For your perusal..

Game Day CFL Game Notes

After losing 8 of 9 meetings dating back to 2012, the Blue Bombers have won the last two games against the Ti-Cats. Matt Nichols led Winnipeg to a 38-11 win on Aug 3/16 to sweep the 2016 season series but Zach Collaros was out for both games.

Over the two games, Winnipeg created a 12-2 (+10) edge in Takeaways and won despite being outgained in each contest. Hamilton passed for 702 yards and 4 completions of 30+ yards but threw 5 interceptions in the two games, two by Maurice Leggett and one by Taylor Loffler. Andy Fantuz and Luke Tasker led Hamilton with 14 and 11 catches respectively.

Hamilton has played only one game against Eastern rivals thus far.

Nichols has now led THREE late 4th Quarter game winning drives in 2017 on top of 5 last year and so has engineered 8 in his last 15 starts. Overall in that stretch of 15 starts he has led Winnipeg to a 10-5 record.

Collaros now has a 10-game losing streak as a starter however and the most recent QB to have recorded that was Casey Printers across 2008-09. The CFL record for consecutive starts lost is 13 by Lynn Amedee 1963-64 (EDM).

The Tiger-Cats started well this year with 9 QB Sacks and 33 QB Pressures in their first 4 games. Over the last two contests however they have just one Sack and 8 Pressures on the opposing QB.

Justin Medlock reaches career game #100 this week and through the first 99 has accumulated 1,036 points (#22 all- time). His career totals cover: TOR 174 pts in 21 GP, HAM 559 pts in 54 GP, WPG 303 pts in 24 GP. Justin has averaged 12.6 points per game for Winnipeg, the highest average of any player in club history ahead of Trevor Kennard (9.8 per game).

Last week Hamilton ran the ball just 6 times at Edmonton for a season-low. Their 6 rushing plays matches the lowest by any CFL club since 2008 (Montreal at SSK on Jul 19/08, 5 rushes for 13 yards).

Darvin Adams: Has taken over the Winnipeg receiving lead and has made at least 4 receptions in every game this season. Adams, Bakari Grant (SSK) and Anthony Coombs (TOR) are the only players with 4+ catches in every game in 2017. Adams has been targeted 27 times in the last two games and leads the Bombers with 3 TD grabs and 3 receptions of 30+ yards.

Despite allowing the fewest QB Pressures in the CFL (28), the Bombers Matt Nichols has been sacked 11 times in the last 3 games pushing the total to 16 for the season (tied for #6). Winnipeg has yet to score a TD this season on any drive where they have allowed a QB Sack. Their TD% when NOT allowing a Sack is 25%, tied for 3rd with Edmonton and behind only Calgary (28%) and BC (27%).

The Bombers starting lineup has been the most consistent thus far with only 29 different players having at least one to date. For Winnipeg, 18 of a possible 24 players have made all 6 starts thus far, and 23 players have made at least 4 starts.

The Bombers are 9-3 on the road in their last 12 visits around the CFL compared to a 6-6 home mark since the start of 2016. They have had at least an even or better road than home record in 5 of the last 7 seasons.

Receiver T.J. Thorpe will get his fourth straight start since coming off the practice roster. The 24-year-old has quickly become one of Nichols’ favourite marks, averaging almost nine targets a game and has caught 20 of 26 passes thrown in his direction.

Zach Collaros had his best game of the season last week, throwing for 282 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Receiver Damarr Aultman had a team high 74 yards and a touchdown in his CFL debut.

The Ticats rank last in the CFL in points and yards allowed per game.

Numbers - 

4 – League leading interceptions for Bombers defensive back T.J. Heath.

5 – Quarterback sacks by Jamaal Westerman, tied for fourth in the league.

487 – Average total yards the Ticats defence has given up through six games this, ranking last in the league heading into Week 8.

 

44 minutes ago, Booch said:

He's had a few seasons kicking around down there...couldn't really fill a role of a true DE or a OLB...so can't see it after a year here..maybe 2 strong seasons being really dominant perhaps

Did not know that, thanks. 

If anyone is curious what awful offensive line play looks like (hello people who pretend it has no impact on the QB) I'd strongly recommend you look at Marshall Ferguson's Twitter account to see what Zach Collaros is dealing with. Beyond horrendous. The guy is a great follow for CFL X's and O's. CJ Gable may be the worst running back in pass protection that I've ever seen  and that includes Bloi-Dei Dorzon.

 

I don't even know what to say

Edited August 15, 20178 yr by yogi

@BlueBomberTalk  49s50 seconds ago
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 Last week's 39-12 win was the #Bombers' most one-sided road victory since Fred Reid ran for 260 vs. the #Lions on 08/21/09, winning 37-10.

9 hours ago, Mr. Perfect said:

If anyone is curious what awful offensive line play looks like (hello people who pretend it has no impact on the QB) I'd strongly recommend you look at Marshall Ferguson's Twitter account to see what Zach Collaros is dealing with. Beyond horrendous. The guy is a great follow for CFL X's and O's. CJ Gable may be the worst running back in pass protection that I've ever seen  and that includes Bloi-Dei Dorzon.

Yup.  Don't understand Austin's fascination with Gable.   He is a terrible blocker, doesn't like to get hit, and is not going to get you yards in the A/B gaps.   Yet he still is the "feature back".   Although in an Austin offense, that is a bit of a oxymoron.

2 hours ago, do or die said:

Yup.  Don't understand Austin's fascination with Gable.   He is a terrible blocker, doesn't like to get hit, and is not going to get you yards in the A/B gaps.   Yet he still is the "feature back".   Although in an Austin offense, that is a bit of a oxymoron.

2

But other than that, he's ok, right?

5 hours ago, do or die said:

Yup.  Don't understand Austin's fascination with Gable.   He is a terrible blocker, doesn't like to get hit, and is not going to get you yards in the A/B gaps.   Yet he still is the "feature back".   Although in an Austin offense, that is a bit of a oxymoron.

Isn't Ross Scheuerman averaging over 6 yards a carry right now? WTH are they doing?

14 hours ago, yogi said:

 

I don't even know what to say

About once per game per game the ball gets scrimmaged from the wrong spot on the field or there is a noticeable error in timekeeping.  Sometimes the refs walk off the incorrect distance on a penalty.  Sometimes its the correct distance but they started at the wrong spot.

This likely falls on Castillo Maher though, as the kicker is usually handed the ball and places it himself.

Edited August 15, 20178 yr by mbrg
they're both alumni

Just now, mbrg said:

About once per game per game the ball gets scrimmaged from the wrong spot on the field or there is a noticeable error in timekeeping.  Sometimes the refs walk off the incorrect distance on a penalty.  Sometimes its the correct distance but they started at the wrong spot.

This likely falls on Maher though, as the kicker is usually handed the ball and places it himself.

The Bomber's are lined up at the 45 (albeit 2 of them are offside), the linesmen are set up on the 35 and 45. I'm not sure who to blame other than Maher, and the other 11 Ticats players.