Can we win 2025 with this coaching staff.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Link?

[EastSideRocks]

I agree, and hopefully Lapo comes back and gets our offense back to where it was

I hope you're joking. How soon people forget. Under Pierce we had the highest scoring offence for two years in a row, Collaros has had the best years of his career (late into his career) and our play calling has been way better. Does everyone forget Lapo and his wideout plays or constant passes short of the first down markers? Remember people screaming that his offence with Nichols went like 10 games without passing for 200 yards?

Lapo is no offensive genius. Our offence has been way better with Buck. Please tell me how Lapos offence was better aside from the fact he left on a high note this time around? If Lapo is such a guru then why hasn't he joined another team as an OC?

Ya. Sunday didn't work out but we have the best coaching staff in the league from top. We lost to a team that had already beaten us twice this year. Every other team would love to be us with 5 straight GC trips.

[blue_gold_84]

Ya. Sunday didn't work out...

Just like the previous two years. And the offense was abysmal in all three games going back to GC109. At no point has this offense managed to show up in the big game when it matters most.

Who should be held responsible for those three failures if not the OC?

[EastSideRocks]

Just like the previous two years. And the offense was abysmal in all three games going back to GC109. At no point has this offense managed to show up in the big game when it matters most.

Who should be held responsible for those three failures if not the OC?

Rarely is the championship game an offensive display. Not in the Super Bowl, not in the GC. Even people complain that most of Brady's championships were because of the defense.

In the previous two, the other teams offensives weren't lights out... they beat us by a couple points. GC is often a cold weather game and that was the case against two years ago and last year. Also, can't blame Buck for Zach's bad int last year. People complained Buck was too conservative in his play calling last GC against Mtl.

Sunday was an opportunity for Zach to shoot the lights out in a dome, against the best DL and LB core in the league. That didn't happen. Oshea said they had almost 18 run plays called but had to adjust because of what the defense was giving them.

I just want you to tell me how Lapo would be better? Do you not remember his offense? The constant passes short of the first down markers?

If Buck is constantly at fault, maybe consider that we wouldn't be in all these GCs without him. All the great western final games and regular season game plans that have put us in those positions, to go to the GC.

I just think it's ridiculous that people want to chase him out of town and bring in Lapo. We'd be worse off without him. We're the envy of the league in what we've accomplished these past few years. Ya, right games the past two years against very hot teams didn't go our way. Oh well.

[blue_gold_84]

Rarely is the championship game an offensive display. Not in the Super Bowl, not in the GC. Even people complain that most of Brady's championships were because of the defense. Honestly, players need to play.

In the previous two, the other teams offensives weren't lights out... they beat us by a couple points. GC is often a cold weather game and that was the case against two years ago and last year. Also, can't blame Buck for Zach's bad int last year. People complained Buck was too conservative in his play calling last GC against Mtl.

Sunday was an opportunity for Zach to shoot the lights out in a dome, against the best DL and LB core in the league. That didn't happen. Oshea said they had almost 18 run plays called but had to adjust because of what the defense was giving them.

I just want you to tell me how Lapo would be better? Do you not remember his offense? The constant passes short of the first down markers?

Show me where I said I wanted LaPolice to replace Pierce.

It's concerning when a team has an offense that regularly dismantles opposing defenses but then can't show up on the biggest stage and arguably the most important game of the season.

[EastSideRocks]

Show me where I said I wanted LaPolice to replace Pierce.

It's concerning when a team has an offense that regularly dismantles opposing defenses but then can't show up on the biggest stage and arguably the most important game of the season.

My apologies if you didn't say that. I'll throw that out to all the others who have said it.

He's part of the offensive so he bears some responsibility, but what about the players? Seems that everyone is just blaming Buck and not the players for their execution. Zach bad decisions? Not being open with the coaches about how hurt he was? Short a man on defense, Lucky fumble? Easy to broadly blame playcalling when we have no clue what the defense was giving us, or consider all the other mistakes that added up to result in the loss. I'm quiet on this form, but given the flack Buck is taking, why wouldn't he want to leave?

[ModAdmin]

Coach O'Shea made it abundantly clear that Buck Pierce would be back if he does not accept an offer from another team.

[Blueforlife]

I sure hope Buck is back.  Finish the job!

I'm with you EastSideRocks.  Nice to hear your opinion.

Buck can get it done.  Lapo is good but I don't think the time is right.  Would take him a few seasons (or most OCs) to settle in and build their way.  We already have a way and it should work one more time at least .

An interesting debate and lots of time for this to play out.  Retool over rebuild imo.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

My apologies if you didn't say that. I'll throw that out to all the others who have said it.

He's part of the offensive so he bears some responsibility, but what about the players? Seems that everyone is just blaming Buck and not the players for their execution. Zach bad decisions? Not being open with the coaches about how hurt he was? Short a man on defense, Lucky fumble? Easy to broadly blame playcalling when we have no clue what the defense was giving us, or consider all the other mistakes that added up to result in the loss. I'm quiet on this form, but given the flack Buck is taking, why wouldn't he want to leave?

I'll pack his bag.

[dd]

i can't believe people want to see a repeat of what we saw on Sunday and the previous 2 grey cups, inept offense. When you instruct your Qb who's told you he can't grip the ball, the throw the ball, 4 times in a row to get 4 picks and seal the game for them, I don't want any part of that, ever again. It was beyond stupid.

[Blueforlife]

i can't believe people want to see a repeat of what we saw on Sunday and the previous 2 grey cups, inept offense. When you instruct your Qb who's told you he can't grip the ball, the throw the ball, 4 times in a row to get 4 picks and seal the game for them, I don't want any part of that, ever again. It was beyond stupid.

Nobody wants that.  One bad game, 5 years of mostly excellent.  The cup loses are difficult to take with some misteps along the way to be sure.  We have some of the best players, coaches and management in the league.  We can find a way.  I'm betting on retool.  Like Neil said I might not retire but I might retread.

[BlueFire]

Two choices. Play Zack with a messed up finger (and call bombs) or put in the rookie (no meanginful reps in the regular season). Both of these things fall on the coaching staff.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Okay. A few things.

One: Buck has been the best offensive coordinator in the CFL for the last bunch of years and it's not even close.

Two: Am I the only one that didn't mind the play calling in the Grey Cup? I get that hindsight is 20/20 but Wilson in the game and you hand off up the middle, do you know what likely happens? A one yard gain and you put Wilson in 2nd and 9. That doesn't put him in the best situation. I like that we threw the ball. I also liked the game plan overall. Collaros had been slinging it and you're inside the dome. Air it out. It's too bad we lost but Buck's got my respect. We could have handed it off 25 times and still lost and likely would have. We weren't playing conservative which was the criticism in prior Cups.

Side note: why does it seem the people most outraged by the coaching and play calling generally can't spell two words correctly consecutively or use a single punctuation mark correctly?

Be frustrated and be upset if that's how you feel but don't get it twisted. Whoever we eventually have to replace Buck with is unlikely to be as good. 

[Blue In BC]

Okay. A few things.

One: Buck has been the best offensive coordinator in the CFL for the last bunch of years and it's not even close.

Two: Am I the only one that didn't mind the play calling in the Grey Cup? I get that hindsight is 20/20 but Wilson in the game and you hand off up the middle, do you know what likely happens? A one yard gain and you put Wilson in 2nd and 9. That doesn't put him in the best situation. I like that we threw the ball. I also liked the game plan overall. Collaros had been slinging it and you're inside the dome. Air it out. It's too bad we lost but Buck's got my respect. We could have handed it off 25 times and still lost and likely would have. We weren't playing conservative which was the criticism in prior Cups.

Side note: why does it seem the people most outraged by the coaching and play calling generally can't spell two words correctly consecutively or use a single punctuation mark correctly?

Be frustrated and be upset if that's how you feel but don't get it twisted. Whoever we eventually have to replace Buck with is unlikely to be as good. 

The issue is that we're not speaking about the play calling problem in one game. Yes our offense has been very good for many years and led the CFL in scoring.

We win when we use a balanced attack and that's not what we saw in the Grey Cup. I liked that we aired it out early to force the LB's out of the box. That should have allowed more positive results in the run game.

If our deep passing game had more success earlier ( as in the WDF ) we might have seen a different game.

I find that in many games we become very predictable and end up getting out coached. That happened in the 2022 and 2023 Grey Cup games as well.

In 2024 we had significant difficulty with Eastern teams and lots of low scoring games. Most of our losses were to Eastern teams.

Wheatfall might become a good receiver going forward but he was never much part in the game planning. The became a liability especially once Demski was nicked and limited. Geez, he was covered by McMannis often. That meant Lawler or Wilson were double covered too much.

We needed to adjust and do what we do when we succeed: run the ball.

I guess we'll see if we lose Pierce to the Lions and are forced to make a change.

[markf]

The team has had great success, but part of that that is possibly overlooked is the "strength of schedule"

The west has not been a powerhouse during this run of Bomber success.

Saskatchewan under Dickensen, Elks under C. Jones, Calgary with quarterback problems,  has not been great.

Not saying the team has not been very good, but level of opposition has not been great.


just wondering, during one of the Grey Cup losses did the Bombers pull Zach  when in the red zone and put in Prukop who threw an int, or am I "misremembering" ?

also.... I am a fan of Mike O'Shea, but one thing I find annoying...once in a while, it's ok to let down the curtain and admit mistakes were made. 

I have heard Belichick after a loss say "I have to coach  better"