Doublezero

'Cept it wasn't a choice between Poblah and Laurent - Wpg could've had both. Bombers, with the first pick overall in the 2011 supp draft, selected Poblah. Bombers then could have selected Laurent in the second round even after they selected Poblah first overall in the first round. Bombers would have had to forfeit a 3rd round pick if they had picked up Laurent, however. And Bombers didn't want to do that, apparently, so Laurent was scooped up by Esks. I think Esks Tillman knew Laurent better from Ole Miss. then again, much of the same talent-assessing braintrust for Wpg then as now in Walters and Lapolice. Here's Lapo saying Bombers thought Poblah was best athlete: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/05/30/blue-bombers-select-poblah-in-supplemental-draft

Sorry, not impressed with Paul Lapolice.

OK thanks. Ya. My guess is O'Shea will handle both HC and ST next year for a variety of reasons, including budget. It seemed ST play was more disciplined after O'Shea took on that responsibility. Not sure how much impact that extra work had on his ability to focus on head coaching duties.

O'Shea was doing double duty as HC and ST coordinator for the latter half of 2015 after firing Pat Tracey. Did he say, during his final news conference, whether the club plans to hire a Special Teams Coordinator for 2016? Or did the intrepid sports media types who were assembled for that event not even bother asking? Arguably whoever fills this vacancy is as important a decision for O'Shea as the decision he makes around the next OC. Bombers special teams have been quite pukey the past couple of seasons - arguably cost us a few games.

I would hope the next OC isn't as closed minded about the QB position as you are. I'll give Drew Willy credit for his unbelievable toughness. But he hasn't played enough to prove he is worth $400k. Which is a problem for Winnipeg going forward. It means they have to allow a big percentage of the cap for QB if they want any real competition at the QB position. For example, let's say Harris or Ray is available. One of those guys could easily come in and beat Willy for the job. But they won't be cheap. (Assuming Wpg wants another pocket passer). How do we know they could? Did Harris do anything Willy isn't capable of? Has Ray been healthy enough to give out the big contract to? You are severely under rating Drew Willy here and I don't understand why. Watch the guy play and you see a guy in total control. He makes good decisions he can make all the throws you need. Give him an offense that doesn't handicap a qb and watch him put up some damned good numbers. You are falling into the grass is greener trap bigtime here. OK Ricky Ray we know and we know he's near the end of his career. Would rather see him come here as a coach than QB. But did Willy do anything Harris isn't capable of? Harris did throw for 33 TDs this year with a 100.7 QB rating in a very mediocre offence. Meantime Bombers have been starved for exceptional QB play for so long that even so-so looks amazing, it seems. I hope you're right and a healthy Drew Willy never gets hurt again and plays lights out under a new system. I really wish it could happen. But I don't think it will because I don't think he's as good as some folks seem to think. Many Bomber wins where Willy was QB came on the strength of sold ST and defensive play - offensive production was still putrid. But now that MOS has basically told the next OC like it or not here's your starter, I guess we are all going to get a chance to see what unfolds. Bass-akwards management tough, hamstringing the next OC.

So you've forgotten how good Willy has been for us? And forgotten that Bellefeuille made Calvillo look like a slow release slow read drop back pocket passer too? Drew Willy absolutely can be the franchise guy for this team. Willy has shown incredible toughness at times. But I can think of only one or two games when I thought 'Wow - Drew Willy played great and won that game for us." Mostly he's been unable to muster the O when it counts. His lack of success can't be pinned entirely on Bellefeuille though. While it is time for the Bombers to part ways with Marcel, they should have done so last year. Going forward, I worry about cap space and the QB position and whether we can recruit real competition for the #1 QB job when we are committed to paying Willy $400k. It seems ridiculous that MOS would hamstring the incoming OC by declaring Willy the starter since we don't even know if he'll pass the physical come TC 2016.

I would hope the next OC isn't as closed minded about the QB position as you are. I'll give Drew Willy credit for his unbelievable toughness. But he hasn't played enough to prove he is worth $400k. Which is a problem for Winnipeg going forward. It means they have to allow a big percentage of the cap for QB if they want any real competition at the QB position. For example, let's say Harris or Ray is available. One of those guys could easily come in and beat Willy for the job. But they won't be cheap. (Assuming Wpg wants another pocket passer).

Is Wally Buono been an Offensive coach ? Is O'Shea been Wally Buono? I agree that O'Shea is not Buono and that's not the point I'm trying to make. My point is it doesn't require a HC to be a former Offensive coach to have a very good offense. I dont have any history whatsoever, but who are Buono's OC and DC when he started HC'ing? And my point is that MOS may not be the best judge of quarterbacks. But he is already telling the next OC that Willy is the starter. Yikes.

It doesn't matter who they bring in as next OC - they are doomed to fail. When you look at the chain of command: Miller, Walters O'Shea - their CFL experience is all ST and D - not an offensive mind among them. Is it any wonder Bombers have seen the worst offensive production in the league since this regime took over? Sure, OK, we've got Danny McManus in the group, and it was on his advice Bombers acquired Brian Brohm from Hamilton. Now I happen to think Brian Brohm isn't nearly as bad as everybody says, but regardless we need to use this opportunity to find absolutely the right person in this critical OC job. Especially since whoever comes in here has got no real offensive expertise/coaching back-up since the rest of the senior coaching/management draws their experience from ST and D. What really has me really worried is O'Shea's flat out declaration today that 'we feel we have a franchise QB' in Drew Willy. That means he's already locking the next OC into using an immobile, slow-read, slow release, drop-back packet passer on one leg. That tells me MOS still knows nothing about what really works or doesn't in a CFL offence and he hasn't learned anything either. Sorry, but this is a recipe for more futility and failure in 2016.

LaPolice had one good year as OC in 2002 when Khari Jones was on fire. And then he failed dismally when Khari couldn't stay upright, and was finally fired. Lapo also was terrible as HC: he was 4-14 in his first year here as HC and in the second year (2011) when Bombers backed into the Grey Cup, it was on the strength of the defence. It was LaPolice who brought in Gary Crowton as OC, remember that stellar judgment call? I was surprised it took Joe Mack half way through the terrible 2012 season to fire that charlatan. He should've been canned at the end of 2011. Please, lets go forward, not back.

Not a fan of #5, who will be pulling down $400k to play a few games next year - if he passes his physical. So I'm going to speculate that Bombers record would not have looked much different even if he'd stayed healthy. In the 52-26 loss to Ham Willy was 3 of 6 for 48 yds before leaving the game. In the 32-3 loss to Esks we scored a field goal. In the 38-8 loss to Ham he was a non factor etc etc etc ad nauseam - the common denominator is Willy was injured in each of those games. But he did nothing before getting injured. Its a bit of a pattern going back to 2014. I favour more of a dual threat QB. Looking forward to watching Davis today.

Drew Willy broke his leg after jumping in the air and landing awkwardly, while in the grasp. Look at the video. It was not a low hit or illegal contact. There was no penalty on the play, nor should there have been. So any rule making it illegal to hit a QB low or on the legs would not have changed anything in Willy's case. He just jumped in the air and, upon landing, his right leg buckled backwards at the knee. A very unfortunate and weird injury.

Despite his decision to keep Marcel after last year's obvious problems on O (where we were basically worst in the league) and same thing again this season, we should keep Mike O'Shea next season. Of course I said this about Joe Mack, feeling that he kept LaPo around too long and should have cut him loose immediately after we accidentally limped into the 2011 cup. We were a bad team, poorly coached, masked by that cup appearance. But that decision to keep LaPo marked the beginning of the end for Joe. So likewise, O'Shea's loyalty to Marcel, despite the absence of vital signs on the cold corpse that is Winnipeg's offence, could spell the end of O'Shea here. That would be a shame, as I'm not certain it's all on MOS. Though firing the HC is the pattern: the last time we had a 5-13 record (as seems likely) we fired Jim Daley and replaced him with Doug Berry.

I don't know what kind of chemistry Marcel and Willy have had. Willy wanted his OC on the sidelines and Marcel appeared reluctant - but agreed. Then as soon as Willy gets injured again (which is fairly often BTW) and the next QB installed, Marcel scoots back upstairs.

Shouldn't he design the O around Drew Willy's skill set? Well, I'm throwing it out there that, unfortunately, Winnipeg likely needs a new starter. Someone more mobile and who reads and delivers the ball quicker and from different launch points. Of the limited number of wins Bombers have had past 2 years, relatively few have been due to outstanding QB play. Wins have been greatly assisted by outstanding play of D and ST - who scored needed points. Bomber fans are so starved for good QB play at even average looks good. Here's another hard truth: unfortunately that broken leg isn't going to make Drew Willy any faster or nimble, post recovery. And with the obligation to pay him $400k next year ... well the Bombers are actually in a bit of a pickle at QB. That's a lot of money and commitment tied up in a question mark. Obviously Marcel isn't up to it and what's really scary is that there's no evidence MOS Walters or Miller can even diagnose, let alone remedy, what ails the O. But it starts and ends at QB and IMHO we haven't been trustworthy at that position.

Bombers braintrust, including MOS Walters and Miller have no clue on offence. And so the choice of the next OC is an important one. Hopefully that person will design the offence around a dual threat QB - who is yet to be found.

Bombers braintrust, including MOS Walters and Miller have no clue on offence. And so the choice of the next OC is an important one. Hopefully that person will design the offence around a dual threat QB - who is yet to be found.

If you want to review Walkers skills re-watch the Bombers first game against the RB's last season. No doubt that he had the physical talent at that time but as we have seen until recently with Stoudermire sometimes these guys forget how to use it. No Walker has been the same since day one with Hamilton. He's fast. If he has a big hole to run through he's got the speed to exploit it but when the going gets tough he folds faster than superman on laundry day. Speed gets guys 9 lives in sports but if you can't do anything with that speed but run through gaping holes you're not a football player, just a track star.I was not impressed with Walker and wondered why Winnipeg bothered bringing him in. Interesting comment about his speed though. There is something very wrong with Bombers run game and it doesn't matter who the RB is. First, they telegraph every run. So its easy for the D to pick up. Secondly, every run play takes too long to develop. You can count steamboats while the QB is holding the ball out there waiting for the back to take the ball and then silly-walk into Picard's backside or one of the Bombers guards or the waiting arms of an opposing defender. It's been like that for the past couple of seasons. Its almost like there's no communication between the O line and backfield. And of course no play action to give pause to the D and no misdirection. Major fail. Does MOS not see this? I honestly don't think he does see it and wouldn't know how to fix it if he did. MOS was a LB not a QB, unlike head coaches like Hufnagel and Austin. I'm sure he sees the game differently from many of us and I don't think it's a coincidence that our D is light years ahead of our O.Yea cuz if your a defender.. All you retain and have the ability to follow is defense.. *insert eyeroll emotji* Lets be serious here. Hes been involved in football for how long? He isnt an idiot. He sees now his defenses played against offenses and Im sure he realizes what offenses could and would beat defenses..I'd agree with you if he had shown any kind of aptitude for offence so far. But his throwing of support behind MB for the last two years, and everything that's come with that move, has not really shown that he does know much about offence. hes mentioned more then a few times that the offense needs work. I believe he just trusts his coordinators too much.. the st were struggling mightily and he let tracey attempt to sort it out before he stepped in.. he clearly doesnt know enough to be an OC but to suggest hes ignorant of the woes of the offense is a ridiculious notion.. Have Special Teams improved since MOS took over direct responsibility for that aspect of the game? They are still taking stupid penalties and giving up returns.

I'm in the camp that hopes and expects MOS to be here next year.

If you want to review Walkers skills re-watch the Bombers first game against the RB's last season. No doubt that he had the physical talent at that time but as we have seen until recently with Stoudermire sometimes these guys forget how to use it. No Walker has been the same since day one with Hamilton. He's fast. If he has a big hole to run through he's got the speed to exploit it but when the going gets tough he folds faster than superman on laundry day. Speed gets guys 9 lives in sports but if you can't do anything with that speed but run through gaping holes you're not a football player, just a track star. I was not impressed with Walker and wondered why Winnipeg bothered bringing him in. Interesting comment about his speed though. There is something very wrong with Bombers run game and it doesn't matter who the RB is. First, they telegraph every run. So its easy for the D to pick up. Secondly, every run play takes too long to develop. You can count steamboats while the QB is holding the ball out there waiting for the back to take the ball and then silly-walk into Picard's backside or one of the Bombers guards or the waiting arms of an opposing defender. It's been like that for the past couple of seasons. Its almost like there's no communication between the O line and backfield. And of course no play action to give pause to the D and no misdirection. Major fail. Does MOS not see this?

Agreed there's not much difference & Nichols 6 years of experience shows. But Nichols will sign where he can start - not to back up. Willy hasn't proven to be durable so Nichols might have a chance here. But I guess at $400k next year there's pressure on Bombers to start Willy no matter what. Whether he's worth that kind of coin ... well ... remains to be seen. Hopefully we give Davis and Boyd a look now that we are pretty much in next year country. QB still a question mark on this club going forward.

Unless Drew Willy isn't mobile enough or makes fast enough reads or gets rid of the ball fast enough or fails to bring tempo to the offence. Then the question of what the Bombers biggest problem is, remains open for debate. What if the biggest problem is actually not just one problem but multiple problems - including the problem of assuming the O would function at anything more than a barely acceptable level with Drew Willy?

It was a great individual effort by Marshall to get the 2-pointer before that, on what was essentially a poorly designed play for a 2-point conversion. But he did and that's football. And so it got exciting. Whether the subsequent no end call is to be blamed on players or coaches - it is on the player. Except that Bombers have drawn a flag for that particular infraction more often than usual this season, so the coaches are at fault for not taking steps to correct something they know the officials are repeatedly calling.

I'm with you. Looking forward to this UPSET!

Thanks for assembling some interesting numbers! Wondered about this illegal contact rule change. Kind of makes you think they'll have to review and maybe toss it: • Illegal contact rule change: with the tighter rules regarding contact on a receiver, the frequency of that penalty call has risen from 0.71 per game in 2014 (37 in 52 games) to 1.62 per game – more than double with 84 calls to date in 2015 Especially in light of this: • When taking a defensive penalty, the likelihood of an opponent scoring a TD rises from one in 10.5 (9.6%) to one in every 2.9 possessions. In 304 drives in 2015, defensive penalty-aided drives have gone on to score 106 times (34.8%) Or is that acceptable? This really changes the game IMHO where officiating judgment calls can in effect decide the outcome.