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Fun fact about Migs: I once questioned his opinion on something related to the Riders, and he PM’d me asking if I wanted to meet up and fight him. It never happened, but that story cracks me up every time I think about it.

well dont dump her til late Nov then

No, no, no. Marshall needs to play until he's 40 and O'Day and CD need 10 year fully guarented extensions.

Easy one: 2007 East Final - Kevin Glenn's broken arm

Sadly if not for that fluke broken arm Glenn would have broke the drought here, and maybe got a bit more respect.......also the sad sacks would only have 3 cups in 100+ yrs and look even more pathetic lol

The problem with the inconsistency the Bombers have shown on occasion this year is that the potential is there for them to drop a deuce in the playoffs. That concerns me. If its just one player or one aspect of the game, the other parts can compensate. When the whole team takes the day off on the wrong day, the season is over.

Speaking of kickoffs, @Stats Junkie when was the last time a team went a whole game without kicking off?

What a gorgeous fall day to not be a Rider fan.

Yeah, the Bombers have been maddeningly inconsistent this year and it's why I'm hesitant to expect them to win any game they play, no matter how poor the opponent. They're world beaters one week, and then off the rails the next. What I do know is, when the offense is clicking and staying on the field, the defense can be one of the best in the league, if not THE best. But they need to be in sync.... offense stays on the field for stretches, and the defense gets itself off the field. When they're on, nobody in the CFL is better. But man, you just don't know who's going to show up each week.

based specifically on the 2022 season... Playing in Hamilton before a bye is not necessarily going to be an easy win for the Blue and Gold

Well, we have Demski under contract through 2025 and Brady will get paid this off season. I don't know how they'll work it out so that Brady and Dalton stay but I know they will. Not my area of expertise, I'm more of a complain about roster management guy.

the tldr to a long and for some boring post is that innovation came to the spread to pass and spread to run offence. It didn’t come to fb. These offences found ways to take tacklers out of the equation while allowing for more of an offensive threat with more creative twists A lot happened over 20 ish years that killed the fb, 2 back pro form offence. In the 70s the first wave of spread offence innovators started to have great success. First at hs then college and the nfl. From mouse davis to bill Walsh. These guys had their first batch of disciples take power in the 80s, and saw the most successful nfl version in the 49ers. In the cfl, when don Mathew’s was playing a lot of cover 0 teams at first tried to counter with going heavier with double tight sets. But then real success came with 5 and 6 wr spread sets and just getting the ball out quickly. At that point the fb was already becoming rarer. The west coast possession passing offence that the nfl hadn’t embraced beyond a few coaches had flourished in colleges. That created a plethora of highly accomplished QBs with no pro path other than the cfl. Mean while at the college level talented athletic big guys made bigger impacts at other positions and wanted to play those positions with better pro futures. So the talent pool at fb fell, while wr talent pools stayed pretty high. QBs became more and more athletic, which makes pistol and shot gun even more viable. The on set of pistol greatly reduced the wild snaps to the qb. In the late 90s the zone run scheme had the same explosion in disciples as the spread had in college and hs in the 70s and 80s. Teams who wanted to dominate with the run found it easier to run fewer big bodies the defence has to have more db types to cover more WRs who aren’t likely to beat a block and make a tackle one on one with a rb. A full time fb just means a db is off for a lber and that’s an extra guy in the box playing the back field. The spread to run concept and the flex 11/21 packages with pass catching tes put two guys on the field in place of the fb. Kr types who could be schemed in to run and catch out of the slot while running jet motion, and big guys who can block down but can also run and catch and be hard to tackle for dbs. All while the fb position stayed stagnant. the two rb sets were replaced with motion. A wr on jet motion before the snap or at the snap is harder to defend and opens more gaps plus demands a contain guy on the edge. This and mobile QBs created ways to take a tackler out of the equation. With the size of the field in the cfl it was always much more suited to the extra passing threat especially stretching the field side line to sideline. Even more so now with the hash mark move. Though teams have become soo homogenous that they we now see the bombers running two extra ol and a fb while defences just done have the depth and talent to counter that with. Funnily enough last year was the first time the nfl saw an increase in fb use in over a decade too. Idk great talent but with Habba sitting on the pr that’s a big spend to get his rights. If we were gonna spend those assets we should go get a big dt.

Just a guess: more practice for the coverage team? Based on what others have said about the wind, that shouldn't have been worth giving up the ball for.

Every “game manager “ in the last 30 years has basically been hated on here.

Zach has been around for 10 years. Let’s not forget that there is a lot of video out there for teams to review what he likes to do. It is easy to downplay but it is a real thing. He is also just capable of playing bad for stretches like everyone else. His record and numbers since coming here are absolutely insane.

I’ve been to all three of those games with my new girl friend. Our first date together was actually the first game against B.C there. It’s been a really fun experience as a fan.

I've started to believe that the complaints about the defense and the roster composition on D.... is as much about the O not executing as anything else. When the O executes and stays on the field, the D is fine. We have to play complimentary football in order for everything to come together.

They did not look prepared or fired up for either of the last two GCs. And, they looked uninterested and ill-prepared last week in Regina. I know they weren't but they certainly looked it.

I feel the exact same way, but what keeps my hopes up is that they almost always come out fired up "when it matters", and I can't even imagine an Osh-led team not being "run-through-a-wall" fired up for a playoff game. When there's only 2 (3 max) of them, they'll be fired up and ready. It's harder to be mentally excited, even as a pro athlete, in the midst of an 18 game sched. When you know that it's only 2 or 3 games, you can be fully mentally prepared, I think.

I can agree with all of that. Focus and inconsistency have been problems at times this year. Time to get that shored up in the final third.

With my zero technical or detailed analysis of both guys.... the eye test has Castillo kicking straight between the uprights nearly every time while Legs even when he makes his kicks it always seems to be veering or just sneaking in.

You yourself know how long it can take to build a culture. MOS began to see success in 2016, and obvious you are where you are now. Dickenson is going backwards, is obviously not the guy. I disagree slightly on Dolegala, I don’t think you can make a definitive judgement off of four starts. I’m not saying he’s the answer by any means, but you certainly want to see more out of him. Dru Brown has shown well in his time, but I think it’s the same approach, you don’t know exactly what he is once he leaves Winnipeg.

In the last three home games the average score has been 49-12 with zero defensive TDs given up.

looking at some stats....Leggs is firmly planted dead last in FG %....Castillo firmly planted in 2nd.....barely behind that doucher Whyte....I discount the guy with 100% as he is 1 for 1 Fact of the matter tho....sooooooo much better off in that regard even tho it costs a DA spot...which is well worth it....too bad Castillo tho wasn't able to take over punts too, and we could have Hansen and one of Mauro or Karamoko

Bombers need to take care of business this week. The TiCats know that Montreal may suffer a loss again and that a win pulls them even in second.

Unfortunately with the current state of the CFL stats page, no game stats are currently available beyond this season, and the CFL record book does not list the fewest kickoffs in a game (record for the most is 12 BTW). So unless I can find the game stats from a different site, that question will remain a mystery for the moment. I’ll see if Steve Daniel has any idea. I can say there have been a number of “only one kickoff in a game” situations just this year. I’ll keep digging, but I am not certain the answer will be easily found with the change in stats platforms. Boo-urns!

i would have met him hahahahaha

Lol, how much more practice did they need after kicking off 7 times in the 1st half?

Well, that ought to turn the season around for the Larks.

No it's noticeable...comes with confidence and trust....he is showing the bursts now and the quick feet to juke as well as steamroll...over the last 20 games he has morphed into a complete back

With apologies to Do or Die for the plagerism and not matching your masterful brevity: Bombers come home, looking to avenge the LDC, clinch a playoff spot, and once again quiet the narrative that they are on the decline after a loss. Perfect weather for a game, and pre-game tailgate with the Strevelation in the house….. Castillo with the 9 iron chip shot kickoff and the Riders are immediately at midfield…… And a couple of short passes and a Walker Jr. head slap for an RTP later, and the Green gang are quickly into the red zone….. Where Dolegala misses a wide open KSB on the goal line, the the Bombers dodge an early bullet, 3-0 Sask….. Bombers take it at the 40 and Brady O wastes no time picking up where he left off last week….run of 9…..catch of 10…..run of 11….and a rare Zach scramble, and the offence is off and rolling The inevitable Rider discipline rears its ugly head with a helmet tear-off and Winnipeg works its way down to the 1….. Where Prukop follows the Tui Eli and Damian Jackson blocking across the line….Bombers up 7-3 Another short kickoff - this Bomber kick coverage still leaving lots to be desired……. Quick 2 and out courtesy of a solid open-field tackle by Holm on Sterns, the waif does not let many get away or give up yac yards…… Parker showing more assertiveness on his first return than he did all last week, and the Bomber offence is back on the turf starting at midfield…… Brady O has decided to own this game early….gashing and exploding for 36 on the ground….. And after a Dalton Schoen sweep????, Collaros evades the rush just long enough to shovel it to Brady on the check down, who turns around and sees nothing but open field….and will not be denied, 17 yard TD and a 14-3 lead. No time to rest as Sask goes 2 and out again, Dolegala’s sights starting to look off, and Rider receivers hearing footsteps…… When are coaches going to return to the ancient “let’s put 2 returners back on punts to cover the entire width of the field”? These Aussie punters and their sidewinder kicks to the far side are the new flavour of the day…a second returner would destroy that play’s usefulness pretty quickly…… Someone in green might want to cover Oliviera, who starts off drive #3 with a simple swing pass and charges up the sidelines for 23 more….. Demski in on the act after a well-placed ball by Collaros and the short pass offence continues to move…..,Buck clearly talked to LaPo about returning to a run-heavy, ball control, simplified offence during the week and has gotten away with the long bomb misses that plagued the offence last week…. More simplicity with Bailey on a couple of crossers to keep the chains moving…. And then a classic Rasheed block to seal the end while Prukop goes around the corner for 7….. Before Zach finally throws a pass beyond 10 yards to Kenny Lawler, who spins, pushes, and (with an assist from Jackson pushing the would-be tacklers) stretches down to the 1…,.but wait….. and wait….. and wait…… while the command centre looks for a knee to the turf and can’t find it…,TD Lawler, and this game is on the verge of becoming a blowout…3 drives, 3 scores, 21-3 Bombers. Kick coverage marginally better with Castillo getting it deeper, and Parker looking much more settled this week on both ends of the return/coverage game with a sweet tackle…… More huddles from the refs, who must be making dinner plans and are asking command centre for suggestions……… Dolegala does have a decent arm when he dials in his accuracy….. Redha Kramdi sighting, as he cleans up the Walker-Jake Thomas pocket collapse for a sack, and Saskatchewan settles for a mere 3, now down 21-6…..now, if their defence could get a stop……. And they might after Collaros throws his first incompletion of the game 22 minutes in (what a difference from last week’s zero yard first quarter performance)… But he is now hitting some intermediate throws, finding Lawler for 25 before offsetting fouls give the Bombers a 5 years advantage but wipe out the pass gain…. Oh yeah, we still have Oliviera, who is chewing up real estate, run or pass….. Buck has kept it mostly short, simple, and high percentage with his play calls today. to great effect…… Finally, a deep shot on 1st and 20, and Schoen out-positions the defender for 42….. Before completing the drive with a corner route and a 16 yard TD…. My lock of the week comes through , and the Bombers are fast locking down a playoff spot, up 28-6. Riders can’t get anything deep on their passes with a swarming secondary, and find themselves 3 down at midfield….. Where behind a deafening crowd, Pipkin gets nowhere, and this game has spiralled out of control at the 3 minute warning of the first half…. The less said about the TSN panel shenanigans, the better…. Collaros dinking and dunking the Riders apart, Brady sapping their will to live….. And Roadhouse with the kill shot over Nick Marshall, 31 yard TD, 35-6, 5 drives, 5 touchdowns, and a near flawless first half….. And we’re not done yet, as the kick cover team finally pins the Riders behind their 20, and the D forces a punt after a thundering Kramdi hit. Can this offence pull one more score out of their hat with only 47 seconds from their own 37? Why not? After looking like they are content to run out the clock with Brady, Zach decides to heave it downfield to Kenny Lawler….. Who gets behind the oft picked-on Nick Marshall, having a half to forget….. And suddenly a 60 yard bomb later, Winnipeg knocking on the door again…. And Schoen answers with an 8 yard crosser over the line….40 seconds, 73 yards, turn out the lights,42-6 Blue at the half. 3 TDs for Schoen, who now has a league-leading 10, one more than teammate Brady Oliviera. Collaros an unconscious 16/17, 285 yards, and 5 (5!) TD passes in the first half……… Whole Bomber offence tied a club record with 42 points in the half……clearly, reports of their downward spiral have been exaggerated, at least this week….. Nice halftime tribute and speech by Ring of Honour inductee James Murphy…..the pre-Milt GOAT of the Bomber receiving corps…..you young’uns who never experienced the 1980’s era missed seeing a real gem in Murph…….. Bombers start on D again for the second half, and the Riders look like they aren’t ready to quit yet, stringing together some first downs, before another KSB missed goal line pass…. And then Jackson Jeffcoat blows through his block for a sack, and was that a fumble?….. Break out a novel while the command centre looks at it…… Bomber ball. What is John Lu wearing? Hoodie suit jacket with Rider Grey cup tribute striping?……. Another TSN third quarter interview while the game may not may not be going on, who knows?….but it’s James Murphy, so I’ll allow it….. O’Shea seems content to play 30 minutes of kill-the-clock keep away, with Oliviera grinding out yards and burning time….. Short yardage offence seems to be finding its footing with Prukop and the Eli-Dobson-Jackson heavy set……. Zach finally tries to stretch the field to Lawler twice….. And despite a mugging on the second throw, Lawler gets behind coverage and has one drop into his bread basket…… Drop being the key word, as he muffs the sure TD catch….. First mistake on offence all day, but we’ll take the 3, now 45-6… Willie J time, annihilating the Schafer-Baker jet sweep, then blowing around the edge to set up another Kramdi sack……according to the in-house stats feed, the Riders are ahead in time of possession (hmm, maybe the CFL stats team has been flown in to run the IG Field scoreboard today), but no sign of fatigue from the Bomber D….. TSN with their “Coors Moment of Chill” featuring two Riders, well the Bombers certainly have put them on ice today….. More Brady, because why not? Tack on another 33…….. Woli-world sighting as Guitarsky gets in on the fun….. Injury spotters now saying “you know what this game needs? Another 5 minute command centre delay”. I’m all for safety, but could these breaks be measured in faster intervals than hour glass?…….. Prukop again making short yardage look easy, and though it won’t show up in the stats sheet, you can bet seal Jackson will get props in the film room for his blocking on these plays, as he and Eli manhandle the Rider front…… Final 15 and time for the reserves to come in and give the roster depth some reps…… Castillo chip shot to start the 4th, and the Bombers inch closer to the big 5-0 once more……48-6…. Another TSN in-game interview instead of watching the plays. Wonder if MBB will complain since it’s Streveler? Sarcasm aside, that’s how you do it in a blowout game, short and sweet by John Lu, no real game action overlooked…., Dolegala outmuscling Jefferson to avoid a sack….give him time to grow, and we may have a future competant CFL QB…… Dru Brown in and quickly adds to the Bomber rushing totals…. Bailey the smoothest of the jet sweep runners, great vision, speed, and timing on his cuts….. Another back-up steps up, as Johnny Augustine comes in and knocks off a 34 yard carry on first touch……. Drive stalls as Lawler can’t make what would have been a great but makable catch, and Sergio knocks in another trey as the rout is complete at 51-6…… Rider scrubs in at last as the Bomber D chase yet another starting QB from the game this year…… Dickenson doing his flock of seagulls impression and calls for the morale-building “let’s keep it to 6 scores” field goal, but the Roder humiliation is capped off with a miss, and Parker finishes a nice bounce-back game with the return. Simple, straight ahead, effective……. Augustine showing nice bursts….8 different Bombers ran the ball today…… With 20 seconds left, the 9 for 9 drive scoring streak ends as Sheehan comes on to punt (dammit! - does O’Shea have no sense of the moment?)……and skys one 56 yards with a picture-perfect coverage tackle by Hallett - all 3 phases now checked all the boxes…… 51-6 final. Bombers again show who is the top dog and quiet the doubters following a loss, Collaros still has never lost 2 in a row as a Bomber starter….. Playoffs clinched, step one accomplished…, Blowing out the Riders, always satisfying….gin consumption, always satisfying.

our spotters and guys upstairs then need to do a better job of calling down to sidelines

that early in the season... meh. Absolutely they came out flat and got punched in the mouth... deserved what they got. Confidently hoping that come playoff time, they'll be ready to roll. I'm just waiting to clinch the West Final so I can book my flight.... let's friggin' gooooooooo........

Maas failed upwards you can blame Maciocia for hiring him in the first place.

That's a Jason Maas led team for you.

hard to argue....an honorable mention to Buck for going back to what we excel at and not straying away...hopefully lesson learned

If there is ever a time to catch the bombers, when you clearly do not want to play us at home after we lost, it’s on the road in the east right before a bye and after we blow some one out. Last year we lost the streak to mtl at home before a bye though in a back to back, then we lost again in Hamilton before another bye. Then losing at bc before the final bye though after clinching the wf.

hahahah....this pre-ball buildup for that has gone on long enough...get at er boys!!! hahaha yup...right at about the 20 yard line...and was enough of a grab to adjust his helmet for him....score be damned he should have challenged it and us punch another one in...no room or place in football to be a "nice" guy....eff that

It was super obvious though. Regardless of what he says it was a situation where they simply said "whatever, doesn't matter at thus point"

Sask has a pretty easy sched too....hopefully it allows them to "seem" on the right path and they keep the whole regime from top to bottom.....GM....Dicklesson...that lame OC...Dolegala....that would be awesome

To have the command centre look at all turn overs in 2007 Grey Cup. Because it would have been great to beat the Riders with a backup QB making his first start.

The West has about 1.5 consistent teams.

The only answer to that is:always "yes", with an inconvenient time and location capped off with a no-show.

Midweek with me and Darrin Bauming, pregame with Walby and Westwood, and postgame with me and Darrin Bauming. https://bonfiresports.ca/ podcast available on all your podcast apps Zach

Simple answer is that football evolves & changes. During the Bud Grant era when they won 4 Grey Cups in 5 years, he used 3 running backs including two fullbacks at times. The Bomber passing game consisted of two receivers... Farrell Funston & Ernie Pitts. Today, with the sophisticated passing game in the CFL employed by all teams, we don't have a TE or 3 backs. Instead we have 3 more receivers.

Andrew Harris has that bad-kid-made-good history to him. That chip on the shoulder and grit brought back home to Winnipeg was great for the team at the time. It’s too bad it also carried him right back out of town on bad terms. Brady Oliveira isn’t just Harris’ successor anymore. Talking full value as the best RB in the league and will be one of all-time ambassadors for the sport and Manitoba. The club will absolutely pay him what he’s worth.

HH for Johnny A, showed what he is still capable of doing when given the rare chance. Next week, probly back to no touches again.

Yeah a shame he ended up there originally..but he home now and likely retires here

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