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Booch I think that the problem is that people are afraid that the CFL might do an audit on the game stats of our two games and when they see that we didn't pass for more than 300 yards each time, they'll pull the wins. We can't just rely on points scored.

It’s a legitimately good point that Black on the call is bad for the growth of the CFL. The guy is the dictionary definition of clueless. He jumps to conclusions during the play (he called a play incomplete because the defender was waving his arms while the referee was signalling a catch), sticks to his narrative (constantly made reference to how well Masoli was playing despite throwing three picks, and basically ignored an endzone pick of Masoli’s because it came directly after Black stated that this play could be a dagger for the Als), gets players wrong, obsesses over minute and unimportant details but most importantly he just talks and talks and talks and never once has anything interesting to say. Literally never.

BLM and Reilly have won a Grey Cup, Grey Cups for BLM. Harris and Collaros have played in Grey Cups, but Collaros is a shell of his prime. Nichols 1-4 in playoff games career. He's out of runway in terms of excuses, or the "but if we had this we'd win." We have a ridiculously great D, great RB, great receivers, OL that has performed well through 2 games, I'd say great vs BC, average vs EDM, but certainly not a problem and will only get better as guys play more together. Nichols needs to win this year, and by that probably win the Grey Cup or at least get there, or he's done here. Very much like Glenn in 2008. Nichols is the guy completely under the microscope because everything else is in place.

No coach in the world is sitting his starting QB when he is 2-0.

The differences in fan viewpoints in my opinion are just linked to how we interpret the process leading to a result. You can get a good result from a bad process, which is what happened on Thursday, when we are discussing Nichols. Wins are always good, but how you get there matters. Nichols had a few really great throws and then a bunch of awful ones. If Lucky Whitehead isn't the fastest person on the field, the Bombers likely lose and Nichols' stats are even worse. The idea that Nichols and Whitehead share equal credit for Whitehead's second TD, for example, is why advanced stats have made such a big impact in the NFL - we know which player deserved more credit on that play. In a league where offensive success is so closely linked to victory, it should be concerning that Nichols and the offense struggled to find consistency. I don't think this is really that unreasonable. You should be able to both praise and criticize the team after wins and losses, not just saving the positivity for good outcomes and negativity for bad ones.

Maybe when analyzing the play of Nichols we should consider the following: Nichols first time under fire was game 1 The interior of the Oline is still kind of soft. Nichols ate a lot of balls last night because the defence had come through. This was his first game with Matthews and second with Whitehead. Nichols is just a lowly private on that field. He does as he's told. Play selection has a lot to do with how the game rolls along. Edmonton has a good Dline. Why don't we wait until after the next two games to see how things work out. He did take us to the Western Finals.

Aaaaand I spoke too soon.

Mitchell, Reilly, Masoli, Harris

You have to let this sink in...

Our scoring has been hugely reliant on field position, which I mean to an extent everyone's is, but ours even more. Since 2016 the Bombers have been both the top team in special team exchange (punt kickoff & return net) and tops in turning the ball over on D. Nichols was hugely efficient in the redzone in 2016 and 2017, lackluster last season. Streveler became a significant factor for us in those situations last year and scored a lot of TD's. Nichols has been very efficient when we've got to the redzone in 2019 through 2 games, and that's obviously very important. If the factors controlled by ST and D aren't at that "best in the league" level we really struggle to win. When we play the top teams in the league, past few years that's Calgary, Hamilton, Ottawa, Sask last year, we really struggle to win. There's no margin for error, but those phases need to play at a crazy level to give Nichols a huge margin for error if we have a shot to win. Extended drives don't happen often for this offense. There's also a very troubling tendency to go very long stretches with very few first downs and many consecutive two and outs. This allows teams to make comebacks against us, even when we have a 2-3 possession lead and really need just one score to close it out. There is a tendency to blame this on the defense but what happens is field position gradually becomes worse and worse. We hand the opposition 7-8 possessions with essentially no push from our offense and it's not surprising that they put up 2-3 scores.

Is anybody saying wins are a bad thing? Obviously not. Winning is always good. But if Nichols' play does not improve then the Bombers won't keep winning - or rather, at least not win the most important games. The Bombers are a really well built team and look like they'll be in contention late in the season. They'll win games and have won plenty the past few years. They have obviously been a very successful organization that just hasn't been able to break through for the big one. They need the QB play elevated for that to happen, in my opinion.

Montreal may have minimal talent because of Reed's roster management, but Khari has them playing like they actually give a damn...much more than they ever did with Sherman. Good for him.

All part of the master plan. Give them oodles of time possession and let them get super tired running all those routes. Tired hands. Its a thing. Called the overly handsome defence.

What a sequence by Muamba!

I give him all the credit for the win against Edmonton in week 17 and the BC win last year. Those were literally his two good 2018 performances.

lol, only someone completely dense would think it's the same picture used in both, it's obviously not, but the conditions were the same in 1917 for those of you who aren't smart enough to figure that out.

Let’s face it. Your scientific approach is immune to criticism. Not only are you out and about listening to casual fans, you’ve able to identify that your study reveals a consensus that Nichols is boring and not fun to watch. Then your sample size of casual fans additionally always determine and end up hoping that Streveler gets to play soon. Professor, you’ve performed a remarkable task of obtaining hard statistical evidence that reflects exactly what you have been spouting for a over a year.

The one on the left still has snow on the mountains.

It's just typical Winnipeg fans. No one is ever good enough for them. We sit Nichols for Streveler and he runs the same offense people will turn on him and scream for McGuire. This team is not going to be the high flying team they want ever because it's not built that way by the coaches. The coaches want to play a safe game and win the field position game, on the backs of good special teams in a lot of cases. This team will rarely blow anyone out, but as we have seen they will grind out wins. We are the CFL equivalent of a neutral zone trap nhl team.

We only had one game that Edmonton used to base a game plan on..and they followed it. 15 targets at Fenner. New expression. We’re Fenerable. Work on it D.

upon further review quote Nichols re Lucky 7.... high praise. Stopping Harris, will no longer stop the Bombers from scoring. Grind it out, or quick strike, they can do both, The Bombers are stacked with offensive weapons. as usual Ed not afraid to see the warts.... He's an excellent journalist. https://www.bluebombers.com/2019/06/29/upon-review-edm-21-wpg-28/

6 points out of 6 get-able points. No parade planning. But no apologies for beating up weaklings either You get who you get.

And he lost.

The one tackle he had was pure motor tho -- he was the first guy downfield, he got picked up by the blocking and was pushed well out of the play, then he giddied up and ran down the returner from behind. Love seeing guys make plays like that, it's like watching a DT make a tackle on a pass 20 yards downfield.

He's good because the D held repeatedly, even when the O couldn't get 1-2 first downs to kill the clock at the end of each half and turned the ball over at the end of each half handing Edmonton the ball in our territory. Half those FG's go for TD's and we're just a team with a QB who can't make enough plays to win, or more likely we should fire the DC and cut all the DB's. Funny how that works.

Nichols is a good QB cuz wins? 🤣 That's the dumbest thing I've read all week and yet it gets repeated over and over and over and over again. Nichols played well in week 1 for 3 out of 4 quarters. He didn't play well last night. He was simply the QB of record when we won. We are 2-0 and that's good. Doesn't mean the same thing as Nichols was good.

Sorry to break it to ya, nobody cares and you should quit typing.

I got no use for people who show up only to ***** about players or coaches. You want to have a discussion fine, but this isn't the CJOB post game show where people get to just throw out their shitty stupid opinions without being called out on it.

Your opinion is bad and you should feel bad.

Welcome to Winnipeg Blue Bombers fandom where perfection is expected or you get run out of town on a rail.

Not sure how Masoli is allowed to viciously headbutt a defender on his way to the end zone and it’s called a great play. Tables turned and the defender gets obliterated for it. Headshots are gross on either side of the ball.

I know its not even July yet but can we just crown Hamilton Eastern champ?

We will look for you and root for you in 2020, Brady. What doesn't break us makes us stronger.

If this game gets any more boring a Relaws concert is going to burst out.

Willie Jefferson is taking heat for the lack of sacks I guess? Re-watching the game, particularly the 4th, he was killing his guy. He will get better and better for us

Yes, plus how does being 2-0 and 1st in the West make us mediocre I wonder?

Trevor Harris, a ton of passing yards ... No TDs Matt N ... Not a ton of passing yards but 3 TDs Yup I think I know who I'm taking there Passing yards are meaningless

We know some things with Nichols...and beyond..... need addressing. The deal will be if it gets done. If so, I expect this team to have a very good record, this year.

first place...2-0...chill out on how we got there..just stay there and continue on

Worse QBs have won grey cups than Matt Nichols

Oh no? 6 TDs and a 2-0 record says he and this team are doing just fine so far this season to me. I am not sure at this point they could be any better? 2 games, 2 wins. Again, Come on, Yourface

It wasn't the prettiest win, but who cares if we won ugly. We won. On to the next one.

He looked really ******* good in game 1 despite the lack of yardage so don't give me that crap. That Edmonton D made Mike Reilly look like shell shocked Drew Willy so maybe we're all being too harsh on him based on 1 game early in the season.

Nichols has 6 TD passes and 1 INT. If nothing else, that is a winning ratio.

Some guys just have a "chip" on their shoulder and act like stinky old "skunks" when it come to Matt Nichols.

Exume with only one special teams tackle. He peaked early and his career is on the decline.

this game was probably an eye opener now for many DC's...Lucky has established himself as a serious threat and will have to have attention payed to him and defeses converge on him as if he gets the smallest if openings..he could be gone...this is going to really open up things for others (especially Adams and Matthews) and we are going to be able to stretch more now with one on ones, and run more deeper layered routes...

Was it just me or was there a distinct lack of replays tonight? Fenner was called for Illegal Contact like 37 times, and I think they showed one of them.