CFL Game Notes -

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👁‍🗨well, if you go by stats..the Bombers are in for a tough time in Regina.. Ugly, ugly stats

Chris Jones is 46-35 as a HC

Mike O’Shea is 40-42

Sask is 35-19 over Wpg in the Labour Day Classic.

29 of those games have been decided only in the last 3 minutes.

The meetings since 2002 have generally not been all that close - only 5 of the last 16 games were decided in the last 3:00 - Saskatchewan comes into the game with a better record (5-4 vs 5-5) than Winnipeg for the first time since 2014

- QBs: Saskatchewan will start their 4th straight different QB in the Classic, with Zach Collaros; Matt Nichols will start his 3rd in a row  (Nichols started once for Edmonton vs Calgary and threw for 203 yards); Matt Nichols has yet to be held under 300 passing yards; he has 341 & 364 yards in his two Winnipeg LDW starts (16-17)  (Nichols started once for Edmonton vs Calgary and threw for 203 yards)

- Zach Collaros has also yet to be held under 300 passing yards in an LDW game; his three 300+ games were with Hamilton

- Zach Collaros becomes the 38th player to start a Labour Day Weekend game for the Riders; Nichols is starter #39 for Winnipeg

- Winnipeg snapped a Saskatchewan 11-game win streak in their 2016 LD Weekend meeting but dropped to 1 win in 13 last year

- The Riders have outgained Winnipeg in the last 7 LDW meetings by over 100 yards per game (Avg: 388 to 275)

Breaking Down Who Wins LDW Classic: There have been 54 previous games in this LD matchup and here is how it has broken down based on which club came into the game with a better record. The Bombers are 5-5 this year compared to the Riders at 5-4.

WPG came in with better record: 29 times (Wins: SSK 18, WPG 11)

SSK came in with better record: 15 times (Wins: SSK 11, WPG 4) Note: Teams came in with even records 10 times

As the Riders were seeking in 2017, the underdog has often won this LD Weekend matchup. The Bombers have only 4 upset wins as underdogs i.e. the team lower in the standings heading in.

___________________________________________________________________________________________ Other Team Notes – Winnipeg at Saskatchewan:

- Charleston Hughes: Leads the CFL with 12 Sacks (7 more than any other player) and comes into this game with a streak of 7 straight games with at least one. That is the longest consecutive games streak in his career, his previous long run was set at 6 in a row from Jun 28/14 to Aug 9/14.

- Most consecutive games with a QB Sack: Over the last 25 years, here are the longest streaks with at least one QB Sack. Charleston Hughes has tied the most by any Saskatchewan player and is 3 short of the highest on record since 1994

👁‍🗨Joe Montford and Philip Hunt are the two players ahead of Hughes, each with 10 game streaks.

- Sam Hurl 100 GP/ U of Calgary: Hurl will suit up this week for CFL game #100 in his career and it will be start #56. He is a prominent member of a remarkable 99 players that have come to the CFL from the Dinos - of those 99 individuals Hurl will become the 20th player of this group to make it to 100 career regular season games.

- Nichols 9-3 .750 coming off a loss: Despite a second straight loss last week, Matt Nichols has had a remarkable run since July 2016 in the next start after a Blue Bombers loss as he will be doing again this week. In his last 12 starts after a Winnipeg defeat the club has gone 9-3 for a .750 winning %.

- Avoiding 3 losses in a row: The Bombers have not lost 3 games in a row in the same season since the final three weeks of 2015. They have gone a span of 46 games with just 5 streaks of 2 defeats in a row and none longer than that.

5 of the last 6: The Riders have beaten Winnipeg just once in the last 6 games. This is the best Bombers' 6-game run against their Saskatchewan rivals in the last 13 years.

Opponents' 502 net yards: The Bombers yielded just 325 net yards per game over their first 8 contests and through Week #9 ranked #4 in the CFL. Since then, they have given up 502 yards per game (493 & 511), the highest in the CFL since Week #9. The main area where this has come is on 1st down plays. First 8 games: 6.3 yards per play, Gm #9-10: 8.3 yards per play.

Riders Sacks Allowed: Saskatchewan allowed 9 Sacks in their first 4 games. Since then in 5 games they have yielded just 3. Expect some 2-&-Outs: The Riders are #1 forcing opponents 62 times into a 2-&-Out. Winnipeg is #3 with 53 forced 2-&-Outs.

- Jovon Johnson: Sat out last week's game and that snapped his consecutive games played streak at 73 in a row.

Andrew Harris: Was held to just 13 yards rushing last week on 7 carries. That tied his lowest yardage since Oct 7/15 vs EDM.

- Josh Bartel Inside the 10: Bartel has 6 punts pinning opponents inside the 10-yard line this year, one off the CFL lead. He is #2 overall with 60 since 2012. Winnipeg's Justin Medlock in many less games is #3 since 2012 with 36 including 7 in 2018.

- Offensive & Defensive TD Same Game: The Riders' Nick Marshall scored a touchdown on offence and defence in the same game two weeks ago with a 3-yard rush and a 67-yard INT return. That specific Offence/Defence TD pair had not occurred since Tyrone Walls for Edmonton on September 4, 1972 a span of 46 years. There have been only 4 such pure occurrences in the last 50 years. Last week, Marshall scored another offensive TD on a short run and actually leads the club in touchdowns with 4.

The nearest since 1972 was Milt Stegall on July 15, 1999 who caught a 37-yard TD pass from Kerwin Bell and returned a blocked punt/fumble 52 yards for a score.

Edited September 2, 20187 yr by Mr Dee

1 minute ago, TheSource said:

 

This is exactly the same thing that happened to Drew Willy and all the other QB's the Bombers have that do not have good mobility and do not have any dangerous receivers.

Bombers have a receiving corps that is entirely comprised of possession receivers and that is because Walters is really goofy. Not finding anyone open when all the entire team does is run 3 yard curls.

He has crippled the Bombers long term with his very goofy drafting practices and lack of ability to scout quality US talent.

 

Drafting quality starters?  What's goofy about the drafting?  

Who's playing RT for us next week?  Better not be anyone who was on the field to finish the game today.

1 minute ago, Captain Blue said:

Weirdly, I still feel pretty good about the Bombers other than Matt Nichols. Like, I think this result would be drastically different if they had started or even switched to Chris Streveler.

Nichols burned several possessions by taking terrible sacks. Sure spent a lot of time pointing to where his receivers should be after the play was done, too.

The Riders provide very little offense but rely on their defense to win games. That bodes well for them when Nichols is completing 50% of his passes, throwing for <200 yards and spending most of his game doing almost nothing. If we had even a mediocre passing offense today, I think we win.

The oversimplification of this post is breathtaking.

Yes, his late game pick was bad. It was Drew Willy Banjo Bowl bad. But we we're quite a long shot to win anyways at that point.

If you feel good about this teams D, I don't know what to tell you. Again, another 2nd half collapse. Totally unreliable secondary. If you think Streveler is going to pass to himself and not drop his own throws, ok sure. But this team is need of a lot more than a simple QB change.

4 minutes ago, TheSource said:

 

This is exactly the same thing that happened to Drew Willy and all the other QB's the Bombers have that do not have good mobility and do not have any dangerous receivers.

Bombers have a receiving corps that is entirely comprised of possession receivers and that is because Walters is really goofy. Not finding anyone open when all the entire team does is run 3 yard curls.

He has crippled the Bombers long term with his very goofy drafting practices and lack of ability to scout quality US talent.

 

Goofy drafting practices. That's as daft as anything Northern Skunk says. 

Amazing how a QB can make a coach look good and bad. Cant believe MOS would tie his coaching career to Nichols. Scared to get hit

1 minute ago, White Out said:

The oversimplification of this post is breathtaking.

Yes, his late game pick was bad. It was Drew Willy Banjo Bowl bad. But we we're quite a long shot to win anyways at that point.

If you feel good about this teams D, I don't know what to tell you. Again, another 2nd half collapse. Totally unreliable secondary. If you think Streveler is going to pass to himself and not drop his own throws, ok sure. But this team is need of a lot more than a simple QB change.

What u want the D to do when the O does nothing all half? Nichols pretty much threw a pick 6 and at the end rushed a bad throw resulting in interception. How is this game on the D at all? We lost by a Nichols interception

Edited September 2, 20187 yr by Goalie

Just now, White Out said:

The oversimplification of this post is breathtaking.

Yes, his late game pick was bad. It was Drew Willy Banjo Bowl bad. But we we're quite a long shot to win anyways at that point.

If you feel good about this teams D, I don't know what to tell you. Again, another 2nd half collapse. Totally unreliable secondary. If you think Streveler is going to pass to himself and not drop his own throws, ok sure. But this team is need of a lot more than a simple QB change.

Gotta start somewhere...and lots of reasons to start at the QB position........ it helped Montreal a bit so far

3 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

All of their big plays aside from the Thigpen TD came on max protection with both Bighill and JSK blitzing.

2 and outs start, whole team craters.  D played fine when we had a reasonable offense.  More worried about figuring out how to make that offense consistent.  Shouldn't be impossible.  Just over 100 yards in offense in the 2nd half.  Can't expect the D to hold a 3 point lead for an entire half with basically no run support.

Agreed, this one is on the offence, 6 second half points, gutless play calling (hand-off on 2nd and 15 from the 35???), Lapo hasn't changed. What a dis-service Harris for racking up 158 yards on the ground. I have lost what little faith I had left in this team of chokers. 

Just now, Goalie said:

Amazing how a QB can make a coach look good and bad. Cant believe MOS would tie his coaching career to Nichols. Scared to get hit

Streveler's playing time has been capped. O'Shea actually said that. 

Just now, Goalie said:

What u want the D to do when the O does nothing all half? 

Hold the lead? Is this a serious question?

The O delivered a lead in the 2nd half of the game, and we're in the lead into the 4th. Cmon.

3 minutes ago, Goalie said:

Cant believe MOS would tie his coaching career to Nichols.

Matt Nichols  likely saved O'Shea's job when he took over from Willy.

 

Edited September 2, 20187 yr by Mark F

Just now, NorthernSkunk said:

Gotta start somewhere...and lots of reasons to start at the QB position........ it helped Montreal a bit so far

I'd be all for Streveler starting the BB. But that doesn't fix the D or bad coaching. 

The smiling idiot who is our head coach is the one who is in charge of the decision making. He's priority #1 to replace. Hall being 2nd.

Just now, JuranBoldenRules said:

Drafting quality starters?  What's goofy about the drafting?  

Drafting 10 cdn receivers, when only one or two should ever see the field in a functional CFL offence.

And with the injury to Foketi, now the Bombers are very thin for depth on the O-Line, once again.

 

At least Taman would get something useful when he traded draft picks. Walters keeps them but makes stupid decisions to waste them, which is actually more harmful to the team.

Addison Richards and Faith Ekakitie were both really bad examples of that. Now drafting all those cdn possession receivers which can never be used effectively other than on the practice roster is another big mistake.

Taman >> Walters

Mack > Walters

1 minute ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Streveler's playing time has been capped. O'Shea actually said that. 

Then its his ass on the line here. 

1 minute ago, White Out said:

Hold the lead? Is this a serious question?

The O delivered a lead in the 2nd half of the game, and we're in the lead into the 4th. Cmon.

So give up like zero points? Sure. 

2 of sasks TDs were a basically a pick 6 and a punt return. The D gave up 17 points. 

Edited September 2, 20187 yr by Goalie

Just now, Goalie said:

So give up like zero points? Sure. 

Yeah. Give up zero points in 11 minutes of football or so. To the worst O in the league. 

I feel sorry for Andrew Harris. Guy gives 110% and leaves it all on the field. Totally warrior and really basically our offense.

We're not going to win anything with Nichols or O'Shea and his gang of ineptitude....OVER REACTION you say....Look at the record after 5 yrs...the type of play we're seeing (except for Andrew) and we have the perennial loser ...Nobody can deliver on this team WHEN IT COUNTS...and that comes down to coaching, firstly,....secondly player personnel...This club has neither except for a few like Harris and Bighill....You won't win many Cups with a club found wanting like that...

2 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Streveler's playing time has been capped. O'Shea actually said that. 

Well maybe he should not have said that.  Why cap a good player anyways...sheeeeesh

are people posting over .08?

 

Edited September 2, 20187 yr by Mark F

Just now, Goalie said:

Then its his ass on the line here. 

MOS should be. If we don't make the playoffs he should be fired. he's had enough time to learn to be a HC yet he still makes dumb & stubborn mistakes. Time to say Coacing School's out

2 minutes ago, Goalie said:

Then its his ass on the line here. 

With his good buddy Walters as GM. To quote from Clueless, "As if."

Just now, White Out said:

Yeah. Give up zero points in 11 minutes of football or so. To the worst O in the league. 

They gave up 17 points all game.. Nichols basically threw a pick 6 and they had a punt return TD. 

1 minute ago, TheSource said:

Drafting 10 cdn receivers, when only one or two should ever see the field in a functional CFL offence.

And with the injury to Foketi, now the Bombers are very thin for depth on the O-Line, once again.

 

At least Taman would get something useful when he traded draft picks. Walters keeps them but makes stupid decisions to waste them, which is actually more harmful to the team.

Addison Richards and Faith Ekakitie were both really bad examples of that. Now drafting all those cdn possession receivers which can never be used effectively other than on the practice roster is another big mistake.

Taman >> Walters

Mack > Walters

There once was a guy a couple thousand years ago that missed on his picks as well. Ended up he was killed by his choice. 

Just now, White Out said:

The oversimplification of this post is breathtaking.

Yes, his late game pick was bad. It was Drew Willy Banjo Bowl bad. But we we're quite a long shot to win anyways at that point.

If you feel good about this teams D, I don't know what to tell you. Again, another 2nd half collapse. Totally unreliable secondary. If you think Streveler is going to pass to himself and not drop his own throws, ok sure. But this team is need of a lot more than a simple QB change.

We were within one score despite doing almost nothing via the pass game all day. 

Nichols put us in a hole early. Defense kept us in the game and Nichols and the offense managed to get and carry the lead for a while - and then that was about it for the offensive production for the day.

The defense isn't perfect, but unless you expect them to post zeroes across the board its going to be difficult to win games. "2nd half collapse" would seem to give them more blame, when in reality if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have been in the game at all. In the first, third and fourth quarter today, the offense managed 9 points (3 x 3). Not all of that is on Nichols, obviously, but its pretty clear that he is currently a major issue.