Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Ottawa - June 13, 2024

[LXTSN]

Since everyone is offering what they would have done.

1st down - hand off to JA, even 2-3 yards is almost a win here. Collaros can be in for it. If you insist on passing why not try a quick throw to the flat and block it up. Really only need a small chunk then you bring in Strev for 2 tries to pound it in.

The fade wasn't a terrible play, but should be a 2nd down look, not first. Esp throwing to a rookie IMO. Not that it's on Wheatfall at all, ZC missed the throw.

I don't think the fade was his first option. I think he saw the pressure and put it in a place that gave us a chance and away from the defence.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Hindsight is 20/20. Collaros passed them down the field to the 7 yard line. You take him out for Streveler and if they don't have success or he drops the ball in the rain and everyone is screaming about having Collaros come out at such an important point when he was in a groove.

They sent pressure through the gaps on first and second down so a run call with Augustine would be low percentage play.  Other than the passes not working out, what makes any of you think we could suddenly bully ball our way into the endzone at the end of the game? We had our hands full picking up a yard at a time with Streveler in the game for the first 58 minutes.

I don't like the result but I don't think it was a bad idea to give Collaros three shots at it from the 7. We believe in him. He's paid a lot. Too bad he didn't make the play. That's football.

[Horseman]

Anyone who thinks we are a free space is in for a rude awakening.

One play from winning after losing 5 starters is not a free space, my friend.

I didn't say I thought we were the free space, buuuut you have to admit we are currently playing bad football, both on O and on D, so until that improves the reality is we are a bad team. Sorry but I call it like it is, I am a realist, but still support my team. They need to turn this around, how you ask...we need a KR, Worthy is available, we need DL help, Oakman is available if not injured  so is Mason Bennet. We have the cap space with all the players currently on the 6 game IR. I keep looking for news the Bombers brought someone in but nothing but crickets. Don't stand pat Bombers or we will be the free space this year.

[55StickCar]

I will go back to what I believe is the play that lost us last years Grey Cup. We were threatening to score a TD that would possibly have put us over the edge. Instead of Zach hitting Demski wide open coming out of the back field he tried to force it to Lawler where it was intercepted.
That play whether it be #10 or # 27 should have been done last night.
Its tough to defend.

[J5V]

Get ready for mega suckage!

Are you serious? I didn't expect this from you. Five starters injured, lots of turnover to start the season, rain-drenched ***** playing conditions and a rain delay that sapped us of our momentum in a game we could have easily won. Wow man.

[TecnoGenius]

1. How long will Oliveria be out or playing hampered by his injury? Is it fair to say Augustine didn't produce or was that due to OL and play calling?

2. ST's improved somewhat. Kicking game better. Coverage still an issue at times and returns leave a lot to be desired.

I think JA27's avg in week 2 was about the same as BO20's avg in week 1.  Thus our run woes are probably a function of the OL (and/or Buck).  You would expect the league's highest paid RB to massively outrun a perennial NAT backup, but he didn't.

Our ST coverage was very good.  The one explosion return by OTT had 2 very critical IBs, that were uncalled.  I've noticed that rail returns are much better for hiding illicit behavior.  We've been burned on these for at least a season.  Need to find solutions.  (And we should be employing these nasty tactics on our returns, too.)

[TecnoGenius]

Look at the trouble Bombers had gaining inches on 3rd down conversions. Zero push from the hogs. They got molested vs Montreal too and so it looks like a pattern might be developing. Where is Eli? Bring back Geoff Gray - get him in here. How long is Dobson out?
This must be why Buck called only 14 runs plays that averaged 3 YPC for a funky 42 total yards in a RAIN GAME ***. And if that is not the reason then Buck and MOS both need take a football IQ test.
If I am Strev or Augustine - a pair of terrific runners - I am pissed at such squandered opportunity.

Best post yet.

Yes, we struggled on every X & 1 sneak.  Both weeks.  Every single one (well, except maybe Strevie's 3rd & 2 in week 1).  Those are gimmee no-brainers and a staple of WFC.  The only reason we are succeeding is because stout Strevie keeps churning to get that extra foot.  It shouldn't all fall on him!  The hoggie must pave the road!

Rain game: Ya, you're supposed to pound it, not toss it.  I had Demski in fantasy then took him out when I saw the rain coming.  I didn't replace him with any WPG RB because I knew our OL is very weak on the run right now.  Sad.  Who would have thought I should have replaced him with OTT's RB!!  Dude made bank while we stank.

I'm sure Strev & JA27 were sitting there stewing on the 7 yard debacle.  WFC just told Johnny, "you're not good enough, we're going to go against our standard operating procedure because you stink and we have no faith in you to get 2.25 YPC".

[TecnoGenius]

Didn't hear Lofton's name get brought up once either, which is a good thing for a right tackle. Seems to be a solid piece of our OL.

Lofton has surprisingly turned out to be a superb pass-pro OL early on.  Way exceeding my expectations.  However, he may be part of the problem of our weak run game.  We've leaned heavily on the RT to be the key break out / wall-off guy for years now.  He might also be part of why our SY is struggling.

But he can improve.  All in all I think we have to give early props to Lofton and he may work out just fine.

[TecnoGenius]

So far after 2 games, we are looking/playing like the "Free" space on the ole bingo card. Still time to turn it around but Zack needs to play like Zack.

Good point.  Hadn't thought of that.  Even I couldn't get in such a depressed mindset.  But you're right, we're the free space and we'll get no respect until we earn it.  Losing that GC rematch (at home to boot) was everything.  Then we top it off with a loss to the 2023 worst CFL team.

Did you see how surprised Dyce was at the end of the game at having won?!  He totally expected to lose!

[TecnoGenius]

LaPo would have had him in with RPO I believe because it makes the most sense.

No way that is a 3 pass situation in the rain even without a RPO stud like Streveler. 

17 scores on 3 plays from the 7 in those conditions almost every time.  LaPo gets them to punch it in.  No question in my mind.

100%.  That may be the worst 3 down sequence in the recent history of WFC.  5 R out and straight up short pocket toss with no run option for 3 downs?  Holy Moses, are we the 2015 CGY Stamps or the run-first, run-mostly Bombers?!

This is a major fail at the chess game.  You pin, you fork, you feint, you misdirect.  You don't do straight up, obvious, too-late passes into double-coverage.

I'm starting to smell what might be the root cause.  And it rhymes with truck.  It's a big part of why we lost 2 GCs when we held in our hands the final for-the-win drives, too...

[TecnoGenius]

On a side suggestion I would like to see Jones replace Ayers at LB. In at least the short term, IMO he adds more talent on the field. He can play ST's as well as LB.

Maybe, I have no stance on that.  But I will point out that Ayers was in on a lot of the ST tackles in week 2.  He was flying around and generally in the right place.  He seems good at shedding blockers.

[TecnoGenius]

Hindsight is 20/20. Collaros passed them down the field to the 7 yard line. You take him out for Streveler and if they don't have success or he drops the ball in the rain and everyone is screaming about having Collaros come out at such an important point when he was in a groove.

I really don't think anyone here would fault them for putting in Strevie + Johnny and doing 3 run/sneak plays, even if we fail to score.  Maybe if the only read is for Strevie to throw and he fumbles in the rain, maybe then you have a point, but chances are we don't give him license to pass unless there's a huge bust.

I don't know about you, but when I saw we were sending 5 out for a pass attempt on down 1, I had a bad feeling in my stomach.  We instinctively know that this is not the WFC M.O. -- it's not who we are.

They sent pressure through the gaps on first and second down so a run call with Augustine would be low percentage play.  Other than the passes not working out, what makes any of you think we could suddenly bully ball our way into the endzone at the end of the game? We had our hands full picking up a yard at a time with Streveler in the game for the first 58 minutes.

Yes, you are right about the blitz.  OTT bet on a combo run/pass blitz.  Actually brilliant, but easily anticipated.  That's why you put Strevie in with Johnny, so that we have the edge-around option for Strevie.  We could have done the QB run option play where both he & Johnny run to the edge and the DB has to pick one and the QB picks the other.  The 5 WRs out can clear the flat.

Other plays to defeat that blitz: QB draw screen where Strevie fades back and JA or someone sneaks out to the post.  BLM was the king of this.  Zach could have done this, too.  Or, hitch screen might have worked to the strong side.

Or we just do what WFC does and bring in the beef 6th/7th OL/TE to negate their blitz and pound straight ahead like we always have done with AH33 (and often BO20 too).

[TecnoGenius]

Are you serious? I didn't expect this from you. Five starters injured, lots of turnover to start the season, rain-drenched ***** playing conditions and a rain delay that sapped us of our momentum in a game we could have easily won. Wow man.

Bad weather, on the road, missing highest paid receiver and MOC, losing 3 D starters in the first half.

In it until the last play.

You'd be 100% right... except this was against OTT!  In 2019-2021 we would have won this game in our sleep, even given all the same conditions.

I doubt OTT breaks .500 this year.  Dru looked much worse than I had expected.  Still better than their other options, but not as good as us fans may have expected.

[Pete]

All game long Zac was looking for the 20yd or deeper pass. our oline can't provide that type of protection time atter time. Watching the montreal/elks game and seeing how effective short quick passes can be, letting your athletes perform.
  We need to incorporate that into our offense in order to :
a) get more players involved
b) become less predictable
c) offset defenses that are stacking up the middle
d) keep drives going (I've never seen this offense stall so many times)

I didn't think I'd say this but we miss mcCrae, after all the receivers we brought in the only one that is better might be Wheatfall, talk about poor scouting.
 I'm disappointed in Bucks play calling, we seem to have regressed from the offence that had multiple ways of attacking the running game vs just handing off up the middle.

[ModAdmin]

Game recap by Ed Tait...

https://www.bluebombers.com/2024/06/13/game-recap-wpg-19-ott-23/