Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Montreal - October 26, 2024

[TecnoGenius]

Lost in all the hoopla:

Zach's 12Y run on the 2nd last drive was probably his best run as a Bomber.  He was beating league-top WILL Beverette with his cuts and moves and speed!  Probably a good thing Beverette got a piece of his foot to stop it or Sutton may have put some hurt on him.

Zach was looking like VAJ or Rourke or Kelly on that run!!  I bet none of us saw that coming.

[TecnoGenius]

Where are the post-game pressers on the BB.com site?  Nothing there yet... anyone have any links?

When's the coaches show?  It wasn't on Monday.

[Zach Schnitzer]

Lost in all the hoopla:

Zach's 12Y run on the 2nd last drive was probably his best run as a Bomber.  He was beating league-top WILL Beverette with his cuts and moves and speed!  Probably a good thing Beverette got a piece of his foot to stop it or Sutton may have put some hurt on him.

Zach was looking like VAJ or Rourke or Kelly on that run!!  I bet none of us saw that coming.

I maintain that an unexpected Collaros run will turn the tide of a tight WF or GC for the Bombers

[Waffler]

Where are the post-game pressers on the BB.com site?  Nothing there yet... anyone have any links?

When's the coaches show?  It wasn't on Monday.

It's tonight (Tuesday) at 7. Jet game pre-empted it yesterday.

[TecnoGenius]

MOS in the coaches show Tues hinted that the MTL coaches were the ones that made the decision at the end for that returner not to let it go into the EZ...  NOT that it was some rookie IMP mistake like some have postulated.  And that seems reasonable, as you'd have to think there was major incompetence all around if they hadn't gotten the let-it-go-in vs take-it-out down pat before the snap.

What if MTL was being swayed by what happened in the EDM game with the rouge to win?  If the returner gives up 1, then MTL is ahead only by one.  That would, in theory (via the "EDM Method") make it easier for us to tie it on our last 11s drive.  Zach would probably need 1 20Y completion first though if they took it at the 40 and punted...

Who knows... maybe!

(Ssssh, no one tell them Shehan can't really boot it like the Big Leg punters can...)

[TecnoGenius]

Castillo screwed up on his first 61Y attempt by hoofing it waaaay too high.  I think that's why he was so upset: he knows he had a better chance at success.  I think he easily clears it if he drove it low as was required for a 60+.

The final 51Y kick had about 10Y extra distance than needed, which would give us precisely 61Y.  However, the tail wind did help his final kick, so who knows.

The 61Y wide-left aspect may not have occurred then because it was partially a leftward cross-wind that forced it wide (check out the flags) and the wind is always less of a factor on a low kick.

I think I recall Meddy saying the infamous BC WSF kick was short because he drove it too high.  Maybe in pressure situations it's tough to get the trajectory height dialed in.

[TecnoGenius]

Duane Forde, WPG@MTL 4Q0:42, 2nd & 8 MTL

"Well, given the finishes that we had last night, in first two games of week 21... I'm waiting to see what the next 42 seconds hold."

Ferguson: "Agreed.  Don't go anywhere"

MTL then gets a 1.5Y run, and then the divine punt occurs...

You said it Duane!  Never turn off or leave a CFL game.

[TecnoGenius]

And I think it was mentioned once when we were all live in the GDT, but I'll say it again: massive credit and kudos to our D for stuffing the 2 MTL runs right before the divine punt (as well as earlier run-mostly series).

Especially Adams and Jones.  Adams does an astounding OL block shed and twist to stop STE with Jones' help on 1st down.  Then on 2nd, Adams/Schmekel get hands on STE with Jones stopping the momentum.  These are massive stops even though MTL is using jumbo sets, trying their hardest to get 1st down to win.  Our D could have gone into "get me out of here" coast mode... but they didn't.  This is as much a factor in the win as the wind.

Adams has a ton of fire and I really like him.  He could be the next Yoshi from a morale standpoint.

Jones is just a beast who is always there stuffing ball carriers.

And props to Shehan for saving the kick with his fast low-snap recovery with a wet ball in the wind.  He flubs that and it's over.  And Castillo for not getting flustered when the hold wasn't assured.  So many times that sequence ends up in a ball retraction and mad scramble.

They. Never. Gave. Up.

[TecnoGenius]

2024 Week 21 TV ratings (from Riderfans)

Friday
Hamilton at Ottawa — TSN 356,500
Toronto at Edmonton — TSN 331,900

Saturday
Winnipeg at Montreal — CTV 576,000 and RDS 252,500 (828,500 total)
Calgary at Saskatchewan — TSN 331,900

Total average: 399,075 (French included: 462,200)

===

Our game may have been the largest audience in many weeks, or maybe all season?  We probably had all of MB, SK and QC watching that one, as well as every chronic CFL fan in every province.  I don't think they were disappointed in the suspense/excitement department!

[Zach Schnitzer]

And I think it was mentioned once when we were all live in the GDT, but I'll say it again: massive credit and kudos to our D for stuffing the 2 MTL runs right before the divine punt (as well as earlier run-mostly series).

Especially Adams and Jones.  Adams does an astounding OL block shed and twist to stop STE with Jones' help on 1st down.  Then on 2nd, Adams/Schmekel get hands on STE with Jones stopping the momentum.  These are massive stops even though MTL is using jumbo sets, trying their hardest to get 1st down to win.  Our D could have gone into "get me out of here" coast mode... but they didn't.  This is as much a factor in the win as the wind.

Adams has a ton of fire and I really like him.  He could be the next Yoshi from a morale standpoint.

Jones is just a beast who is always there stuffing ball carriers.

And props to Shehan for saving the kick with his fast low-snap recovery with a wet ball in the wind.  He flubs that and it's over.  And Castillo for not getting flustered when the hold wasn't assured.  So many times that sequence ends up in a ball retraction and mad scramble.

They. Never. Gave. Up.

Great points!!!

[Sir Blue and Gold]

2024 Week 21 TV ratings (from Riderfans)

Friday
Hamilton at Ottawa — TSN 356,500
Toronto at Edmonton — TSN 331,900

Saturday
Winnipeg at Montreal — CTV 576,000 and RDS 252,500 (828,500 total)
Calgary at Saskatchewan — TSN 331,900

Total average: 399,075 (French included: 462,200)

===

Our game may have been the largest audience in many weeks, or maybe all season?  We probably had all of MB, SK and QC watching that one, as well as every chronic CFL fan in every province.  I don't think they were disappointed in the suspense/excitement department!

Finally good CTV numbers although not like it was any higher than a well watched game on TSN.

The RDS numbers don't really matter at all but I guess it's nice to gauge the interest in the province amongst French speakers.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

And I think it was mentioned once when we were all live in the GDT, but I'll say it again: massive credit and kudos to our D for stuffing the 2 MTL runs right before the divine punt (as well as earlier run-mostly series).

Especially Adams and Jones.  Adams does an astounding OL block shed and twist to stop STE with Jones' help on 1st down.  Then on 2nd, Adams/Schmekel get hands on STE with Jones stopping the momentum.  These are massive stops even though MTL is using jumbo sets, trying their hardest to get 1st down to win.  Our D could have gone into "get me out of here" coast mode... but they didn't.  This is as much a factor in the win as the wind.

Adams has a ton of fire and I really like him.  He could be the next Yoshi from a morale standpoint.

Jones is just a beast who is always there stuffing ball carriers.

And props to Shehan for saving the kick with his fast low-snap recovery with a wet ball in the wind.  He flubs that and it's over.  And Castillo for not getting flustered when the hold wasn't assured.  So many times that sequence ends up in a ball retraction and mad scramble.

They. Never. Gave. Up.

Just rewatched the game last night and saw Younger employ the 3-man front within 5 yards of the endzone, there was a good 2-3 yards between D-linemen, Fletcher had no problem waltzing in untouched. 

Also Jake Kelly does not play with near enough aggression closing on the ball carrier  and leaves the contact to others, it's as if he doesn't want to win the Safety job next season which is there for the taking, he just has to step up and grab it.

[TecnoGenius]

The RDS numbers don't really matter at all but I guess it's nice to gauge the interest in the province amongst French speakers.

Why not?  We want a measurement of how many Canadian eyeballs are watching CFL.  Every eyeball counts, even the French ones.  And when ads are sold for the CFL, and TV contracts renewed, all of these numbers help the league get more $.  RDS has to pay the CFL too.

[TecnoGenius]

Just rewatched the game last night and saw Younger employ the 3-man front within 5 yards of the endzone, there was a good 2-3 yards between D-linemen, Fletcher had no problem waltzing in untouched.

Ouch.  That TD was embarrassing.  I guess we were convinced it was going to be a short pass... in the past MTL usually has passed in that situation, like one of their infamous unstoppable hitch screens.

They are not a run-first team.

Also Jake Kelly does not play with near enough aggression closing on the ball carrier  and leaves the contact to others, it's as if he doesn't want to win the Safety job next season which is there for the taking, he just has to step up and grab it.

Ya, that's not going to cut it when, since the Loffler years, we've demanded that our FS be more of a bruising run-stopper.

That said, I wouldn't mind if we changed tactics to being more of a Dequoy team with a roving pass hawker @FS.  But that's not what we are this season, that's for sure.  Was there any hint that Kelly was trying to be more like Dequoy?  Was he still sneaking up for run-stop or was he fading to support the deep routes?

[Jesse]

Finally good CTV numbers although not like it was any higher than a well watched game on TSN.

The RDS numbers don't really matter at all but I guess it's nice to gauge the interest in the province amongst French speakers.

What do you mean they don't matter?