Official Game Day Thread - BC at Winnipeg - November 11, 2023 - Western Final

[TecnoGenius]

4Q9:15 What on earth were we doing going pistol formation on 1st & goal at the 3?  I was getting really agitated @IGF when I saw that.  This is not the MOS way.  This is not the WPG way.

Our team is virtually guaranteed to get 1 to 1.5 yards on every sneak.  Why are we taking the ball off the LoS with our can't-throw SY QB?  Everyone and their dog knows it's either a Prukop sneak/run or Brady run.  It's guaranteed.  The worst they have to worry about is the odd end-around by Prukop.

It felt like Buck wanted to reward Brady with another TD or something.  I can't think of any other reason.  Even if you think you can't 3-sneak 3 yards then still go under C rather than pistol.  And if you're thinking of giving it to Brady, then keep Zach in so they have to honor a pass threat.  They had the whole team in the box for our 2 sneaks.

This may be the most irritating, and bad, play calling of the whole season.  I hope we don't see that travesty again.

[TecnoGenius]

4Q3:37 When Ko-man goes out with an apparent finger injury, some of our O in the huddle are apparently having a meltdown and freak-out issues.  That I do not like to see.  Internecine strife is not the WPG/MOS way.

It got so bad Collaros had to drop some f-bombs while his mic was airing and I'm pretty sure he was threatening a player with getting benched.  My guess, from watching @IGF and then the TV coverage of the shouting is Ko-man wasn't sure whether to take a knee or not.  Then Bailey is saying something like, paraphrasing, "it's just a scratch get up".  And Collaros is telling him to take a knee and stay there.  Yoshi starts yelling at someone and pointing and seems to defend his fellow OL.

If you watch before the conflagration you'll see the situation is already discombobulated.  Zach's already pointing sternly to BOLO.  Demski doesn't seem happy coming back to the huddle.  (Did BOLO whiff on a critical block for the failed screen?)

I wonder if there's a small chance the O was all messed up and just needed some time.  We did have 2 timeouts though.  And the whistle came in pretty late so we were good for play clock I think.

What a bizarre situation overall.  I hope the guys get this sorted out before the GC.  Can't have this kind of discord and win the cup.

Oh ya, and the instant Ko-man gets to the sideline, he's fine and test-snapping balls.

[TecnoGenius]

It took me 5 mins @IGF to figure out why BC took their last timeout before the 3 min warning.  Before our successful FG.

You usually want your last TO in your pocket in case you need to challenge.  In fact, there was a possible DPI BC could have challenged later, and they couldn't because of this decision.  And they might need to control the clock more precisely down the stretch in the final minute.  So why now?

It finally dawned on me that by taking the TO they had us complete our FG before the 3MW and thus got to opt to take the ball at the 40 rather than suffer a kickoff whilst we had the wind.  It maybe was the smart move, as with our kicks and their returns they likely come up short of the 40 that way.  However, I'm pretty sure they would have made it to the 30+, so trading your final TO for 10Y may actually have been a bad choice.

[TecnoGenius]

What an insane end to a crazy game... Rhymes trying to fake a foul, Holm gets an INT and runs all the way within 10 of the EZ and then stops for the opponent QB to weakly hang onto his legs?

Then right as the whistle sounds VAJ smartly bats the ball out, but by then no one on BC cared enough to go for it.

Gotta love Zach; so hyped up in the post-game on-field.  It never gets old for him!  He's right, gotta win the next game.  He seems to have a massive chip on his shoulder compared to last year.  Maybe there was some complacency at the last GC.  Him taking control of this team and leading it is going to be the difference maker.

[TecnoGenius]

Listening to MOS post-game again, and after listening to him all year, and for many years, there's one perfect adjective to describe every time he gets behind a mic:

pithy

[ModAdmin]

Slow down Techno.  The hail Mary plan was desperation. The odds of it being successful, with the blanket coverage by the Bombers, was almost zero.  It happened because literally it was a miracle reception.  The Bombers, I believe, could not have played it better.

[TecnoGenius]

Slow down Techno.  The hail Mary plan was desperation. The odds of it being successful, with the blanket coverage by the Bombers, was almost zero.  It happened because literally it was a miracle reception.  The Bombers, I believe, could not have played it better.

Maybe.  Maybe.  However if you study it a little bit, especially the replays, there's a tell that there may have been a plan there... and that is that both McInnis and Lucky were looking 100% at the pile, just standing there.  Not still running.  Not turning to locate the ball.  Just standing there.  McInnis was closer and Lucky slightly farther away, maybe 30 degrees apart from each other, if the pile is the center.

If you did a study of Hail Marys, might you find that deflections often go forward rather than tip farther back?  Especially if your WRs were told to bat the ball back forward?  And you know your WRs are 4 to 7" taller than the DBs?

Campbell/McInnis might say "lucky break" on camera... I'm saying this was coached and practised.  Don't believe me, watch it again a few times and try to explain all the above weird behaviour if it was just a fluke.

The main takeaway for the WFC is we need to get someone on a) coaching our D on how to defeat this, and b) coaching our O on how to repeat this.  If this is us, I'm putting Willie in on O on that play to be the batter-downer guy.  Lawler is the stands-back hands guy.

As for odds, you don't need to make it have a high success rate: you just need to make it succeed more than the usual Hail Mary 1% odds.

[theaardvark]

Slow down Techno.  The hail Mary plan was desperation. The odds of it being successful, with the blanket coverage by the Bombers, was almost zero.  It happened because literally it was a miracle reception.  The Bombers, I believe, could not have played it better.

I have to wonder whether the "you don't need an int, just knock it down" was in effect, and while we had DB's in the jump ball that could have tucked it away, they knocked it down, and the "trailer" grabbed it. 

Seems a DB is dammed if he does, dammed if he doesn't... regardless, we won, and that was the only TD surrendered.  Speaks volumes for the team, really.

[Blue In BC]

I have to wonder whether the "you don't need an int, just knock it down" was in effect, and while we had DB's in the jump ball that could have tucked it away, they knocked it down, and the "trailer" grabbed it. 

Seems a DB is dammed if he does, dammed if he doesn't... regardless, we won, and that was the only TD surrendered.  Speaks volumes for the team, really.

It was a pretty standard Hail Mary. 3 or 4 receivers and 3 or 4 DB's all rushing to the same spot. Sometimes it gets pic'd and other times it gets knocked down. It really does become a game of inches. The direction the ball is knocked towards doesn't always fall towards another player that can catch it by either team.

Win some and lose some but odds are slim. It was disappointing in that it made the game closer than it really was and it could have been a deciding play at the end. Bombers shut them down in the 2nd half but there were points in the game with a slim lead and another TD could have won the game.

The same could be said about losing 5 points in 2 missed FG efforts. From the Lions point of view the blocked punt TD decided the game.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Slow down Techno.  The hail Mary plan was desperation. The odds of it being successful, with the blanket coverage by the Bombers, was almost zero.  It happened because literally it was a miracle reception.  The Bombers, I believe, could not have played it better.

I read the odds of a Hail Mary pass being completed are 7%, so better than 0.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

It was a pretty standard Hail Mary. 3 or 4 receivers and 3 or 4 DB's all rushing to the same spot. Sometimes it gets pic'd and other times it gets knocked down. It really does become a game of inches. The direction the ball is knocked towards doesn't always fall towards another player that can catch it by either team.

Win some and lose some but odds are slim. It was disappointing in that it made the game closer than it really was and it could have been a deciding play at the end. Bombers shut them down in the 2nd half but there were points in the game with a slim lead and another TD could have won the game.

The same could be said about losing 5 points in 2 missed FG efforts. From the Lions point of view the blocked punt TD decided the game.

More disturbed they couldn't score when they were 1st and 10 at the Lions 3, that was critical "throat steppin time" and they failed to execute.  The Als saw what the Lions did and will duplicate with a stronger front 7, I would suggest they leave Zach in until they are at the 1 yd. line next time, giving them more options than 2.

[The Zipp]

More disturbed they couldn't score when they were 1st and 10 at the Lions 3, that was critical "throat steppin time" and they failed to execute.  The Als saw what the Lions did and will duplicate with a stronger front 7, I would suggest they leave Zach in until they are at the 1 yd. line next time, giving them more options than 2.

Puzzling play calls for sure...over thinking will do that...Teams know Prukop isn't going to throw...I don't want him throwing.  Zach can hand the ball off or throw it.  2 yard line and in is DP time.  The timing didn't look right there either - between BO and DP

[GOLDMEMBER]

Puzzling play calls for sure...over thinking will do that...Teams know Prukop isn't going to throw...I don't want him throwing.  Zach can hand the ball off or throw it.  2 yard line and in is DP time.  The timing didn't look right there either - between BO and DP

The Prukop trick or higher risk plays are just down right idiotic at this point. 1 yard sneaks only please Buck. No need to over think these circumstances.

[Pete]

Was wondering about the Baron hitting Dobson on the illegal procedure play. He knew the play wasnt going to be live, yet he drives into Dobson..how is that not roughing?

[TecnoGenius]

It was a pretty standard Hail Mary. 3 or 4 receivers and 3 or 4 DB's all rushing to the same spot. Sometimes it gets pic'd and other times it gets knocked down. It really does become a game of inches. The direction the ball is knocked towards doesn't always fall towards another player that can catch it by either team.

Respectfully, just watch it again a few times.  Focus on McInnis and Lucky.  All the players are in position before the ball arrives (it was like a 75Y throw with lots of time for VAJ to stall).  McInnis and Lucky had time to join the pile.  They didn't.  They are jogging lightly and holding back on purpose.

McInnis and Lucky are staring at the pile the whole time.  They don't look up.  They don't look back.  They are doing nothing but looking at the top of the pile.

Also, look at Hollins and Rhymes in the pile on the jump ball.  Both are going up with only 1 hand!!  Neither is trying to catch that ball.  Period.  Then look when the ball arrives and all they are doing is swatting at it forward.

Seriously, watch it again, watch all the replays.  If this wasn't 100% planned and practised, then explain:
1. McInnis and Lucky holding back
2. McInnis and Lucky facing the pile instead of the ball
3. McInnis and Lucky strategic placement relative to pile and eachother
4. Hollins and Rhymes raise up one hand not 2 hands
5. Hollins and Rhymes doing swatting motion which in no way can result in a catch for themselves

It's too much evidence.  I rest my case.  Campbell probably saw this on some college ball game and stole it.  We need to steal it too.  Both O and D need to implement this next year.  It turns 7% into... ??