AKAChip

Regardless of what we as individuals think of Masoli, he's much more highly regarded as a QB than Nichols is. And if you're going by what they've accomplished over their careers to this point, Collaros has a Grey Cup and an MOP with similar to slightly better numbers than Nichols. By either definition Nichols is cleraly not the most "established" QB on the market. 

Most QBs don’t set the league on fire their first or second seasons. Streveler has looked far better than Fajardo did in his first two seasons. When you have a guy with immense raw talent, you cultivate it. Streveler’s issues as a passer are largely teachable things like not forcing throws. The arm talent is there. 

Good for him and great for us. 

Good for him and great for us. 

Most QBs don’t set the league on fire their first or second seasons. Streveler has looked far better than Fajardo did in his first two seasons. When you have a guy with immense raw talent, you cultivate it. Streveler’s issues as a passer are largely teachable things like not forcing throws. The arm talent is there. 

Most QBs don’t set the league on fire their first or second seasons. Streveler has looked far better than Fajardo did in his first two seasons. When you have a guy with immense raw talent, you cultivate it. Streveler’s issues as a passer are largely teachable things like not forcing throws. The arm talent is there. 

I doubted this team. I thought they couldn’t win with this offence. I think most of us had significant doubts going into the playoffs. I could not be happier to be wrong. Above all else, I am a Bomber fan. Nothing is sweeter than this. 

I’m too happy to waste my time with someone who would rather spend the hours after the biggest victory in 29 years doing “I told you so’s”. 

Some would argue that other people are all too eager to overstate what Nichols has done for this team. The truth of his impact is probably somewhere in the middle.

I still think with a different OC, Streveler could be a top tier QB in this league. 

For the record, saying the Bombers would be better off moving on from Nichols =\= Nichols is a bad teammate. I actually believe he provided value to Collaros and Streveler as part of the QB room. It’s more like he’s a declining asset coming off a major injury with a number of younger, cheaper and likely better options available this offseason. Don’t confuse the two. 

For the record, saying the Bombers would be better off moving on from Nichols =\= Nichols is a bad teammate. I actually believe he provided value to Collaros and Streveler as part of the QB room. It’s more like he’s a declining asset coming off a major injury with a number of younger, cheaper and likely better options available this offseason. Don’t confuse the two. 

For the record, saying the Bombers would be better off moving on from Nichols =\= Nichols is a bad teammate. I actually believe he provided value to Collaros and Streveler as part of the QB room. It’s more like he’s a declining asset coming off a major injury with a number of younger, cheaper and likely better options available this offseason. Don’t confuse the two. 

Some facts on 30+ games...
2016- Bombers gave up 6 30 plus games in 19 including playoffs, double-digit (10+) points of turnovers by the opposition in 3 of them.
2017- Bombers gave up 9 30 plus games in 19 including playoffs, double-digit points off turnovers by the opposition in 4 of them.
2018- Bombers gave up 7 30 plus games in 20 including playoffs, double-digit points off turnovers by the opposition in 4 of them.
2019- Bombers gave up 2 30 plus games in 21 including playoffs, week 15 and 16, double-digit points off turnovers by Hamilton in week 16 with Streveler at QB.
 
That's some amazing D led by Richie Hall through those seasons and perhaps not a surprise that the team by far the best at keeping opponents out of the endzone finally wins it all.

That's just a ridiculous take. And I absolutely guarantee you if Nichols were the Riders QB and Fajardo were the Bombers QB and their numbers were identical to what they are now, you'd argue that Nichols was a bum and Fajardo was a top-5 QB in the league.

Some would argue that other people are all too eager to overstate what Nichols has done for this team. The truth of his impact is probably somewhere in the middle.

Some would argue that other people are all too eager to overstate what Nichols has done for this team. The truth of his impact is probably somewhere in the middle.

That's just a ridiculous take. And I absolutely guarantee you if Nichols were the Riders QB and Fajardo were the Bombers QB and their numbers were identical to what they are now, you'd argue that Nichols was a bum and Fajardo was a top-5 QB in the league.

As I've said going on two years now, the best thing I can say about Nichols 2017-18-19 performance is that he's limited turnovers.  Nichols has very visibly declined physically over the past couple seasons, he's very unlikely to improve at this point.  Without Harris having all-time great seasons, all time great D and ST play in terms of turning the ball over, field position and keeping TD's off the board, we don't win many games with Nichols level of play and average D/ST.  We should expect better at QB.  But we can also try to run it back with great D and ST plus Harris carrying us, but as we know from 16-17-18 it's hard to win the games we need to win to get to the Cup, against that level of competition, with a very limited intermediate (10-20 yard) passing game.  An OC that can scheme a screen game and consistently use misdirection and play action to his advantage would make any of our QB's better overall.
My preference is Streveler 1A/veteran 1B for next season.  Nichols could very well be the 1B.  The offense for Nichols is basic and already there, we need an OC who can scheme the RPO stuff to suit Streveler and give it a go.

Just like the two seasons before, Nichols regressed hard as the season went on. For all you say about people ignoring the good things Nichols does in favour of the little things, I just can’t agree. It’s been explained many times in reasonable terms why Nichols’ record as a starter is inflated and it’s insanely frustrating when those with measured criticism of him get responses like “But he was 7-2!!!” and “71% completion percentage!!” 
I am a huge fan of Streveler but can recognize his limitations right now as a starting QB. It feels like fans of Nichols see any criticism of him as a need to dig in their heels and make him out to be more than he is. And this is all before a major injury to his throwing shoulder. A similar injury which sunk Lulay’s career and Lulay at his best was 10x the QB that Nichols could ever hope to be. 
I realize that not all criticism is fair and balanced but there are plenty of good reasons to believe that Nichols was fairly poor in most games he played this season and even more reasons to believe he’s not the guy we should want starting for this team going forward. I say this with the full knowledge that he will be re-signed and handed the starting job next season and sure, O’Shea has earned the right to do things his way. It’s just not the route that I would take for a number of reasons. 

Nichols would be battling Fajardo and MBT for the 9th-10th spot on my QB power ranking in terms of guys I'd want to build around in 2020.
I wouldn't mind keeping Nichols to backup/mentor/buttress Streveler, but we're spinning our wheels with Nichols at the very best.  We aren't getting past the Calgary's and Hamilton's on Nichols arm IMO.  Keep in mind Nichols now has a rebuilt shoulder in his throwing arm.  Remember how Khari returned from that injury?
 

We've also dominated field position and turned the ball over at a record pace since Nichols has been our QB.  It all goes together.
Is Nichols one of the 10 best QB's in the CFL in 2020?  I don't think so.  That's why I'd move on.  How much should we take away from some good games against the 3 teams that didn't play the playoffs and some mostly poor ones against Hamilton and Calgary?

Nichols had real trouble handling pressure these past two seasons.  It changed how defenses schemed against us.  Blitz and don't lose track of Harris, do that and our passing game was dead in the water.  To me that was the big difference between Nichols and Collaros, Collaros got the ball out quicker when he read pressure, and he also moved very well in the pocket where Nichols was usually quite stationary and not getting around or by anyone.
I find it hard to extrapolate how Nichols played vs Hamilton the past 2-3 seasons into a Grey Cup win, but we'll never know.  Our D certainly had lots of trouble with Hamilton in the past couple seasons but handled them in the Grey Cup game.

Sure, but look at the numbers the rest of the QB's around the league put up on Ottawa and Toronto especially.  Nothing impressive by a veteran QB.  Quite a few 400 yard games put up vs those two.

The fact that MOS has managed four straight seasons of double digit wins in a ruthless West Division without a star QB says a lot about the team and culture he has built here.  You can feel the difference in attitude and approach all over the place.  There is always an urgency to win the next play, but they aren't looking past that or stuck in bullshit pissing contests like some of the players/units on Hamilton and Sask are.