After reading this article about Travis Bond, and seeing some write-up of the first exhibition game by one of the guys who blogs about the Bombers who was raving about Bond's performance on the O-Line in that game, I've been waiting for this guy to get in the line-up and give our O-Line some size and some attitude.  Finally, he's in, and I hope he's here to stay.  I pity the D-Line trying to rush against Bryant and Bond on the left side.  Andrew Harris, I think we've found you a permanent worm-hole to run through.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/the-name-is-bond-travis-bond-381687671.html

Welcome to our O-Line Mr. Bond.  We like our opposing D-Lines shaken, and stirred.

Edited July 29, 20169 yr by kelownabomberfan

Yep he had a big impact for sure.  Seemed like he had that LG spot won out of camp but they liked Hardrick more I suppose.

BTW that's a Wiecek article not Penton.

1 minute ago, Atomic said:

Yep he had a big impact for sure.  Seemed like he had that LG spot won out of camp but they liked Hardrick more I suppose.

BTW that's a Wiecek article not Penton.

Combination of Hardrick and believing they could roll with Neufeld at tackle.  Like you, I thought Bond was a shoe in out of camp.

I think Hardrick has been very good at LG, but last night was a dominant performance by Bond. I only remember seeing him get beat badly once; on Howard's sack in the 2nd half.

I also thought Hardrick was good at RT last night. That clean hit Howard got on Nichols in the first half was Davis' fault, not Hardrick's, as according to Neufeld on twitter he went to the wrong side of the line to help block.

Edited July 29, 20169 yr by sweep the leg

4 minutes ago, Atomic said:

Yep he had a big impact for sure.  Seemed like he had that LG spot won out of camp but they liked Hardrick more I suppose.

BTW that's a Wiecek article not Penton.

whoops - yeah obviously Penton doesn't write for the Freep, fixed now.  BTW - I refuse to give Wiecek any credit after he blocked me on Twitter.

2 minutes ago, kelownabomberfan said:

whoops - yeah obviously Penton doesn't write for the Freep, fixed now.  BTW - I refuse to give Wiecek any credit after he blocked me on Twitter.

Lol, is there anybody on this site he hasn't blocked?

The Google bot ... maybe

Yep Bond looks dominant and man he can move for a guy his size? I think with Neufelds past injury problems when he comes back should be as a back up only,I know alot of dough for a backup but gives us our best oline and backup who can play guard or tackle☺

24 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

Lol, is there anybody on this site he hasn't blocked?

Yup.... Me. 

Just now, TBURGESS said:

Yup.... Me. 

Teacher's pet!  

I liked the replays so you could actually see the little things he was doing right.

I will be P****d if he isn't cemented there for the rest of the year.

11 hours ago, sweep the leg said:

Lol, is there anybody on this site he hasn't blocked?

I preemptively  key blocked him lol 

20 hours ago, bb1 said:

Yep Bond looks dominant and man he can move for a guy his size? I think with Neufelds past injury problems when he comes back should be as a back up only,I know alot of dough for a backup but gives us our best oline and backup who can play guard or tackle☺

The Bombers need a new crystal ball, this should have been the obvious strategy from day one.

Especially watching Neufeld trying to run block....

Neufeld and Macho out = upgrade

4 minutes ago, IC Khari said:

Neufeld and Macho out = upgrade

If Loffler continues to improve and doesn't get exposed Macho is gone also solves ratio problem as for Neufeld, Couture is younger and cheaper for a sixth linemen so the writing is on the wall for him to, that and the guy just can't stay healthy.

2 hours ago, bustamente said:

If Loffler continues to improve and doesn't get exposed Macho is gone also solves ratio problem as for Neufeld, Couture is younger and cheaper for a sixth linemen so the writing is on the wall for him to, that and the guy just can't stay healthy.

I don't think we want to rush a young olineman we at least give him a year to learn keeping Neufeld as a backup is expensive but decent cdn lineman are worth alot anyway so one more year with both is the way to go imo...too many times we cut to save a buck and it comes back to kick us in the a$$

On ‎30‎/‎07‎/‎2016 at 11:33 AM, bustamente said:

If Loffler continues to improve and doesn't get exposed Macho is gone also solves ratio problem as for Neufeld, Couture is younger and cheaper for a sixth linemen so the writing is on the wall for him to, that and the guy just can't stay healthy.

Loved the Loffler hit on Bowman. The kid has some game.

Was very impressed with Bond, undoubtedly that has contributed to Harris being able to rush the ball. Loffler is a keeper, but lets hedge our bets for another game. We'll see after that.

Unheralded hog grabs spotlight

Hardrick spiked the ball after Harris's touchdown in Edmonton

 

Jermacus Hardrick isn’t used to touching the football. As an offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League, it’s also rare, if ever, he’s the centre of attention.

 

So when he had the chance to do both just minutes into the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 30-23 win over the Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium Thursday, he knew exactly what he was going to do.

 

As part of a planned celebration after his one-yard touchdown run, tailback Andrew Harris handed the ball to Hardrick, who, in one fell swoop spiked the ball to the turf.

 

"I loved it, I want to do it again," said Hardrick, his eyes wide, after Monday’s practice at Investors Group Field. "We just do our job every play. Our job isn’t going to make headlines. Touchdowns are what make headlines."

 

Following the win over the Eskimos, all the attention from media and fans fell on players such as Harris, who carried the ball 22 times for 127 yards — his most yards on the ground since joining the Bombers prior to this season.

 

In the dressing room after the game, reporters surrounded quarterback Matt Nichols, who in his first start in place of Drew Willy, had just defeated the reigning Grey Cup champions — not to mention his former team that traded him for next to nothing midway through the 2015 season — in a game in which Nichols completed close to 80 per cent of his passes, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown.

 

Indeed, the emergence of Harris and the run game and the fairy tale beginning to Nichols’ season made for the night’s best storylines.

 

But it can be argued none of it would have been possible had it not been for the steady play of the offensive linemen — a group comprising Stanley Bryant, Travis Bond, Matthias Goossen, Sukh Chungh and Hardrick.

 

"It starts and finishes with them," said Harris. "They’re the guys that get it going, whether it’s pass blocking or run blocking. Even the attitude of the offence, it really starts with them. They’re the heartbeat of this offence."

 

Not only can the job be thankless, you’d also have to think a person was crazy to want to do it week-in and week-out. On a weekly basis, the O-line is expected to create holes for the run game, while also putting their bodies in front of one — sometimes two — 300-pound defensive lineman looking to take their heads off; all so Nichols can have enough time to find an open receiver.

 

"Every night we’ve got to come in with an attitude, bring the enthusiasm," said Bond, who made his first start at left guard against Edmonton. "They got one of the best defensive lines in this league and from going against them and what we were able to do, we’ve set our standards really high."

 

Bob Wylie, the Bombers offensive line coach, said Thursday’s win was the best game he’s seen from his group this season. Faced with adversity earlier in the week after losing right tackle Patrick Neufeld to injury, Wylie said he challenged them to be better.

 

Simply put, if the Bombers were going to have any chance of leaving Edmonton with a win, it would come down to whether they could protect the line from a fierce Eskimos’ front seven.

 

"They responded to the challenge," said Wylie. "They decided ‘we’re going to get this done’ and they got it done."

As for getting accolades for a job well done, Wylie said he wasn’t surprised to see his guys get shafted on the limelight front. In fact, he expects it.

 

When asked why he feels the O-line doesn’t get the credit it sometimes deserves, Wylie didn’t have to look far for an answer. He pointed to the crest on the left breast of his shirt: a mushroom with the acronym C.O.O.L just below it.

 

"Coaches Of Offensive Lineman," said Wylie. "We’re always left in the dark and they always feed us s--t. That’s our logo."

 

As for their reward, it’s more than just headlines in the paper or post-game interviews. In a way, it’s about power, knowing they helped carry — in some cases quite literally — their team to victory.

 

"When you can move a defender from point A to point B against his will, as an offensive lineman that’s one of the best feelings in the world," said Wylie. "There’s nothing better."

 

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.catwitter: @jeffkhamilton

Read more by Jeff Hamilton.

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/unheralded-hog-grabs-spotlight-388897251.html

Edited August 2, 20169 yr by M.O.A.B.