Blue Bombers - 2024 Regular Season - Discussion Thread

[Bigblue204]

7 hours ago, Brandon said:

Has the media or anyone on the radio asked O'Shea why Eli is not starting?  

"We have Kolo, he's playing at a high level. I trust him to do his job and so do the guys around him." - MOS probably 

[17to85]

Yeah you can't just ask why Eli isn't starting, that will get the non-answer. Need to ask something to get more details. Like what makes kolankowski the better option to start? He still won't answer but it's harder to bullshit away from that.

[Bigblue204]

2 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Yeah you can't just ask why Eli isn't starting, that will get the non-answer. Need to ask something to get more details. Like what makes kolankowski the better option to start? He still won't answer but it's harder to bullshit away from that.

I'd focus the question on Eli rather than Kolo. 

Eli has been with the team for a while now, he comes with a great pedigree. Is often a highly ranked OL according to trackers. The team has struggled along the interior of the line this season for many reasons, do you envision a time when there might be a switch from who has started this year? If yes, what would it take to make that switch and if no, what would you need to see from the OL to feel like it is time to switch?

[Booch]

36 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

"We have Kolo, he's playing at a high level. I trust him to do his job and so do the guys around him." - MOS probably 

likely this lame answer....or   Kolo...He's Good....tho the line in general up the gut has blown

[wbbfan]

If you want to catch mos with a gotchya type question it would have to be really well crafted and more based around his rhetoric than any thing. Tricking him into following one of his common lines. 
 He’s soo by the book it is easy to predict but hard to trip up. I think that’s part of the real reason too, he’s not an improv guy and if he gets off rhetoric I think he’d get in deep water quickly with media. 

Id probably go with some thing around the massive increase in teams playing a 0 tech on the dl vs us and only us with great effect and why we are struggling with that and exchange/twist/stunts inside in pass pro  

Far easier to photo shop eli into a buds Hell week picture than any thing. 

[Booch]

ask him,,,,You signed Eli toa 3 yr deal...Why isnt he starting yet when he consistantly gets top grades and the least MA's....I not talking about that lame PPF either tho he gets top grades in that too, and is he the starter of the future?

[JuranBoldenRules]

 

1 hour ago, Bigblue204 said:

I'd focus the question on Eli rather than Kolo. 

Eli has been with the team for a while now, he comes with a great pedigree. Is often a highly ranked OL according to trackers. The team has struggled along the interior of the line this season for many reasons, do you envision a time when there might be a switch from who has started this year? If yes, what would it take to make that switch and if no, what would you need to see from the OL to feel like it is time to switch?

Eli had no reps pass protecting last week.  So if you're looking at PFF grades they are basically irrelevant as a comparison tool for him.

Not arguing against some changes in the line for at least some stretches, just pointing that out.

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Yeah you can't just ask why Eli isn't starting, that will get the non-answer. Need to ask something to get more details. Like what makes kolankowski the better option to start? He still won't answer but it's harder to bullshit away from that.

There's some work for media to do here.  But they don't really exist.  There's clearly a significant reason why Eli's reps are so limited.  That's been kept under wraps but a little digging with some sources would reveal it pretty quickly.  Then the question is are you better off running with him until he can't go anymore or playing him 15 snaps a game?  Some of that digging could be around why we always dress 7 OL for the past two seasons?

[Booch]

31 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

 

Eli had no reps pass protecting last week.  So if you're looking at PFF grades they are basically irrelevant as a comparison tool for him.

Not arguing against some changes in the line for at least some stretches, just pointing that out.

There's some work for media to do here.  But they don't really exist.  There's clearly a significant reason why Eli's reps are so limited.  That's been kept under wraps but a little digging with some sources would reveal it pretty quickly.  Then the question is are you better off running with him until he can't go anymore or playing him 15 snaps a game?  Some of that digging could be around why we always dress 7 OL for the past two seasons?

Thats just poor game day roster construction...the amount of times all 7 are on the feild is minimal...and even then...you can use a big bodied dline guys as well...Thomas is listed as extra oline...stick him there for those 3 reps it may happen

[ShyGuy]

52 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

 

Eli had no reps pass protecting last week.  So if you're looking at PFF grades they are basically irrelevant as a comparison tool for him.

Not arguing against some changes in the line for at least some stretches, just pointing that out.

There's some work for media to do here.  But they don't really exist.  There's clearly a significant reason why Eli's reps are so limited.  That's been kept under wraps but a little digging with some sources would reveal it pretty quickly.  Then the question is are you better off running with him until he can't go anymore or playing him 15 snaps a game?  Some of that digging could be around why we always dress 7 OL for the past two seasons?

How many reps overall did he have last week? Was he just in with the short yardage package with Streveler? What is the split over the first 3 weeks? That doesn't seem like great strategy to trot a guy out and only run with him out there.

[Bubba Zanetti]

Cant wait for this lost dogshit of a season to end so all the piss-poor roster management, lack of depth, old cooked players, and garbage play calling can be glazed over and forgotten due to the injury excuse.

[bearpants]

On 2024-06-26 at 10:57 AM, Colin Unger said:

The data from Pro Football Focus seems to backup the sentiment about Loften. Despite giving up that sack on the first passing play of the game he was out top ranked offensive lineman last week. We don't know his actual grade but he was the only one not to make the list of lineman with failing grades among our starters. In limited action Tui was elite!

Highlighted in red are the lineman who have a season average below 60 which is a failing grade. This pretty much all lines up with the general evaluation from those of us on the message board. 

 

8. WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (NO CHANGE)

LT Stanley Bryant
LG Liam Dobson
C Chris Kolankowski
RG Patrick Neufeld
RT Eric Lofton

• Despite teams' struggles above them, the Blue Bombers failed to climb the rankings. Four of their five starters failed to make a positive impact last week, with Bryant (58.5), Dobson (57.5), Kolankowski (55.0) and Neufeld (53.8) posting sub-59.0 PFF overall grades.

• The Bombers' top-performing offensive lineman was sixth man Asotui Eli. He played 19 snaps last week, earning an 88.1 overall grade and an 81.7 run-blocking grade.

I'm nowhere near and expert on O-line play (like most here)... but even to the untrained eye, you can see the Bombers have had massive trouble with interior protection this season... I honestly think that's one of the major reason the offense has started out so slow... fix that and you have an easier time establishing the run game and give Zach another second or two in the pass game... and you fix the offense. 

[17to85]

27 minutes ago, ShyGuy said:

How many reps overall did he have last week? Was he just in with the short yardage package with Streveler? What is the split over the first 3 weeks? That doesn't seem like great strategy to trot a guy out and only run with him out there.

Well you should have a 6th OL on the roster,  the problem is they have 7 of them and give Jake an emergency ol number. It's a dead space on the roster to have Wallace there too. The real big issue naturally is that Eli is flat out better than kolankowski to my untrained eye. So why do we handicap our team for a guy who is really a nobody...

[Bigblue204]

1 hour ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

 

Eli had no reps pass protecting last week.  So if you're looking at PFF grades they are basically irrelevant as a comparison tool for him.

 

Cool, that was a completely hypothetical situation about how people should ask questions to MOS to hopefully get past his bland answers.

[Booch]

15 minutes ago, bearpants said:

I'm nowhere near and expert on O-line play (like most here)... but even to the untrained eye, you can see the Bombers have had massive trouble with interior protection this season... I honestly think that's one of the major reason the offense has started out so slow... fix that and you have an easier time establishing the run game and give Zach another second or two in the pass game... and you fix the offense. 

For the most part of late...ZC cant walk up in the pocket if pressure from outside is there as KOLO is either pushed right back into it...or has not kept his block engaged, or on a chip or 50 isn't tking the free guy, as he just isnt skilled enough.

If you look at a lot of our pressures, and sacks...or ZC just seemingly unsure and skittish it's because he has nowhere to escape from, and if he does try to move away it's usually into heat off the edge...as the middle is a lost cause.

Always say line work and success comes from inside out...and poor center interior play makes the tackles seem like they are inferior...and not always the case.

Why OSH won't just try to replace the 1 part...and see the ripple effect is baffling. It's either gonna be better....or equal....won't be worse. Undersized center's are great, when really athletic and quick....with unreal movement...KOLO is undersized...but not athletic....definately not quick and has poor movement laterally and into next level. 

Eli is a big dude, and probably our most althetic lineman...he's also our fastest and would never even be in the CFL if not for his lost senior season, then appearance to have quit football...Our saving grace is that there is no film on him whatsoever up here for most part...and has kept the hounds away....time to let the big dude loose

[BBlink]

I for one would like to see "Hawk" Tui Eli get in the starting lineup.

[17to85]

44 minutes ago, BBlink said:

I for one would like to see "Hawk" Tui Eli get in the starting lineup.

No. Not going to be a thing anyone does.

[JohnnyAbonny]

Yeah at this point he’s gonna be a 38 year old future starter 

[Atomic]

1 hour ago, BBlink said:

I for one would like to see "Hawk" Tui Eli get in the starting lineup.

Oh hell yeah hahaha

[Colin Unger]

2 hours ago, bearpants said:

I'm nowhere near and expert on O-line play (like most here)... but even to the untrained eye, you can see the Bombers have had massive trouble with interior protection this season... I honestly think that's one of the major reason the offense has started out so slow... fix that and you have an easier time establishing the run game and give Zach another second or two in the pass game... and you fix the offense. 

It remains to be seen how different the offensive line looks when they Bombers have a healthy BO in there for a full game pounding the rock. I think that the pass block could be a lot better when teams are focused again on shutting down BO. 

[Noeller]

1 minute ago, Colin Unger said:

It remains to be seen how different the offensive line looks when they Bombers have a healthy BO in there for a full game pounding the rock. I think that the pass block could be a lot better when teams are focused again on shutting down BO. 

This is actually a good point I think. A healthy Brady O with plenty of touches makes a world of difference to the entire offense, and quote frankly we haven't seen that this year. If he's ready to take full time snaps this weekend, that could be enough to carry the team this week. 

[Rod Black]

1 hour ago, BBlink said:

I for one would like to see "Hawk" Tui Eli get in the starting lineup.

I blew a snot bubble from laughing. 

[WinnipegGordo]

I wonder how much better the Bombers' oline would appear to look if they had a quarterback that was a threat to take off with the ball more than once every 4 games?

Would Montreal's oline look as good with Zach behind centre?

[JuranBoldenRules]

14 minutes ago, WinnipegGordo said:

I wonder how much better the Bombers' oline would appear to look if they had a quarterback that was a threat to take off with the ball more than once every 4 games?

Would Montreal's oline look as good with Zach behind centre?

Protecting mobile QBs is way harder.  But that aspect makes it a lot harder on defences in terms of coverage vs pass, and the zone read/RPO stuff really compromises run coverage too.

But in terms of pure protection having a QB that lives on 5-7 step drops is probably the easiest to protect for a OL.  But that QB needs somewhere to go with the ball in a reasonable time frame.

[Fatty Liver]

2 hours ago, WinnipegGordo said:

I wonder how much better the Bombers' oline would appear to look if they had a quarterback that was a threat to take off with the ball more than once every 4 games?

Would Montreal's oline look as good with Zach behind centre?

Have you really forgotten who Zach is and his history with concussions?  Intentionally running the ball should never be in the game plan, in fact he should be fined every time he does so.

[Colin Unger]

3 hours ago, WinnipegGordo said:

I wonder how much better the Bombers' oline would appear to look if they had a quarterback that was a threat to take off with the ball more than once every 4 games?

Would Montreal's oline look as good with Zach behind centre?

Im not sure that Cody's running ability has historically been enough to overcome a mediocre offensive line. I would imagine with Zach's superior passing ability the Montreal offensive line would like just fine.