Grey Cup - Game Week Thread

[wbbfan]

12 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Yeah 2019 was a team that just never got over the hump before but some key changes gave them the pieces to have a dominant defense and the rest is history.

And an explosive play making qb too. But yeah. The prior teams being able and expecting to carry the day and win the game made it easy when Zach stepped in. 

[ddanger]

2 hours ago, Mark F said:

very good photos of Bomber practise in Hamilton.  brady is thick

 

https://www.cfl.ca/through-the-lens-bombers-practice-thursday-at-thf/

great pics

[WinnipegGordo]

 

[kelownabomberfan]

29 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Yeah 2019 was a team that just never got over the hump before but some key changes gave them the pieces to have a dominant defense and the rest is history.

But I think it was Zach who was the real final piece of the puzzle.  Nichols just couldn't get it done in the playoffs.

9 minutes ago, WinnipegGordo said:

 

Looks like pretty decent weather there in Hamilton.

[SpeedFlex27]

19 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

Nichols had 18 TD passes in 2016 and 2018 and 15 in 9 games in 2019. More than Fajardo had this year. Just saying.

Let's be fair here, Nichols didn't have the level of receivers to work with that Zach has now. We kept signing 32 year plus receivers whose better days were behind them. We were starting Daniel Peterman, we had a couple of rickety Rider receivers (Dressler & Smith) who were always hurt. Our OL was just finding itself. Neufeld was always hurt. The young studs on the OL Walters drafted were young & inexperienced. Nichols came in & made us competitive. I'm grateful Chris Jones let him go for a 7th rounder & a bag of footballs. He doesn't get the credit he deserves. That injury he suffered was really unfortunate. 

[Brandon]

4 hours ago, Wideleft said:

Bombers D is better in almost every major defensive category.  

But feast on this:

• Montreal passes over 20 yards - 30/74 40.5%, 1,030 yds, 9 TD, 9 Int
• Winnipeg passes over 20 yards -  55/113 48.7%, 1,957 yds, 21 TD, 3 Int

I think we can all agree that it's much easier to defend against a one-dimensional team.  Yet another reason to be very optimistic.

https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-GN-Gm-95-Grey-Cup-Preview-2.pdf

Very interesting stat thank you for sharing this with everyone.

Stanback from 2-3 years ago would "worry" me for him taking over the game.  But he hasn't been the same guy since.      

My only concern is Zach having a terrible game with lots of turnovers,  if he plays smart without forcing throws into double coverages and just let us slowly grind them away then I think things will be good.  

[17to85]

2 hours ago, kelownabomberfan said:

But I think it was Zach who was the real final piece of the puzzle.  Nichols just couldn't get it done in the playoffs

I don't agree. It was changes like Alexander to safety and nick Taylor coming in that really solidified the secondary which allowed the defense to become one that could carry a team through anything.

[Fatty Liver]

22 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Let's be fair here, Nichols didn't have the level of receivers to work with that Zach has now. We kept signing 32 year plus receivers whose better days were behind them. We were starting Daniel Peterman, we had a couple of rickety Rider receivers (Dressler & Smith) who were always hurt. Our OL was just finding itself. Neufeld was always hurt. The young studs on the OL Walters drafted were young & inexperienced. Nichols came in & made us competitive. I'm grateful Chris Jones let him go for a 7th rounder & a bag of footballs. He doesn't get the credit he deserves. That injury he suffered was really unfortunate. 

Nichols benefitted from a very good O-line at the time as well, Bryant, Bond, Goosen, Chungh and Hardrick were all in place by 2016 the same year Nichols arrived in Wpg.

[kelownabomberfan]

41 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Let's be fair here, Nichols didn't have the level of receivers to work with that Zach has now. We kept signing 32 year plus receivers whose better days were behind them. We were starting Daniel Peterman, we had a couple of rickety Rider receivers (Dressler & Smith) who were always hurt. Our OL was just finding itself. Neufeld was always hurt. The young studs on the OL Walters drafted were young & inexperienced. Nichols came in & made us competitive. I'm grateful Chris Jones let him go for a 7th rounder & a bag of footballs. He doesn't get the credit he deserves. That injury he suffered was really unfortunate. 

I was at that game.  As soon as I saw Nichols get tackled I knew he was done, fell right on the shoulder and got pile drived.  I think it was Lemon correct?

[BigBlueFanatic]

16 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

I don't agree. It was changes like Alexander to safety and nick Taylor coming in that really solidified the secondary which allowed the defense to become one that could carry a team through anything.

Jeff Hecht getting the hook for BA, plus using Taylor and Maston completely transformed the back end… that said we still needed a qb with Nichols out and Strev on one leg.  McGuire wasn’t taking us to the promised land by himself so Zach was also a vital ingredient to the cup run.  It can be both.

[Mark H.]

53 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Our OL was just finding itself. Neufeld was always hurt. The young studs on the OL Walters drafted were young & inexperienced. 

No way. Once Bond was brought in, the OL was solid. Also, guys like Goossen, Chungh, Desjarlais - did not take long to round into shape 

[SpeedFlex27]

39 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Very interesting stat thank you for sharing this with everyone.

Stanback from 2-3 years ago would "worry" me for him taking over the game.  But he hasn't been the same guy since.      

My only concern is Zach having a terrible game with lots of turnovers,  if he plays smart without forcing throws into double coverages and just let us slowly grind them away then I think things will be good.  

Collaros is the last guy I'm worried about. We're in good hands at the qb position. He's not going to put up 350 yards & 3 TD passes every game. I worry about our depleted receiving corps. With Schoen, this would have been a no brainer win over the Als. It may be a lot closer now, 

4 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

No way. Once Bond was brought in, the OL was solid. Also, guys like Goossen, Chungh, Desjarlais - did not take long to round into shape 

They didn't just step in & play at a high level. They had to adjust to the CFL game & level of play. Bond was the guy who brought it together. but once the Canadians started to play well, he was the first to go. Did Chungh take his spot? Also, once Neufeld put all his injury issues behind him the OL really took off. 

[Mark H.]

20 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

They didn't just step in & play at a high level. They had to adjust to the CFL game & level of play. Bond was the guy who brought it together. but once the Canadians started to play well, he was the first to go. Did Chungh take his spot? Also, once Neufeld put all his injury issues behind him the OL really took off. 

Of course, Bond bridged the gap while the young guys rounded into shape. OL play was not lacking.

[SpeedFlex27]

52 minutes ago, kelownabomberfan said:

I was at that game.  As soon as I saw Nichols get tackled I knew he was done, fell right on the shoulder and got pile drived.  I think it was Lemon correct?

Yeah, it was Lemon. He wanted to make sure Nichols was out of the game so he pancaked him from behind. 

15 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Of course, Bond bridged the gap while the young guys rounded into shape. OL play was not lacking.

You still couldn't compare the level of Bomber OL play in 2016 as the same as 2019 & 2021. The OL has also come on like gangbusters this season as well. 

[Tracker]

I am going to put my credibility on the line with a couple of predictions:

1. Bombers will win 28-10 despite their offence not blowing the doors off Montreal's defence. Collaros will play well, but not at an all-star level due to a cautious game plan by Buck.

2. Fajardo will not only look bad, but I do not think he will finish the game. From the way he moves and throws, he looks like he is being held together by duct tape.

[rebusrankin]

Toronto and Hamilton both had about 135-140 yards rushing on Montreal's D in their playoff games. I think Montreal's D can be ran on.

[Noeller]

5 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Toronto and Hamilton both had about 135-140 yards rushing on Montreal's D in their playoff games. I think Montreal's D can be ran on.

And we have a far better OL that is now pissed off because Yoshi lost MOOL and Brady lost MOP. Good ******* luck, assholes.

[Geebrr]

Collaros wants that game in August back too. There is no way he is going to play like that again against these guys. 

[Booch]

Just now, Geebrr said:

Collaros wants that game in August back too. There is no way he is going to play like that again against these guys. 

you see how pumped and psyched he was after the WF??..never sen that in him...I think he brings out the eviscerating knife on sunday

[Mark H.]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

You still couldn't compare the level of Bomber OL play in 2016 as the same as 2019 & 2021. The OL has also come on like gangbusters this season as well. 

Ok. #forthew

[rebusrankin]

Cody when it dawns on him that he has to play the Jeffs on Sunday.

[Noeller]

39 minutes ago, Booch said:

you see how pumped and psyched he was after the WF??..never sen that in him...I think he brings out the eviscerating knife on sunday

I was saying to 17to85 in our FB group chat earlier today that I think we might see an all time best GC performance (bit of a low bar, but still...) from Zach on Sunday. Not super warm conditions but I still think he's going to have an incredible game.

Edited November 17, 2023 by Noeller

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

30 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Cody when it dawns on him that he has to play the Jeffs on Sunday.

[17to85]

48 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Cody when it dawns on him that he has to play the Jeffs on Sunday.

[WinnipegGordo]

 

6 hours ago, Noeller said:

I was saying to 17to85 in our FB group chat earlier today that I think we might see an all time best GC performance (bit of a low bar, but still...) from Zach on Sunday. Not super warm conditions but I still think he's going to have an incredible 

These are some interesting numbers.  However, all that most people will remember is that Zach and the Bombers have won 2 Cups so far. (and hopefully a 3rd on Sunday).

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by WinnipegGordo