success in the red zone. We'll never know what would have happened if we had made a short 1st down and extended the series.

As mentioned games frequently have many what ifs situations. If we had not take a penalty earlier in the game and scored a TD instead of the FG, then we might have only needed a FG to win and not a TD.

That was a 4 point swing which I felt could cost us later and in that sense it did. However the same could be said about the Elks missing their FG earlier as well.

Que sera sera.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

The final Zach pass or the final one that was INTed?  If the latter (which is what it sounds like) can you tell me when it occurred?  I'm having trouble finding it.

I can tell you that on the final 3rd down pass by Zach no one was really open.  There was 1 guy at the top of the screen that could have done a turn-back route to come back for the ball at the sticks.  I'd say 90% they could get that easily.  But Zach saw Sterns 1-on-1 with no help over the top and he's said a zillion times when he sees this setup he'll take the shot.  And he did.  Funny thing is all night he's underthrowing and this one time he throws early enough and far enough that it's a big overthrow (with out-bodied impeding by the DB and bad ball placement inside not outside by Zach).  It was a bad pass, Zach clearly wasn't dialed in all night.

The wind was a significant factor in the game, MOS took the wind in the 4th and it affected that throw badly, as they should have known it would.

[Blue In BC]

The wind was a significant factor in the game, MOS took the wind in the 4th and it effected that throw badly, as they should have known it would.

If effected the TD pass to Wilson as well and posters complained about an under throw. Weather is always a factor.