TheSource

QFT Many here are in denial - and I call them wanna-be fans... Even with the current evidence before them, there are lots of comments about how the team is loaded with talent and Walters and OShea are CFL legends who have done nothing but bring perfection to the team... Just fire Hall and replace Nichols and all will be well. That is the easy answer because it is a doable solution that does not violate the basic wanna-be tenant that the team is mostly excellent with just a small tweak and they are somehow on the cusp of a massive Bomber dynasty. LOL Will it work? I highly doubt so! There is nothing wrong with this positive outlook, even with such an excessive viewpoint. It boils down to an extreme case of wishful thinking. However, many of the wanna-be's get upset to the point of irrationality when they are faced with reality which deviates from their wishful model. They lash out childishly at anyone who points out a picture that does not match their mental model of perfection of this current incarnation of the team. Bullying here and terse comments are pervasive. To protest it, that is why I have adopted the Mike Kelly persona and will always point out the other side of the argument that the wanna-be's make.

Drafting 10 cdn receivers, when only one or two should ever see the field in a functional CFL offence. And with the injury to Foketi, now the Bombers are very thin for depth on the O-Line, once again. At least Taman would get something useful when he traded draft picks. Walters keeps them but makes stupid decisions to waste them, which is actually more harmful to the team. Addison Richards and Faith Ekakitie were both really bad examples of that. Now drafting all those cdn possession receivers which can never be used effectively other than on the practice roster is another big mistake. Taman >> Walters Mack > Walters

This is exactly the same thing that happened to Drew Willy and all the other QB's the Bombers have that do not have good mobility and do not have any dangerous receivers. Bombers have a receiving corps that is entirely comprised of possession receivers and that is because Walters is really goofy. Not finding anyone open when all the entire team does is run 3 yard curls. He has crippled the Bombers long term with his very goofy drafting practices and lack of ability to scout quality US talent.

Agree with this 100% I believe that they will lose next week, and they will lose much more decisively than this game. This game should also have been out of reach decisively in the 4th but the Sask coach took pity on them in the last few minutes. Bombers are a crap team because Walters is a crap GM. Let's force some change from the top down by really going into the tank now. Need to do bad enough for the rest of this season so that we do not have to endure Walters again next year. Thinking that if they did not win another game this year it would be best in the long run. That is actually quite doable at this point.

We can all hope for the best, but reality is that this one could get ugly early. It will help the Bomber cause greatly if they can win or even just keep it close today and then follow that up with a win next week. A close loss here, and a win next week will be key to avoid really going in the tank. Lose this one big and then lose again next week and it will be lifeless free-fall for the rest of this season.

I'll say it now, it is much more than just a QB. Montreal has been more aggressive with player/personnel and is not afraid to keep making changes during the season. Right now on paper from GM, coaching, all the way through backup players Montreal is a better football team than the Bombers, and so are the all the other teams in the league. Bombers are always very content to sit back and do very little, and so the world passes you by.

Bombers are gonna be getting their tails kicked real good again this weekend. This is something you can count on, even when they have a decent team, which this year they do not.

All he has ever been, and all he ever will be, is a game manager, who works best in an offence that doesn't throw anything over 10 yards. Problem is that unless you have an outstanding defense like the Bombers did in the 80's or in 1990, you can't win in the modern CFL with just a running game and 3-yard curls. Walters, OShea, and Lapo, are to blame for not recognizing this and making plans to compensate or working to put different talent on the field to be competitive.

They can both go, and please take along Walters as well when they do.

I will do so later this week.

No he won't. Walters is weak, possibly the biggest problem the Bombers org has. There is a reason he was also a big part of the Joe Mack era. Miller is disingenuous from shaking fan's hands and promising a competitive product several years ago. He basically is a big liar, settling for Walters and O'Shea knowing that at best they are mediocre.

Adams is not a bad player - I like him and would keep him if cleaning house in the Bombers, but he is not Milt Stegall or James Murphy, and is not enough in the seemingly exclusive role as a game breaker. It really bothers me that this team does not have a vertical passing game. They complete very few passes per game in the 10 to 20 yards range downfield. Compare that to Calgary who almost single-handedly beat Bombers with passes in the 10 to 20 yard range as opposed to dink n dunk. I don't think the dink n dunk is the best way to win in the CFL - although maybe the NFL. In the CFL you have to be able to consistently complete 10 to 20 yard passes downfield each game.

Open once or twice, yes, you are right. But what you don't see is that he is covered in man with a single DB on every play and he is the only guy Lapo sends deep on almost every play. If he is locked up in single coverage man around 25 times a game and only gets open 2 or even 3 times, then he's not something an opposing defense has to worry about, particularly when Nichols can't hit the broad side of a barn on any pass over 10 yards. I think this is what is happening.

Well yes its funny and I deserve some of the comments I get here, but there is a great truth in what you say. I really believe Bombers would be better off right now if they had a personnel guy like Murphy. What they have for scouting is sub-standard for the CFL and I think it is the biggest reason why they are where they are this year after having 5 years to make things better.

This is a very good point that has not been mentioned yet. Even before their slow trip into the tank the last 3 games, the Bomber O with its total reliance on 3 yard passes and 5 yard runs is pretty boring to watch. Boring as it is, it used to be effective until teams figured out that Nichols can't throw anything accurate over 10 yards and Lapo does not even bother to send anyone other than Lankford or Adams more than 10 yards downfield. Teams really don't need to cover those 2 guys much because Adams is easily handled in man to man and can't get open most times, and Lankford is just not a good receiver. Every team playing the Bombers is now keeping everyone up to the line of scrimmage and just shutting down the dink n dunk.

Jest the facts... Well, the fact is that they are not even close to having the kind of talent on the team to make plays like that, and you have to look no further than Walters and the scouting staff to discover why that is after they have had 5 years to get it right.

Calgary should go for another to make up for the couple of sure things they missed earlier. It's better for the Bombers to get blown out in this one. It shows who they really are, and where Miller, Walters, and OShea are taking things.

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin bout!

I will call it now, Bombers have no chance of winning this one (guaranteed loss). After adjustments in the 2nd half I figure Calgary will be able to run up at least a 2 TD lead before the end of the game. Outside of the trick play with Streveler, Bombers have no sustained offence whatsoever. Nichols is not half the QB that BLM is, and likely deserves all the booing he will be getting after Bombers blow the next 3 or 4 games. They are highly overrated on offence this year, and that is bad, because their defense can not sustain this team. The defense is doing what the defense does... They cannot stop a much better Calgary O and got lucky that BLM was not sharp with his throws in the first quarter. I can see the Bomber D letting Calagary march in for some kind of points on every drive from now until the end of the game. The score flatters the Bombers, but I expect that will be changing soon.

I agree 100%. And in less than 1 hour it is going to be GO TIME. Should be very interesting. Now I would really love to see Bombers pull off the miracle and win this game. Above all, if they did that and proved me wrong I would be ecstatic. However, if they are going to lose at this stage I will be pulling for them to get absolutely destroyed in this game as well as the next two or three. In terms of the long term progression of the team, I don't think it does any good to remain mediocre forever while fooling everyone into thinking about false greatness. If they are not to be considered among the teams that are good, then lets get it over with quick so the house cleaning of Miller, Walters, and OShea can start sooner.

AWESOME!!!!

On defense they have to get pressure with just rushing 4, or even better with rushing 3, and then drop everyone and play tight on each receiver. If they are successful wit that, then bring the odd blitz or delayed blitz to mix things up. Blitzing consistently without getting pressure just rushing 4 will not work. Don't play Fogg at DB. Put anyone else in there Cooper, Leggett, or even Fenner. On offence use play action as much as possible and spread the ball around more. Go vertical to someone other than Adams, and go vertical more than just twice a game. Send ALL the receivers 15 yards downfield instead of just 3 yards for a change. Get Thompkins involved early. When running, use lots of misdirection with Harris and Demski. Build a game plan that does not depend so much on the run and dink'n Dunk passes because because you know Calgary is going to take that away first. If all else fails, run the QB. If Nichols is not moving the ball, then they need to give Streveler a shot before half time and/or before the game is out of reach. All of this is theoretical because given the mantra coming from coaches and players this week I highly doubt they will do anything different from the preparation they had for Ottawa, or anyone else. Not only is it highly unlikely that they will win, it is quite likely they will be thoroughly embarrassed. Unfortunately, compared to Calgary, Bombers are just not a very good team in terms of either personnel or coaching.

Yeah, but if you are going to bet, Bombers and Calgary are now both looking for a rebound game, and one of them has to lose, probably decisively. I would not put money on an angry and motivated Calgary playing poorly two games in a row. On the other hand, Bombers have shown that they are always capable of stringing big losses together - they have made a living doing so for almost 15 years now.

2 Words: Gastric Bypass

According to the Bomber site they just took Dressler off the 6-game so his salary is now counting. Hardrick looks like he is going to be out for a while. OUCH UPDATE: The Bombers moved RT Jermarcus Hardrick to the six-game injured list on Wednesday and removed WRWeston Dressler. LB Chandler Fenner, who has been replaced by Maurice Leggett in the starting lineup, did take some turns in Leggett’s spot and at defensive back on Wednesday.