Our Remaining Games

[BBRT]

I was wondering what everyone thinks about our final 5 games.

We are at Edmonton and then Home with Edmonton (maybe win both or split)
Then we have a away game in Hamilton (a win)
Then we have Toronto at home (that one is up for grabs) then a bye and end in Montreal (Montreal has clinched first so might not be playing all their starters so I am going with a win).

I belive I saw a post out on X that indicated if we can win 4 of the 5 we lock up first regardless of what any of the other Western Teams do.

Not sure I can get comfortable with winning 4 out of 5. Might be 3 out of 5 or even 2 out of 5.

Just curious what everyone else thinks.

[ModAdmin]

4 out of 5 is certainly within reach but, a always, subject to several "ifs".

If we can improve our offensive production,

If we can avoid serious injuries to key players, especially ZC8,

If SB66 returns to the lineup after the bye,

If our D and ST continue to maintain/build on their performances.

[J5V]

Some time ago when we were doing badly I looked ahead and predicted a record of 8-10. It's looking good that I may be close although I definitely didn't pick the rights games to win and lose. If we go 3-2 in the remaining five we'll be 10-8 and I never saw that coming at all. Even 2-3 would see us at 9-9, a record that would have seemed impossible not that long ago.

To answer your question, I see us splitting with Edm, winning against Hamilton, and splitting Toronto and Montreal to go 3-2 and finishing 10-8.

[barbk]

I was wondering what everyone thinks about our final 5 games.

We are at Edmonton and then Home with Edmonton (maybe win both or split)
Then we have a away game in Hamilton (a win)
Then we have Toronto at home (that one is up for grabs) then a bye and end in Montreal (Montreal has clinched first so might not be playing all their starters so I am going with a win).

I belive I saw a post out on X that indicated if we can win 4 of the 5 we lock up first regardless of what any of the other Western Teams do.

Not sure I can get comfortable with winning 4 out of 5. Might be 3 out of 5 or even 2 out of 5.

Just curious what everyone else thinks.

I expect the bombers to have a split with Edmonton, we win at home with Edmonton.  We win Toronto at home and we always have problems winning in Hamilton and the players from Hamilton will be playing for next season so I predict we don't win that game.  I also think Montreal will play their starters (pre Grey Cup game and getting ready for East Finals).  So I don't think we win that game.  So our next 5 games we will go 2 and 3.  My predictions are 1) BC 2) Wpg 3) Edmonton but hope I'm wrong.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I actually think that this 7-2 stretch might be the high watermark for this team. O'Shea has done a really good job squeezing out wins after an 0-4 start but I think Edmonton is going to give us fits along the offensive and defensive line and ultimately I'm expecting them to win both games.

After that, who knows. I'm also pretty terrible at predictions so I hope I'm wrong but I don't know what we're going to hang our hat on in the cooler whether games. We can't pressure the quarterback on defense and we have a hard time scoring touchdowns. Winning ugly is only going to take us so far, I think.

[Blueforlife]

I actually think that this 7-2 stretch might be the high watermark for this team. O'Shea has done a really good job squeezing out wins after an 0-4 start but I think Edmonton is going to give us fits along the offensive and defensive line and ultimately I'm expecting them to win both games.

After that, who knows. I'm also pretty terrible at predictions so I hope I'm wrong but I don't know what we're going to hang our hat on in the cooler whether games. We can't pressure the quarterback on defense and we have a hard time scoring touchdowns. Winning ugly is only going to take us so far, I think.

I expect at least a split with Edmonton.  Won't be  easy games to be sure.

Hamilton won't be easy if we see good Bo.  Toronto isn't great but great DL.  Montreal will be resting players and should be a reasonable game to win.

3 for 5 I my expectation.  Maybe 4 for 5.

We can get pressure on a QB (but yes not our strength).  I see us needing to steal one game and maybe win another on the strength of our D.  I see a club playing good in all three phases, need to be great most games to get the victories I predict. We have one of the best defenses in the league.

I believe we are build for cold weather and our veterans, good coaching and team culture will come through when it matters the most.

Our backup QB situation needs to sort itself out as it's an important aspect of any club.

I see injuries the only thing slowing us down.

Go Blue!

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Hope you're right! It wouldn't surprise me if we have a good end to the season. It's just that offense usually gets harder not easier at this point in the season. Being effective in cold weather usually means winning along the lines of scrimmage and we just haven't been able to do that very much this year. I'm excited to find out though!

A couple of wins and we're hosting the west final once again and then all bets are off. I think we're going to have to play better in the last five games than we have all year to get that done though and I'm not convinced we will suddenly do that.

[gobombersgo]

Remaining weeks:

Wpg: at Edm, home vs Edm, at Ham, home vs Tor,  bye, at Mtl

B.C.: bye, home vs Ham, home vs Cgy, at Sask, home vs Mtl, bye

Sask: at Cgy, home vs Ott, at Edm, home vs B.C., bye, home vs Cgy

Edm: home vs Wpg, at Wpg, home vs Sask, at Cgy, bye, home vs Tor

Cgy: home vs Sask, bye, at B.C., home vs Edm, at Ham, at Sask

[Blueforlife]

Hope you're right! It wouldn't surprise me if we have a good end to the season. It's just that offense usually gets harder not easier at this point in the season. Being effective in cold weather usually means winning along the lines of scrimmage and we just haven't been able to do that very much this year. I'm excited to find out though!

A couple of wins and we're hosting the west final once again and then all bets are off. I think we're going to have to play better in the last five games than we have all year to get that done though and I'm not convinced we will suddenly do that.

Yeah I was thinking about how this time of year the wins do get much more difficult.  Even the poor teams get better, play loose and like to do the spoiler thing.  Nobody could have predicted our decline and then rebound.  The last 3rd of the season will be just an unpredictable.  One of the reasons why the CFL is so great, the path to success is rarely a linear process.

[Blue In BC]

Injury status accumulates as the season progresses. Perhaps we're about to get a few players back but we're still losing players in both short and long term situations.

There seems to be some suggestion we might see Wallace back shortly. Decisions will be made on a few PR players that came off the IR recently.

Still waiting to see if Bighill has any chance of return to the AR.

[TecnoGenius]

I also think Montreal will play their starters (pre Grey Cup game and getting ready for East Finals).  So I don't think we win that game.  So our next 5 games we will go 2 and 3.  My predictions are 1) BC 2) Wpg 3) Edmonton but hope I'm wrong.

Look at basically every team who clinched first and had the benefit of garbage season games in the last 5 seasons.  I can't think of a single one who didn't take the chance to rest nearly everyone who needed it or was too valuable to risk to injury.  Usually half (or more) of the Rs/RBs/QBs, and around a third of the D.  (Often most of the OL and much of the DL will still play.)

It's almost a certainty MTL will clinch first, and they will rest starters for their final game(s).  The only question is "when".  Hopefully they clinch just before our game, but not sooner, as we will want them to beat their remaining West team matchups.

[TecnoGenius]

Still waiting to see if Bighill has any chance of return to the AR.

I say he's gone for 9+ months, and thus probably forever.  I'd say the very best case is he did to his knee what AH33 did in his last season here... where it looked really bad but he was able to come back and play on it for the playoffs (though not 100%).

Let's say it is the AH33 situation redux: I say keep him out anyhow.  A 50% Biggie will have the same result as the '23 GC: somewhat ineffective and leaving mid-game.  I treat every single AR spot in the GC as absolutely critical.  We need healthy players.

[TecnoGenius]

Here's a scenario:

WPG's O finally gets hot in the home stretch into the playoffs.  It's been the weak link all season.  Rookies now have experience, IR guys coming back, OL finally gelling, Zach playing sharper.

What if everyone comes together and the O starts lighting everyone up.  And they keep getting better all the way through a home WDF and into the cup, finally getting that cup again.  (Maybe against Dru??)

That's my prediction!  We win at least 4, and I think we sweep EDM.

[Jesse]

I expect the bombers to have a split with Edmonton, we win at home with Edmonton.  We win Toronto at home and we always have problems winning in Hamilton and the players from Hamilton will be playing for next season so I predict we don't win that game.  I also think Montreal will play their starters (pre Grey Cup game and getting ready for East Finals).  So I don't think we win that game.  So our next 5 games we will go 2 and 3.  My predictions are 1) BC 2) Wpg 3) Edmonton but hope I'm wrong.

Holy cow, barb!

You're gutting me here, I'm trying to be optimistic.

[peg_city]

We finish 3-2. Lions finish 3-1. We finish first in the west.

The lions loss last week really showed they have flaws.

[bluengold204]

Here's a scenario:

WPG's O finally gets hot in the home stretch into the playoffs.  It's been the weak link all season.  Rookies now have experience, IR guys coming back, OL finally gelling, Zach playing sharper.

What if everyone comes together and the O starts lighting everyone up.  And they keep getting better all the way through a home WDF and into the cup, finally getting that cup again.  (Maybe against Dru??)

That's my prediction!  We win at least 4, and I think we sweep EDM.

We've played enough games for our O to figure it out.  If they haven't by now they most likely won't for the remainder of the season.  Especially as the weather gets colder.

That being said my prediction is that we still go 4/5 for the remainder of the season and take the West Division.

[The Zipp]

We've played enough games for our O to figure it out.  If they haven't by now they most likely won't for the remainder of the season.  Especially as the weather gets colder.

That being said my prediction is that we still go 4/5 for the remainder of the season and take the West Division.

what we have seen is likely what we will get for the rest of the season.  There isn't going to be a sudden change and we are scoring 50+ a game.  protect the football, play strong D, run the ball - it's what we do.

[Blueforlife]

A good offense doesn't need to put up 50 burgers.  It would be nice but our offense is built on winning the TOP and grinding out victories any way we can.  We have seen other teams put up big passing numbers and more TDs but if we keep on winning no worries.

[Pete]

The only factor that may improve our Offence is a continued improvement in the Oine .If Bryant is back, and Neufeld returns to form, a line of Bryant, Randolph, Kolo, Neufeld and Lofton could mean a more effective Zac and Brady. With Dobson and Eli coming in we should be running more 6 man fronts This could be a key to beating elks, we wouldn't miss Johnson if we utilized this pkg as hes been invisible.

[Pigskin]

Would be nice to see our offence finish more drives. Turn the 3 into a 7.   

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I don't think our offense is really going to get any better down the stretch. It hasn't happened in 13 games and it's unlikely to dramatically improve now. The Edmonton games worry me. Toronto worries me. We're likely to have a tough time along the line of scrimmage in all three of those games which is a recipe for trouble in late September and October. Collaros and the offense more generally has not been able to transition to a quick passing game.

In some ways, Trevor Harris would have probably had more success this year in blue and gold than Collaros has.

[TecnoGenius]

We've played enough games for our O to figure it out.  If they haven't by now they most likely won't for the remainder of the season.  Especially as the weather gets colder.

That's what people would have said about MTL at exactly this point in the 2023 season... then they went on to win 5 in a row to end the season, after a lackluster season (and then the cup, then the first 8 games or so...).

Cody finally clicked with his Rs even on deep shots.  Their OL suddenly became impassable once they put McGloster in for Rice @RT.

If Five Yard O can do it, why not the much better Zach?  If their Rs did it (many of them ELCs), why not our superstars?  If their OL did it, why not our OL?

Our O 100% knows they haven't been stout this season.  They know they're being carried by the D.  I bet every one of them is working every day to get back to 30-40 pts a game form.  We've seen that getting around 20pts in a GC isn't enough to win.

Remember, we did put like 2/3rds of our SMS into the O, and we're supposed to be an O-focused team.  So start acting like it!!

[J5V]

That's what people would have said about MTL at exactly this point in the 2023 season... then they went on to win 5 in a row to end the season, after a lackluster season (and then the cup, then the first 8 games or so...).

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that this has been the plan from day one. After losing the last two grey cups I believe the Bombers' plan was to find a way to peak at the right time -- the playoffs. That would explain the philosophy of the pre-season games, the slow start, the gradual build up and recruitment of new talent blending and learning from the vets. The next five games are going to be more of the same formula -- no panic, slow build-up with improved play by offense, defense, and special teams. I think we're in for some fun times ahead and I'm really looking forward to it.

[TecnoGenius]

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that this has been the plan from day one. After losing the last two grey cups I believe the Bombers' plan was to find a way to peak at the right time -- the playoffs.

The ultimate in tinfoil!  I like it, and fully support the theory!

In reality, probably, sometimes you just have to get lucky.  This could be our year to peak at the end.

3down just put as at #2 in the power rankings, after being in the bottom half basically all season... People are sensing things.

[J5V]

The ultimate in tinfoil!  I like it, and fully support the theory!

In reality, probably, sometimes you just have to get lucky.  This could be our year to peak at the end.

3down just put as at #2 in the power rankings, after being in the bottom half basically all season... People are sensing things.

A bit of luck always helps and there is no reason a veteran club like ours can't time the peak of this team's performance with the playoffs. When we won it in 2019 we definitely peaked at the right time with all three phases playing at their very best come playoff time. A rested Stanley Bryant, Drew Wolitarsky, and possibly Adam Bighill coming back just in time for the playoffs would be huge. If players like Wheatfall can round into top condition by playoff time look out!

[TecnoGenius]

A rested Stanley Bryant, Drew Wolitarsky, and possibly Adam Bighill coming back just in time for the playoffs would be huge. If players like Wheatfall can round into top condition by playoff time look out!

I could see a HC purposely deciding to hold back IR guys who are 75%, vs thrusting them back into the game.  So in that sense you could try to time your peak.

However, it directly conflicts with MOS's always-stressed "go 1-0 this week" (i.e. "ignore next week") philosophy.  I'm pretty sure he actually believes it and lives it... though I suppose it is possible he doesn't but just uses it as a pedagogical and player-motivational tool.

[TBURGESS]

We beat Skn, the worst team in the west, maybe the league 2 times.

We beat BC, the most inconsistent team in the league 2 times, once with a very rusty Rourke. 

We beat Hamilton, the worst team in the east, by 3 because they didn't know how to drain the clock.

That's 5 of our 7 wins. 

Edm is better than SKN or HAM and they beat the Lions way worse than we did. We're in for a battle in the next 2 weeks.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that this has been the plan from day one. After losing the last two grey cups I believe the Bombers' plan was to find a way to peak at the right time -- the playoffs. That would explain the philosophy of the pre-season games, the slow start, the gradual build up and recruitment of new talent blending and learning from the vets. The next five games are going to be more of the same formula -- no panic, slow build-up with improved play by offense, defense, and special teams. I think we're in for some fun times ahead and I'm really looking forward to it.

Any day now....time for the offence to kick off the shackles and reveal their true self with a blowout performance they could have conjured up easily 2-3 years ago.  It's like they're mired in molasses with every drive being an immense struggle to score points unless Sergio kicks FG's nearly 3/4 of the field length.  The engine may be running, but it seems to be functioning with many defective parts.

[Jesse]

We beat Skn, the worst team in the west, maybe the league 2 times.

We beat BC, the most inconsistent team in the league 2 times, once with a very rusty Rourke.

We beat Hamilton, the worst team in the east, by 3 because they didn't know how to drain the clock.

That's 5 of our 7 wins.

Edm is better than SKN or HAM and they beat the Lions way worse than we did. We're in for a battle in the next 2 weeks.

lol.

[blue_gold_84]

lol.

Sure hope he stretched before all that.

[TecnoGenius]

We beat Skn, the worst team in the west, maybe the league 2 times.

We beat BC, the most inconsistent team in the league 2 times, once with a very rusty Rourke.

We beat Hamilton, the worst team in the east, by 3 because they didn't know how to drain the clock.

That's 5 of our 7 wins.

Edm is better than SKN or HAM and they beat the Lions way worse than we did. We're in for a battle in the next 2 weeks.

HAM is bad, yes.  I'll give you that one.

But BC & SSK will be vying with us for 1st place until the very end, and it'll be one of those guys with us in the WDF.  They are both very good.  SSK's slump right now is the same as our slump to start the season: finding ways to lose.  They'll fix it.

As for EDM, I think they are posers and are still middling at best (which is what I thought they'd be even when Jones was here).  Their season is also looking a lot like ours.

Without "real" QB MBT, we should be able to beat them if we play our sound brand of ball.  Their D is not great.

The hardest team to beat down the stretch will be TOR, IMHO.  But it will help to be @PAS.