Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, September 6, 2026

[TBURGESS]

With ties not being a possibility, what's the positive in going to OT?

With the possibility of losing in regular time, what's the positive of going for 2?

I don't know the odds of making the 2-pointer, but it's got to be less than 50-50, especially against the Riders in their stadium with the noise and no Demski or Pokey. 

[Waffler]

With the possibility of losing in regular time, what's the positive of going for 2?

I don't know the odds of making the 2-pointer, but it's got to be less than 50-50, especially against the Riders in their stadium with the noise and no Demski or Pokey.

I would say about the same as winning the OT. Maybe better because we know the Younger defense's record with game winning drives.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I think we all agree it was a mistake to field that ball, and it was probably apparent to him as well after the play (probably was clear to him in the first 1-2 seconds after the play). I think he was focused on returning the FG if it was missed; but then, in the moment, couldn't decide between fielding it and letting it go, got confused/indecisive for a split-second, tried to pull-back but it still hit his hand and rolled out.

Good pointing out it was on a missed FG, this is a bit more excusable as it was a rare opportunity for a huge return against a weak formation he doesn't get every game. Unfortunately the ball caught him thinking about his options.

[theaardvark]

Vaval has been lights out this year, and has made a lot of good decisions.

His leaving the KO to go through the EZ at the start of the game, brilliant.  Saved a point.

But that missed FG, man.  It was very deep, going out for sure, with a sure starting point at the 40.  But he tried to field it 13 yards deep in the EZ
to get that "FG miss returned for a TD" that everyone is so disappointed will go away next year. 

I'm not sure if it was because someone saw SSK didn't have its cover team out, but rather the protect team, which improves the odds of getting a good return, or if it was just a brain fart, but that made it 13-13.  That single might have been the difference.

Love Vaval, love that he played through pain at the end, love what he can do on returns.

Hated that brain fart.  When it happened, I was very upset/disappointed, and knew it was coming back to bite us, as much as the opening non-Rouge was great.

[theaardvark]

As Milt would say, "there are no good losses, no "moral victories".  Its either a W or an L.

This would have been a big win.  Yes, it would have been a win because SSK can't kick (bring that crap to PAS next week and you'll be sorry), but it should have been a win.

Zach looked hurt to me.  Is 80% Zach better than 100% Dru or Bryce?  Bryce looked great in his limited snaps. 

Same with Pokey.  He made one catch after getting injured, but even if he gets to that ball in the EZ, I'm not 100% he can hold on.  And what's with the mosaic EZ pavement?  That's just wrong.

I really hope this loss puts a fire under the WFC to kill SSK next week.  I really, really hope no one, and I mean NO ONE, comes away from this game saying "We almost had them" and being convinced this level of effort will win the Banjo Bowl.  There is a definite step up needed if they are going to win next week.  You can't count on Mace letting the Riders play crappy like that two weeks in a row.

[Waffler]

Zach looked hurt to me.  Is 80% Zach better than 100% Dru or Bryce?  Bryce looked great in his limited snaps. 

Doesn't Keon Hatcher have better stats than Perkins? I mean Hatcher has TWO completions. I agree that Perkins is a good 3rd down guy but I think that's his whole game.

This an MOS team, if Zach can stand, he's playing.

[theaardvark]

Doesn't Keon Hatcher have better stats than Perkins? I mean Hatcher has TWO completions. I agree that Perkins is a good 3rd down guy but I think that's his whole game.

This an MOS team, if Zach can stand, he's playing.

Pretty sure he has more than just a SY game.

You realize the dude has a Superbowl ring and has actual NFL stats (Zach doesn't) and was league MVP in the UFL last year.

If you think SY is Perkins "whole game", yikes.  There is a reason he's here and not Wilson.  And that he's on the AR instead of Elgersma. 

[Pigskin]

The Bomber are still making far to many mistakes.

Texada 2 or 3 times blowen coverage.
Vaval and Woodbey missed tackles on the Wiebe 72 yard pass.
Lawson stupid penalty for roughing.
Time count late in the game.

What's with Hardrick holding WJ5 down and no call. Last week Neuf received a roughing penalty.

What I loved was the hit CAD put on Tommy on the goal line.

[Pigskin]

Pretty sure he has more than just a SY game.

You realize the dude has a Superbowl ring and has actual NFL stats (Zach doesn't) and was league MVP in the UFL last year.

If you think SY is Perkins "whole game", yikes.  There is a reason he's here and not Wilson.  And that he's on the AR instead of Elgersma. 

Lot's of players have Championship Rings and never played a down in a playoff game. Perkins played 5 games in the NFL in 2022. 19/34, 161 yards, 4.7 avg, 6 sacks, 1 TD, 2 Int. He's a SY QB. all day long.

[Tecno]

It's easy to say that we should have gone for 2 since we went for one and went into OT and lost.

I think you need to look at the calculus. I don't think it should be cut and dried you always go for the tie.

Lapo is the only hc to ever go for 2. And he won. With an always loses OTT team. He ran the math. He made the right choice, even if they lost.

If the teams are even, or you are superior, then you tie it, because you'll be likely to win OT. If you suck, like OTT your odds are better if you try one of your specially planned and kept on your back pocket 2pat.

In our case,
a) we knew our d would be unable to stop a d&d mini drive. We didn't stop OTT when we did overtime with them. We weren't stopping ssk.

b) our o was hit and miss all night. Who knows if we can drive the mini drive.

c) we're in the worst stadium for enemy noise, have to know it'll cause problems. And it likely cost us the game on the time count.

d) we had zero run game all game, hard to win in OT if you're one dimensional and the d knows it.

e) having just scored we had the temporary momentum and crowd demoralization. By going for 2 you make it all happen way faster than ssk wants. You're in control. By doing ot you give them 8 minutes to think about everything.

Add in to all that the fact that we proved in the OTT game we had some good 2pat things planned up.

So ya, I think more teams need to run the math and look at the situation. Maybe make up a nice formula to help you decide.

And if you're worried about fan blowback should you fail, you go on the post game and you lay out all the points I just did above. Who can argue with cold hard facts?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I think you need to look at the calculus. I don't think it should be cut and dried you always go for the tie.

Lapo is the only hc to ever go for 2. And he won. With an always loses OTT team. He ran the math. He made the right choice, even if they lost.

If the teams are even, or you are superior, then you tie it, because you'll be likely to win OT. If you suck, like OTT your odds are better if you try one of your specially planned and kept on your back pocket 2pat.

In our case,
a) we knew our d would be unable to stop a d&d mini drive. We didn't stop OTT when we did overtime with them. We weren't stopping ssk.

b) our o was hit and miss all night. Who knows if we can drive the mini drive.

c) we're in the worst stadium for enemy noise, have to know it'll cause problems. And it likely cost us the game on the time count.

d) we had zero run game all game, hard to win in OT if you're one dimensional and the d knows it.

e) having just scored we had the temporary momentum and crowd demoralization. By going for 2 you make it all happen way faster than ssk wants. You're in control. By doing ot you give them 8 minutes to think about everything.

Add in to all that the fact that we proved in the OTT game we had some good 2pat things planned up.

So ya, I think more teams need to run the math and look at the situation. Maybe make up a nice formula to help you decide.

And if you're worried about fan blowback should you fail, you go on the post game and you lay out all the points I just did above. Who can argue with cold hard facts?

Agree the Bombers had just marched the field so they had momentum on their side to pull off one more play.  O'Shea should have known Rider fans would go absolutely crazy generating noise for the 2 or 3 minutes an OT drive takes, a large chunk of them won't attend another game this year, so they blew their vocal chords out on that last drive, expressing Saskatchewan Pride.