TrueBlue4ever

Matt Nichols 2016, 2017, 2018.

I would say that if you pick a defensive player and they come through with a score, you deserve to get a strike taken off.

He quit after game 9 that year. The team started 1-6 and was giving up 30.5 points a game. They seemed to be turning things around with back-to-back wins where they gave up only 31 points in two dominant home wins. He then walked away. The team gave up 245 points against at that point. The rest of the year, without a D/C, they gave up another 313 points, including 86 in the first two games after he quit while they tried to adjust, and another 122 in the last 3 games after they were officially eliminated from the playoffs. Other factors certainly played a role (more road games than home in the second half), and they were absolutely worse without a coach than with, but the defence was not super solid while he was there, IIRC. I remember not having much regard for Rust when he came in at age 77 to coach, and his time with the club did not convince me otherwise. But quitting on a team mid-season really left a sour taste in my mouth, so as much as Daley was way in over his head and not a good head coach, I at least had some sympathy for his plight and view him as a nice guy who just couldn’t hack it and was given a bad hand to play with. I did not get a sense of arrogance with him, so biased as so may be, I don’t list him as my worst Bomber coach ever.

So I did some digging and came up with some receipts. And in the interest of full disclosure, I will offer up a report that supports both sides of the story, rather than cherry-picking just to say “I was right”. Here is the French RDS report when Rust left the team: https://www.rds.ca/football/lcf/rod-rust-quitte-les-bombers-d-urgence-1.302376 For those not fluent in French, Google translate says : “Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker coach and defensive coordinator Rod Rust has left the team to visit his family in New Jersey for medical reasons. If the situation allows it, Rust will join the Bombers later in the season.” So that is the official announcement that was made at the time. Now, here is an article from the following year from cfl.ca talking about his replacement Greg Marshall: https://www.cfl.ca/2006/07/05/marshall_adapted_to_coach/ It suggests as 17 has stated that he did not get along with Jim Daley. It is a report from Regina-Leader Post writer Darrell Davis, if that has any sway one way or another with anyone. So what is the truth? Seems open to conjecture. But I will say that quitting and being fired are certainly not essentially the same thing. And if Daley had issue with Rust’s schemes, he had good cause. The Bombers gave up an all-time league record 8,244 yards against that year. I do remember Brown really being irked by the yards against record, because people were saying “worst defence ever” and he kept reminding them that Ottawa and Hamilton actually both gave up most points than Winnipeg. But it was a tire fire for sure.

You recall incorrectly.

I never walk into this week confident in a sure victory, and certainly nothing more than us squeaking it out if we do win. Since the game became a regular yearly fixture in 1982, we are 12-28 in the LDC. In our 12 wins, we averaged 27 points per game with an average margin of victory of 9 points. In our 28 losses, Saskatchewan averaged 37 points a game and their average victory margin was 17 points. And in those 40 years Winnipeg had the better overall record at season’s end 23 times (Sask 15 times, twice we had the same record). Bottom line, no matter how good the respective teams were, the Labour Day atmosphere made it a very tough game for the Bombers, and if a blowout occurred, it pretty much always ended in the Riders’ favour (wins by 20 points or more - Riders 8 Bombers 1).

Not at all how it went down. Rod Rust was the defensive coordinator that year, and he walked away from the team mid-season due to a family situation (his wife’s illness I believe, although the specifics were not divulged at the time) and left Daley high and dry to handle both jobs without any warning.

The Donut Boys is the perfect name. They are full of holes.

No need to pace. You can just stand still while you drink. Either way, once you fall over off your feet, I’d say you’re good for that session.

In all seriousness, don’t really see where the club will go with changes, aside from Grant for McCrae as returner. Our defence is playing lights out, and as Booch said about our special teams and the changes O’Shea made in structure, why fix something that isn’t broken? If we were talking about a Lawler or an Oliviera or a Jeffcoat sitting on the bench healthy I could see the push to change, but other than Grant, who is the best on the league, are any of the replacement guys so indispensable they automatically go in no questions asked? Parker has talent, but who in our current staring 5 in the secondary does he bump? Holm and Houston have been the two most visible successes this year, and are you going to yank the experience of Rose, Nichols, or Alexander knowing what their ceilings are? Pull Kramdi, sure, but Haba and Fox despite whatever some think of their “intangible physicality” have not jumped off the page so much in their past playing time that they are a no doubt top line starter. If they are an upgrade is a speculative debate based on personal opinion and subjective bias largely, I don’t see the jump-off-the-page stats or game-breaking plays from them that warrant change for the sake of change. Now, a Kramdi or. Jackson doesn’t either, but with the team on a heater, who wants to mess with winning chemistry? I think once we secure a playoff spot or certainly after getting top in the West we will see changes, but most likely not before that unless and injury or a glaringly bad performance that is THE reason we lose a game forces the coaches’ hands. Two last points for debate. I think Jake Thomas is showing that reports of his demise are premature given his run these past 4 games. He’s not a game-breaker, never had been, but he does his job and helps others do theirs. As for Jackson, because he is the only fullback on the roster with Miller out (unless the Bomber roster designations are incorrect) and we have such a key running attack, I don’t see him getting bumped. I don’t lock into blocking schemes when watching the game, but is he a regular part of the “heavy set” formation or short yardage crew as a blocker? And how does he handle his role on special teams? Does he stay in his lane and control gaps, which allows his teammates like Hallett to make the tackles? Maybe his role is to be a support guy, taking on blockers to free up his teammates to make the play, so his lack of stats don’t tell the whole story. Asking those who track such things better than I could.

2004 West Final. The offending kick that prompted the response is at 4:45.

I didn’t know Cody Fajardo was an official.

I’m almost afraid to ask because I fear this will be a conspiracy rabbit hole, but what are you talking about? Helicopter video?

Lucky coach.

Oliviera’s first TD was a run play.

Your second star selection is something many struggle to do around here. As for third star Osh, don’t forget keeping McCrae at returner and watching him break one for 48 yards, or seeing useless old Jake Thomas getting a sack in his 4th straight game. Troll Level - O(’Shea)

9 actually.

Well I guess we were on the right side of the 50/50 this time. Or by my count now 1 loss where we let them hang around and lost, and 5 games where we adjusted at the half and pulled away.

Or the kind of game where we adjust in the second half and pull away. Which scenario have we seen more of this year?

Is it possible that we in fact don’t have the roster pieces? Maybe Parker isn’t the messiah some proclaim him to be, as one example. I mean, we have a very limited sample size to consider for him, and not all of us can watch him work out at the gym.

Now there’s that measured constructive criticism the “questionable roster management” crew provide.

LOCK OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!

Zach Collaros 28 - Montreal 3

Bombers’ D getting good penetration on the run, but are giving up 3-4 yards after first contact.