Official Game Day Thread - Montreal at Winnipeg - August 24, 2023

[TecnoGenius]

People claiming that Jackson isn't worth a roster spot and then he plays all three phases. Lolx100

Well, they finally deployed the Jackson FB sneak-out pass I said I suspected they've been setting up for weeks.  Unfortunately, the MTL guy followed him across the line and sniffed out the play.  Hmph.  Really sad about that one.  But he did prove he could catch and secure the rock!!

And Jackson getting some snaps at D to go with his copious O snaps.

But what I really want to say about Jackson is TSN showed a shot near the end of the game where Jackson is chumming it up with MOS on the sidelines... check it out, it's like they are age old buddies, yukking it up.  MOS actually laughing!  While the game is still on!  Virtually unheard of.  I think the bromance thing some have said may be real, because clearly they seem to be on the same wavelength.

Hey, this isn't a bad thing.  He's playing his role, taking lots of snaps on all 3 phases, and can fill in on injury for how many positions?  4?  More?  That can be valuable and part of the reason why the team isn't freaking out about not rostering more DL depth?

As long as MOS is rostering him for sound reasons and not due to emotion, I'll side with MOS.

[TecnoGenius]

Yep! And add in Jackson rotating all second half but listed as a fullback. If they just had him on the chart as a defensive end everyone would have been thrilled.

Hahah!  That's a good one.  So true!  Just chart him at DE and all is well in Bomberland! 

[TecnoGenius]

TBH the last two QBs the Bombers faced were not exactly MOP material.    Kelly is and perhaps VAJ isn't as much however the Bomber D will need to play their very best with help from the offence and STs.    
The return of Kyrie Wilson has also had a huge impact on our D.    The question remains around whether or not Jamal Parker will replace Houston when he comes back.

Funny re: QBs after Maier just was the best QB of the week tonight   But ya, Maier won't be MOP; but good thing he didn't light us up like that!

Wilson back is so key for our run D.  Just look at the run D stats since his return.  Night and day.  Clements was an ok placeholder but Kyrie is just an animal when he's in.  He just gets through the lines and disrupts everything.  I don't know how a guy that fast can also have enough power to effectively stop even large backs.  Gets me thinking... was Wilson out for our GC loss?  Could explain why our run D lost the game on the Oullette and Kelly runs with massive wide-open spaces.  Kyrie could be key to winning our next GC as it'll once again come down to stopping Kelly & the egg dish.

Re: Parker/Houston: you must mean Holm?  No way Houston is ever benched.  Holm?  That's the big question.

[TecnoGenius]

We have always had two American DT in our rotation. Richardson backed up Nevis, Sayles backed up Richardson, Walker backed up Sayles. Walker is having a pretty good year and is becoming a very good run stopping DT. However we have no American DT backing him up. Walker is an FA at the end of the season. My worry is he walks away for better money then the Bombers are offering him, like everyone before him, and we have no American DT with any experience. Now we have be very lucky/or good at finding the next American DT so are we going to roll the dice, and hope Fox is the next one.  Or are the Bomber going to go with 3 Canadian rotation at DT. Thomas (FA). Lawson (FA). Schmekel (PR). Kornelson (U).  

That's a very good point I hadn't noticed.  So the plan must be we make sure we retain Walker even if it costs us, or we do go 2 starting NAT at DT, maybe with some new ELC IMP as depth.

Lawson is improving quite well.  But we have to take into account Fatboi retiring eventually, and that could be soon.  Could Fatboi be looking at a coaching job here?  He certainly knows the system, and that could help ease any new guys into the system.

We never spend big at DT, like ever.  Wasn't Nevis a throwaway from TOR or something originally?  Only if we shed a lot of oldster vets at other positions could we afford to change the way we allocate DT$$.  2024 might be a "big change" FA year, that's for sure... unless we can squeak out one more year out of them.  (Rinse and repeat for 2025?  )

[TecnoGenius]

As long as we don't have anyone named Sayles to re-sign, we should do OK...

Haha, good one!  Those Sayles people have talent, but no loyalty! 

[pjrocksmb]

Glen Suitor said during the telecast that the fly over was called off because of the unsettled weather early on and possibility of lightning.

They were circling the race track I hear.

[pjrocksmb]

I'm just going to point out that maybe the Bombers know how to deploy their roster better than you do. People being aghast that we have 10 linebackers on the roster or only 6 defensive lineman and then the D holds them to 3 points. People claiming that Jackson isn't worth a roster spot and then he plays all three phases. Lolx100

Trust the system.  We smoked em.  Love this comment.  Yup Jackson did it all. 

[ichabod_crane]

Funny re: QBs after Maier just was the best QB of the week tonight   But ya, Maier won't be MOP; but good thing he didn't light us up like that!

Wilson back is so key for our run D.  Just look at the run D stats since his return.  Night and day.  Clements was an ok placeholder but Kyrie is just an animal when he's in.  He just gets through the lines and disrupts everything.  I don't know how a guy that fast can also have enough power to effectively stop even large backs.  Gets me thinking... was Wilson out for our GC loss?  Could explain why our run D lost the game on the Oullette and Kelly runs with massive wide-open spaces.  Kyrie could be key to winning our next GC as it'll once again come down to stopping Kelly & the egg dish.

Re: Parker/Houston: you must mean Holm?  No way Houston is ever benched.  Holm?  That's the big question.

Pretty certain Kyrie did NOT play in the grey cup last year. His injury rehab carried over from last season.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Pretty certain Kyrie did NOT play in the grey cup last year. His injury rehab carried over from last season.

Yer correct, Clements started in his place.

[TecnoGenius]

Yer correct, Clements started in his place.

That explains everything in the GC then.  Clements is developing but Kyrie is 5X more effective.  So if Kyrie had been healthy we likely stop those 2-3 backbreaking runs and win handily.  When Clements is playing we always seem to have these busts where the weak side flat is defender-free for miles.  Funny that fate hinges on 1/24th or 1/45th of something...

Kyrie + Biggie might be as good as BC-era team-100.  And I don't say that lightly.  Just look at our run D since Kyrie rejoined Biggie.  Solly maybe had a bit more football IQ, but Kyrie has more speed and disruption behind the LoS.  One thing is for sure, the new "team 23" is hard to beat.

[DM83]

The two guys you mentioned are deadly.  If they are clean, they make the play.  and I think Kramdi, has snuck up and surprised everyone.  He?s earned a position,  by being relentless, tenacious, runs to the hall, and has improved defeating blockers and closing down running lanes.

So as an offensive coordinator, who do you attack?  With that pass rush, and knowing the  trends for a run in first down, the defense is really flowing to the ball.  Pretty good!