More importantly can we beat the Stamps on  November 3rd & 19th?

Calgary finishes the regular season with  Montreal, Hamilton, Regina, Edmonton & us.

We have Edmonton,  Hamilton, Vancouver, Toronto, & Vancouver again before finishing with the Stamps.

I don't know if there are many scenarios where we finish in first ahead of Calgary but it is going to be fun to see us try. What do you think it will take?

My hope: The Riders lose out the season and Chris Jones spends the rest of his life working at the DMV.

Also, world peace.

The Stamps are a better team... however in bad weather I think this team definitely has more grit...

I know the old mantra is that defense wins championships, but I would argue with all of the recent rule changes to the game benefiting the offense, the CFL is becoming more and more a scoring league. That's not to say that it wasn't a scoring league before, just that in 2017 a team with our offensive talent has a much better chance of making some noise in the playoffs than they would have a few years ago than say, the 2011 Hamilton Ti-cats. Also, as much as our D has been criticized, they're still generating turnovers (particularly interceptions) so I don't think they're as bad as everyone makes them out to be.

My concern is that certain teams are allowed to hold, hold, hold all day long while certain other teams get flagged for "hand to the face". 

10 hours ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

I don't know. It was only two games ago that we got lit up by Riders. Yeah, we won handily, but we gave up 29 points and a ton of big plays. I think the Ottawa game has resulted in a bit of recency bias re: the effectiveness of our secondary.

I think we are the second best team in the league right now. And we might even be better than the Stamps on the strength of our offence. But our D has the potential to blow it for us, big time.

The Riders also found a way to limit the effectiveness of this offence on L.D. by limiting them to dump passes, so that game may be the road map the Stamps use against the Bombers.  If they can limit mistakes, protect Nichols and stay away from two and outs the Bombers have the advantage with Medlock in a F.G. battle.

As much as I love what the Bombers have accomplished this year, and I think they are on the right track, the Stamps will win the Grey Cup.  They are the best team and they're not going to choke again like last season.

4 minutes ago, Atomic said:

As much as I love what the Bombers have accomplished this year, and I think they are on the right track, the Stamps will win the Grey Cup.  They are the best team and they're not going to choke again like last season.

If the Bombers can make it to the Western Final, I won't be disappointed in this season.  Hopefully they address the LB weakness in the off-season and add a few more key pieces.

26 minutes ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

If the Bombers can make it to the Western Final, I won't be disappointed in this season.  Hopefully they address the LB weakness in the off-season and add a few more key pieces.

I agree.  Until the Bombers can beat Calgary in a meaningful game the Stamps are the better team.  Their defence is far  and away the best in the CFL.

Stamps D is dominant in a way I haven't seen since the days of Tyrone Jones and Dan Kepley.

Edited September 25, 20178 yr by kelownabomberfan

I think the Stamps D and the Riders D are quite similar, both are very dominate but I think our offense is also able to put up numbers.  I honestly feel the biggest problem is our defense; but hopefully by then we will have players like Wild back in defense and Westerman and a strong healthy team going into the play-offs

Gotta take the Stamps based on their great D.  

We should get a home playoff game. Assuming we win it, we'll have to go to Calgary and beat them in their own park, which is next to impossible.

Stamps easily. They have an elite d. We have a Swiss cheese d.

I would pick us in a one off playoff game though. We're scrappier and they don't respond to diversity as well. They're used to dominating and when things don't go their way they make lots of mistakes 

our defence is getting better.

ottawa, with three of the top receivers, got 2 points the other day in the first half. it wasn't just due to bad ottawa qb play.

d backs were all over their receivers. right on them.

something might be sinking in for those d backs.

52 minutes ago, Mark F said:

our defence is getting better.

ottawa, with three of the top receivers, got 2 points the other day in the first half. it wasn't just due to bad ottawa qb play.

d backs were all over their receivers. right on them.

something might be sinking in for those d backs.

It's called the Carmichael effect....

57 minutes ago, Mark F said:

our defence is getting better.

ottawa, with three of the top receivers, got 2 points the other day in the first half. it wasn't just due to bad ottawa qb play.

d backs were all over their receivers. right on them.

something might be sinking in for those d backs.

We have way too many defensive breakdowns to say that our defence is getting better.  Plays were there for the Red Blacks.  If they had a halfway competent QB, the offence would have needed to come up with more than 29 points in order to  win.

I think the Stamps come back to earth before the playoffs happen this year. They haven't been playing well on O for a few game know. I can see them losing to WPG once and to Edm or BC (teams capable of big plays). I can seethe last game of the year between CGY and WPG being for 1st place.

If you look at who is playing better Football. WPG is trending in the right direction in most categories where as CGY isn't. Their D is playing lights out no doubt. But that's about it.

Edited September 25, 20178 yr by Bigblue204

Our D is getting better, incrementally, but let's not use the Ottawa game as some kind of measuring stick. That offense, with Lindley at the controls, was putrid, and beating that is nothing to be overly proud of.

Ok, bunch of comments on this. Stats wise and on paper this is pretty easy. Calgary may not be scoring, but they are winning. Calgary on paper. 

That said, I think in the end after dirty analysis, it's our year. And here's why.

1) Early in the season we were starting to gel on offense, but the D had some issues. The loss to BC --- should not have been a loss. The loss to calgary --- our D simply didn't show up. We held CGY down the first half but **** the bed in the second half. The loss to SSK on labour day --- it's almost always a given, and other than the poor start with a few key turnovers could have gone the other way. That said.... after every loss the team has shown up and hammered things down. 

2) Depth. OUr team is not the same as it was or what we thought it was at the start of the year. Namely - injuries. Who would have thought dressler out would have meant we had others easily able to step up? Adams, Denmark, even JFG is having a solid year. The threat from Harris (both passing and rushing) as well as our backups is making the offense potent. Play calling is opening up and Nichols is getting more comfortable. As long as the Hogs can stay healthy I think we win on this side.

3) Defense. Yes CGY defense is far more potent right now, but our key is to keep our offense on the field. If we win TOP we win, hands down. Tire out CGY's defense in the WF and we win, plain and simple.

4) Weather.  I live in Calgary, I've been at many games at the stadium. The main reason CGY tends to stink the bed at home in the playoffs is this. Weather. Our weather changes *significantly* between October and November, and honestly for CGY the *worst* thing they can do is come in to the WF at home. Their last *meaningful* game in all likely at home is Oct 20 vs SSK. SSK will come in playing for all the marbles, and CGY will give it their all. By the time we play them at home on Nov 3, they will be playing backups and resting starters, then have a break. One thing I can tell you --- they act and talk like they are prepared for the weather but in reality they are not. Weather will take out the crowd big time. Calgary has a ton of fairweather fans who will choose to stay home if we are -10 on a sunday. Coming into the WF we have *nothing to lose* as that's simply a win coming in. We have played in crazy weather lately and will be prepared. CGY will not. 

5) Special Teams. We are a threat. PLain and simple. The WF will come down to agressive play calling on offense and special teams results. Medlock wins hands down in a kicking battle, and I'm calling it now --- weather combined with special teams and play calling is going to make the difference in that game. Calgary's defense will not be the difference maker we think they will be.

6) My wife. She has constantly complained about the bombers every year (letting her down, blah blah blah). This year she's watched a few games with me and said "I think this might be there year". The oracle has spoken.

 

3 hours ago, kelownabomberfan said:

Stamps D is dominant in a way I haven't seen since the days of Tyrone Jones and Dan Kepley.

Yes he's called Alex Singleton. The guy's a beast.

The Stamps did not have to contend with the Flanders Harris combo the first game.

Calgary can be had. They're a good team that knows how to win there is no mistake about that, but they ain't as scary as they were. BLM looks like he is playing hurt and that makes a big difference. Think they got a bunch of receiver injuries too that lessens the threat their offense can be. 

I actually feel like there are a lot of teams in the CFL this year that aren't that great. Edmonton and BC have fallen off their early success and both look awfully ordinary right now. Is it crazy to say that Calgary and Winnipeg are the only teams that pretty consistently play well week to week?

You never heard? Despite losing 2 out their last 3 games and the win coming against a TiCat team that only lost because their receiver dropped a game winning TD,  the fine folks at Riderfans are declaring the Riders to be the 2nd best team in the CFL right now. We're 9-3 and convinced we have little chance of a Grey Cup. lmao...both our fan bases can be quite funny sometimes.

Edited September 25, 20178 yr by gcn11

We have arguably the two best players in the CFL this year with Matt Nichols and Andrew Harris. That can’t be discounted.

20 hours ago, Goalie said:

11-1-1 = 23 points. 16-1-1 = 33 points max 

9-3 = 18 points. 15-3 = 30 points max. 

I dont see how we can make up those 3 points... I just dont.. Even if we win out.. Calgary would have to lose 2 probably 3 of their final 5. Dont see that happening. And i dont see us winning out either. 

Calgary has 1st. We look like we got 2nd. Sask probably comes here to play altho really... Theres some separation now between Calgary us and the rest now

Both teams can’t win out, they play each other once. So if we win out and Calgary wins all but the game against us, then they get first by one point. So what we need is for one team to beat Calgary, and for us to win all our games. I think that team will be Sask.