Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Saskatchewan, September 3, 2023

[Pigskin]

ZC8 at 50% is just not good enough. Return game, garbage. The head butt, was crazy stupid.

[1chad]

Zach's gotta be better than 50%, but our coverage teams have not been good for most of the season.  What's up with that?

[BLUEBOMBER]

Our special teams coordinator isn't very good.. thats the reason..

[TecnoGenius]

Just got back and kids to pool and bed.

Messy game.  Let SSK dictate the game.  Reasonably ok fun to watch because we did make it close.  Would have been better to stop them on the 2pt...

I don't have much to say yet, but I want to put out there that Buck really botched the 2pt convert call.  That short curl or whatever is what may have cost us the '22 GC.  It has failed 2-3 times earlier this season.  In every instance teams bring LBers or drop DL to bat it down.  They all do this now.  This is not a high percentage play for us, especially in crunchtime because teams key on it.

So what do we do on the 2pt?  The dumb short curl that gets batted down 50% of the time.  Literally the least creative 2pt play call in the world.  We plan all year and this is the best we can come up with?  For the love of God just hand it off to Brady, as that has a better chance than that short pass.   I don't even know who the intended receiver is, but why you're not throwing a corner fade to Kenny or a wide out to Woli is beyond me.  Look what SSK did on their 2pt...

If you have a trick 2pt play in the book, this is the time you haul it out.  Disappointed.

Oh ya, if Zach doesn't have a 2nd read on that short pass, which he doesn't seem to, then also shameful.  I know we never go for 2 so probably have nothing specifically for this, but we need to start designing some better plays.

Since we know teams will put players in the flat to block this pass, why not take advantage of it?  Surely we can draw up a play that takes advantage of knowing a D player will be wasted out of the box blocking the short route!!  Maybe it leaves something wide open for a Zach delayed draw or a trick to Jackson or sneak out to Brady.

No guarantee we win the 2nd OT, but at least getting the 2pt let's us try.

Had a very nice trip, and a pretty fun game in a good section with good fans around, but will rue that last play call for a while.  I look forward to wiping the dirt with SSK in the BB 52-3.  If we get the series, then no real harm done.

[Lincoln Locomotive]

The 2 extra points lost us the game.. Parker really doesn't like the return job.. same goes for McCrae. LOL..

Don't blame them....I think you have to be a bit crazy.....and totally fearless!    Parker was marginally better than McCrae returning punts......the two points conceded though cost us.    Didn't agree with them declining the no yards penalty and conceding the point.     If he Parker catches the ball in the air he might have at least got to the 20 and may be the 25.    You have to go into the mindset that you will run the ball and make first downs but we go two and out from the 40 with still almost 2 minutes left.    You would have at least forced them to score a TD to win it as opposed to a FG to force OT.    
Os now we've been beaten in OT by two weaker teams who were playing their 3rd and 4th string QB.    We made a star out of Crum with the Ottawa Crumback and now we made a star out of the "Dawg"Dolegala.    Zach is not the same QB as he was last season and I don't know why.    Yes, he made some TD passes again today after giving up yet another pick early in a game making it 5 picks in 3 games.....3 of which were pick sixes.    He is able to rebound and flush those mistakes but sooner or later it's going to bite you in the a$$.....like today.    

Let's give credit to Dolegala and the Riders today as they were simply the better team.....whudda thunk it?

[TecnoGenius]

Great thread everyone.  Just got through it all.  Lots of good stuff I can sync to my rewatch.

Wanted to note that we saw none of that headbutting stuff at the stadium.  It was a total shock a flag appeared and the crowd was livid and from what I saw zero replays were shown that showed a headbutt.  There was one replay from a long distance where you couldn't see anything happening to Zach.  Green fans went mental thinking it was a fake flag. They had a long ad break then and still no replays.

I guess it's better to leave the fans really upset than to show them the reality of the play??  SMH.  Again, we had zero idea anything dirty happened to Zach, which I feel was a bit unfair to both teams' fans.

[northof30]

Way too many mistakes. I totally agree that Zach is not the same; throwing into double coverage; interceptions; pick 6?s; escapability. Also how do you not take the ball on the 40 yard line after their field goal and how do give up a single when you?re up 4 points?? Terrible play call on the 2 point conversion! Finally kick returns are a pretty important part of the CFL game and if you knew that Grant was going to be out for 2 months, which it?s apparent they did, then maybe you could of picked up somebody better than McCrae or Parker.

[Blitzer]

Regina is a tough place to play. Sold out and loud fans. Playing the Bombers is like a Grey Cup game to them it seems! 

[kronic]

Regina is a tough place to play. Sold out and loud fans. Playing the Bombers is like a Grey Cup game to them it seems! 

Yeah. I?m not concerned about this loss in the least. What year was it the Riders were 0-9 but still won the LDC? If we don?t win next week by at least two scores I?ll be surprised.

I?ll be stunned if Robertson doesn?t receive a one game suspension btw.

[buckzumhoff]

Like to see them bring in help for the d line.  Other teams are getting more pressure than ours at times. O line played good. Our d line played good on the run . Except a few times wide open in the middle.  Need a good inside pass rusher. A few players are getting double teamed but that happens. Sask qb was getting rid of he ball quick but he had quite a bit of time

[Blue In BC]

This was several games in a row where we don't really show up in the 1st half. It gives the opponent momentum. We've been able to come back and win in most of those situations but not yesterday.

Dropped balls, predictable plays, poor returns, poor coverage are things we mention every week. Apparently the coaches know best and haven't done anything to correct these faults. Go figure.

Schoen had an off day but still came up with some good catches.

What was our TOP?

[Lincoln Locomotive]

This was several games in a row where we don't really show up in the 1st half. It gives the opponent momentum. We've been able to come back and win in most of those situations but not yesterday.

Dropped balls, predictable plays, poor returns, poor coverage are things we mention every week. Apparently the coaches know best and haven't done anything to correct these faults. Go figure.

Schoen had an off day but still came up with some good catches.

What was our TOP?

Agreed....the last 3 games we started were disasters.    Against Edmonton they score on the first play of the game on a running play and then proceed to rack up a 22-0 lead until Zach got injured.    In the game against Calgary we were at least tied going into the 2nd half and barely squeaked out a point win which didn't really feel like a W but hey, we'll take the 2 points.   Then against the Als at home Zach throws a pick six on his very first play from scrimmage?    How often do you see that which he then followed up with two more picks.    To be fair he rebounded and threw 4 TDs.    Then against the Riders we lose possession on the opening short KO.    How often have you seen that?   The Rider fans were in the game from the get go and then Zach throws another pick early.    Our D held us in the game early or it could have been worse.    Dolegala was extremely inaccurate at times yet he still managed to win the ball game for the Riders. 

I'm sorry, but the Bombers just don't look like a championship team at the moment.    Expect the Riders to play just as hard in the Banjo Bowl now that they have been given some confidence.    For whatever reason Zach is not the same QB and he definitely is not playing MOP  football.    Aside from his early pick, he threw a lot of bad balls either under throwing or overthrowing his receivers.   I really think it's a mental thing with him or maybe teams are able to better scheme against him....I'm still scratching my head over his erratic play.   

[Ducky]

Bombers averaged 9 yards per kickoff return!

Collaros with another off game. Schoen with probably his worst (1/2) game of his life.  Lawler average/underutilized again.


The terrible play to give up the single and let Sask within 3 points.

HUGE rebound game needed now.

[TBURGESS]

My take:

Riders beat Calgary & Winnipeg in the last two games. Looks like they are for real.

They should have thrown out the dipshyte who head butted Collaros. Dangerous play.

We need to start showing up at the first play of the games. We won't get away with playing half a game against half the league.

Worst game that Collaros has had in Blue and Gold. He hasn't looked the same since his neck injury.

We should have leaned on Brady O more and stopped going deep.

It wasn't a mistake to give up the single. It was a call to get the ball out to the 40. A couple of first downs and we'd have won the game.

Riders win their personal Grey Cup game. They won't win the real one tho.

[Ridersrgr8]

Lol