Doublezero

Wow. I did not know that this was Etch's theory. But I fully agree with the notion that in 3-down CFL style football success on the ground spells success on the scoreboard. The field is so big and wide (of course you need balance between pass and run) but the successful run game always sets up the successful pass, not vice versa. But even if Etch is wrong on this, Bombers crap record this season isn't so much on the D as it is on the putrid O. Etch's high risk D has frequently helped score points or put the O in score position with turnovers. If the D hadn't chipped in with points in the first half of the season we'd be 1-16 right now. Small consolation, I know.

Because he's shown to be highly capable, it's his first year as a starter and he's surrounded by (at most times) a pretty terrible supporting cast? Not hat's not it at all, it's because people are in love with stats, if his completioon percentage was crap and his yardage lower they'd hate him. But because he has artificially high completion percentage( from not throwing the ball away when he needs to), and his yardage is high from continually thorwing bombs more than he should be. THey love him! Even though the majority of the time he makes the stupidest decision ever, alas Saskatchew games or the game tonight! Even less then mediocre QB play and we win tonight. Seriously, I understand the need to defend our QB after how hard we've been on QBS over the years, but this year Willy has had a million chances to prove his worth and he' s progressively getting worse, and not only worse, but progressively getting more idiotic with his decision making. Several games this year, in a city with in a less sensitive and touchy situation(scare to hurt the starting QBS feelings), Willy would of or should have been benched. Yes, coaches are complicit in this. It has been obvious since about game 5-6 that Drew Willy takes too long to put the ball in play. He seems to have no sense of how to build tempo in an offence. He uses too much time pre-snap and post snap. Bellefeuille's playcalling is asinine sometimes but the core problem is game temp. You could see a real improvement in game tempo, and therefore offensive production, in the Calgary game with Brohm and Marve at the helm. So what the heck's going on with these coaches? Do they not see it too?

For all the criticisms of the defence, the D hasn't been our most glaring liability. Lack of offensive production has been the achilles heel. In those fluky wins earlier this year, it was defence and special teams had to chip in and help score points. If you look at it objectively, this team hasn't progressed much beyond last year. We've relied too much on a rookie QB who is essentially an NFL-style pocket passer whose become gun shy from too many hits - and an uncreative offensive scheme that seems unable to adjust. If you want to go to this kind of Calvillo-style, straight drop QB, you have to pass protect and have a decent running game to take pressure off the thrower. We've had neither. Bombers don't have top level offensive experience and collective offensive memory among the coaches, unfortunately, and it shows because they haven't done anything to correct these problems which, as you point out, started 2-3 games in.

We definitely need a change at OC, but no LaPo. Should find another (reduced) role next year for Buck Pierce too, IMHO. I just can't see what he's bringing to the O. Running backs coach? Really?

Almost 30 people on the operations side of things now: managers, directors, assistant directors, coaches, etc. That's almost as many football operations folks as uninjured players. Who is Assistant Director of Football Operations Madeleine Norwell? When did she join the club and what does she do? Anyone? Link: http://www.bluebombers.com/football-operations

It is a shame they waited so long. MOS should've benched Grigsby for Cotton 7-8 games ago and maybe even given Drew (Happy Feet) Willy a rest at the same time. I worry that O'Shea (who admits, and has demonstrated by his comments, that he knows nothing about the offensive phase of the game) might be too stubborn to learn from his or his coordinators errors. I mean this is an O that is guided by Buck Pierce and terminally-mediocre Marcel Bellefueille, and our lack offensive production combined with ill-timed offensive turnovers has been the achilles heel of this club all season long. Kyle Walters and Wade Miller aren't exactly offensive geniuses either. This could be a problem going forward.

I didn't notice...who was the holder after Brohm got injured? Thought I saw Kyle Jones out there holding on the one (missed) FG attempt after Brohm's injury. Terrible luck for Brohm. He played well for us. Hope he recovers 100% and we get him back next season.

Here is the difference between Bomber fans blaming MB and rider fans blaming Cortez... Cortez has been one of the best OCs in the CFL for years and years and years while MB has peaked at average and shown for years that the best he can do is average. He has had bland and dull offenses every where he's gone and they've done just enough to not be a total embarassment at best. Cortez on the other hand has had CFL leading offenses many times on many different teams. One guy has a stellar resume and the other is the guy you hire when you have no other choices. Yes, it seems MB mediocre as our OC and should be replaced. Bombers inability to produce on Offence is their biggest problem. Defensively we are not great - but not as bad as everyone is making out. If you look at points surrendered you see that this year our defence actually didn't cost us too many games. D contributed points with turnovers and held opposing teams to low points against. My concern is actually with MOS in relation to the O. He admits he knows nothing about the offensive phase of the game and therefore delegates to his OC. This was fully revealed couple weeks back on the Coaches Show when a caller asked why Bombers don't run more outside runs and power sweeps. MOS said those plays don't work in the CFL because opposing Ds have their fastest players between the hashmarks and sidelines. The field is 65 yards wide. These plays do work. Also, MOS said you can't have extra blockers and delayed release plays but of course this is rubbish also.

Agreed. Down on first contact, always. Slow hitting the (occassional) holes. I have been wondering what took Bombers so long to demote him. Now he's got an attitude to boot, buh-bye.

That was unquestionably a late hit on Hank. It's going to be called 100% of the time.

Grigsby has been better last couple of games. But that doesn't mean he's good.

When I read the title of this thread I thought it referred to the Blue Bombers pathetic run game, which averages 77.9 yards per game and ranks 8th, just ahead of Redblacks in futility. Problem is Grigsby who is too slow hitting the gaps and who is always stopped dead on first contact. Of course we also sit 8th (just ahead of Redblacks) in stopping the run as other teams run for least 125 yards against us, each game. But as O'Shea and others have pointed out our D hasn't given up that many points against. The real problem is our pathetic offensive production. No one is afraid of our run game which leaves us one-dimensional and too easy to solve, especially with a rook QB.

They were signed because O'Shea knew them from Toronto and I too fear he is too stubborn and proud to cut them this season. And as long as both are playing they will continue to be liabilities to the Blue Bombers. So that is on the head coach. Bryant floats around out there but never comes back for the football, or fights for possession. I know that interceptions are counted against QBs as a statistic. But it would be interesting to know how high Romby Bryant ranks as a receiver intercepted upon. So soft and lazy, he's got to have had the most I/Cs of any receiver in the league in the course of his career.

You are right JBR. I stand corrected. I must've been thinking of his pre-season appearance for Argos against us in 2013. We lost that game 24-6 and Portis played 4th Q for Toronto, completing 4 of 5 for 67 yds. I think he ran for big yards also.

NFL cuts coming. How long can we keep 4 QBs? Will Portis just stay on the IR? Will we release Brohm or Marve? Portis looks like a stud and played really well against us in pre-season. Does Nick Moore's return to the active roster mean Romby Bryant is soon released? With other International receivers on the PR - do we need Bryant? Will we keep Mike Renaud when he gets healthy? And what about some of the PR players - Daivon Dumas, Sam McGuffie, Jarvis Jones? Will they be kept as insurance or bumped by NFL cuts? And in the case of Jarvis Jones, can we keep both him and Chad Anderson? Will Aaron Woods replace Troy Stoudemire on the active roster when Woods heals up? Is Woods really injured? What about Sears, Markett and Suber - will we see them active again? When are the clubs allowed to expand their roster size - after Labour Day? Lot of questions. Hoping folks here have some ideas.

Should be a good game. Toronto has had time to prepare against Etcheverry's D and Ricky Ray will find a way to exploit us. Will we react appropriately, or panic? Will Watson ignite our O after several games where it seemed Bellefuielle's play calling was spotty, the run game was clearly non-existent and our ability to finish in the red zone compromised. Without better pass protection Argo's D line will pound our QB, hopefully Drew Willy doesn't get hurt. If the offence doesn't step up tonight, it may be that our offence isn't very good and that we've regressed at RB and improved at QB but everything else a status quo hangover from 2013. So far this season we've had to rely on D and ST for scoring too often. Looking forward to Cotton and Stoudemire on returns although I am a huge fan of Aaron Woods. Would be nice to see Cotton get some touches on O. I predict we win by 6 on the strength of a big play by our D or Special Teams.

Ran a bit of this....in garbage time....don't know what MB was waiting for. Kind of late on the draw, you might say.

Esks suffering from overconfidence. Home crowd will inspire our team. Reilly will be running for his life. Bombers 4-0.

I feel sorry for Zack Collaros, hurt on a foul hit. Saw him on the sidelines on TV getting chewed out by Kent Austin that same game. I don't feel sorry for Austin and his QB dilemma though. Austin seems like a jerk. Hamilton set for a nose-dive this year.

My pop took me to see Kenny Ploen and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1966. Played football when I was younger & attended a CFL training camp as a player but did not make the club. Covered football and hockey as a reporter but that doesn't mean I know much. I do like to get out and play run and catch still. And now that I am able to be just a Blue Bomber football fan - this is the most fun of all. Go Blue!!

I doubt Brohm or Marve are looking elsewhere. Guy is really athletic. Maybe he lines up at receiver?

Is it possible that he changed his mind because he expected a whistle calling the play dead, but it never came? And so failing to prompt a quick whistle, he decided he might as well try to advance the ball. O'Shea said he would have an answer on the 'knee-down' ruling today - hopefully some scribe asks about it and tells the rest of the world. AluCsRed - that's an interesting observation and question about BB waiting to touch Whitaker. But we've all seen many calls where officials whistle a dead ball even though the downed ball-carrier hasn't been touched.

Below average 38.9 yd average kick distance for Mike Renaud vs Redblacks. Over the past six years his average is 42.4 yds per kick, inflated slightly by last season's average of 43.9 YPK (due to lots of 2-outs by our putrid offence in 2013). Of course there's lots more to evaluating a kicker's effectiveness than how far your average kick travels. There's also hang time, how quickly you connect with the ball and how well you can position the ball once kicked. Thoughts?

Its early in Drew Willy's CFL career, really. But he seems confident, yet pretty humble too. If he couldn't handle adversity, he wouldn't have made it this far.

Very confident Bombers will get another W at IGF tomorrow night because we will bring effort. Like I said before last week's game, we finally have a coach in Mike O'Shea and a QB in Drew Willy.