And the skinny from our man Tait:

 

Scene setter: 

The Blue Bombers (7-2) and Stampeders (3-6) reached the midway point of the season last week moving in opposite directions. Winnipeg is on a three-game heater since the shocking collapse in Ottawa, including last week’s 38-29 win in Edmonton in which Dru Brown came off the bench to throw for 300 yards and four TDs – erasing a 22-0 deficit in the process. The Stamps, meanwhile, have lost three of their last four, including last week’s 37-9 mauling by the B.C. Lions.

The big news heading into this one is Brown getting the start for Zach Collaros, who did not practice all week.

The Basics

Kickoff: Friday, 8 p.m. CDT; McMahon Stadium, Calgary
TV: TSN; RDS 2
U.S. and international live streaming: https://www.cfl.ca/plus
Radio: 680 CJOB
Last meeting: July 7, 2023, at IG Field: Winnipeg 24 Calgary 11. Winnipeg has won four straight against the Stamps dating to 2021 and eight of the last 10 meetings. The Blue Bombers are 3-1 on the road this year. Calgary is 1-3 at home this season.
PlayNow odds:  The Blue Bombers are favoured by six points. For more betting options on this game, click here.

 

More in link

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/08/17/game-preview-wpg-at-cgy-2/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's. *******. Go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 20232 yr by Wanna-B-Fanboy

Quarterbacks are the single most impactful position in the cfl... you upgrade your qb your team is instantly better. You don't have a good qb even the beat roster will look like ****.

So yeah Dru Brown would improve a lot of CFL teams right now.

9 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Chris Jones had Collaros in Sask with a far better defense than he has now.  Did he make a difference?

And that is exactly my point,   Dru Brown playing behind a great team has him doing well.    Dru Brown playing behind a terrible team.... odds are unlikely.  

Edmonton is largely terrible because of terrible qbing... same deal Hamilton and Ottawa....

30 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Edmonton is largely terrible because of terrible qbing... same deal Hamilton and Ottawa....

Edmonton's quarterbacking is terrible,  but their problems go a lot deeper than that. 

27 minutes ago, Brandon said:

And that is exactly my point,   Dru Brown playing behind a great team has him doing well.    Dru Brown playing behind a terrible team.... odds are unlikely.  

Which is really no different than any QB.  It's a team sport.  The best QB on a bad team gets you 8 or 9 wins maybe.

There's games every week where if one team had a QB they'd probably win.  Edmonton-Hamilton was one this week.  The Sask-Ottawa game, both Sask-Edmonton games.  So yeah the QB can make a difference in pushing a team over the top to win, especially when you're replacing a QB who can't read anything and can't make 2/3 throws with someone who can do both.

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Edmonton is largely terrible because of terrible qbing... same deal Hamilton and Ottawa....

Largely disagree,  all of those teams have terrible receivers, mediocre o-lines and a complete lack of a running game mostly because of the first two issues.     This isn't like the dying days of the Matt Nichols time with the Bombers where everything was in place and only the QB was holding the team back.    

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Largely disagree,  all of those teams have terrible receivers, mediocre o-lines and a complete lack of a running game mostly because of the first two issues.     This isn't like the dying days of the Matt Nichols time with the Bombers where everything was in place and only the QB was holding the team back.    

 

 

 

So if 5 out of 9 teams in the league have subpar rosters, you don't think better quarterbacking would push them ahead of the rest of that group?  That's the point.

19 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

So if 5 out of 9 teams in the league have subpar rosters, you don't think better quarterbacking would push them ahead of the rest of that group?  That's the point.

No kidding it's a God damned stupid position to take. I mean christ Vernon adams with all his flaws is seen as a top teir qb. There's 3 teams you could list as not really having major roster issues, the rest of them? It comes down to what qb looks like he has half a clue that week.

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Quarterbacks are the single most impactful position in the cfl... you upgrade your qb your team is instantly better. You don't have a good qb even the beat roster will look like ****.

So yeah Dru Brown would improve a lot of CFL teams right now.

True. Though the primary limiting factor in every teams success is line play. Doesn’t matter who you have at qb, no ol no success. 
 
right now brown would improve Montreal, Calgary, Hamilton, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton instantly with out a doubt in my mind. I actually think he could be a big improvement for bc, because I believe he can manage a game. They don’t need to light the world on fire with the passing game they need to limit mistakes. Sounds strange for a team with soo many wins as them but I think it’s true.  
 Ottawa would be a toss up imo. This is as much an indictment of the qbing woes in the cfl right now as it is an endorsement of brown. 
 

Maybe the league needs to add a free pr spot just for QBs. Maybe the salary cap should have a separate number for all qbs. Or maybe we need a higher salary floor for qbs. 
 One thing is clear, you can’t trust or depend on teams to prioritize and develop young qbs in the cfl right now.  

5 hours ago, Booch said:

He's looked just fine doing the Prukop role in Ottawa..behind an inferior line...

And yeah last night was not ideal weather...that being said playoff weather will be worse so that's not an excuse worth spit for Brown..our scheme also did him no favors....but even then he looked kinda beffudled. And said before..some his out passes make me cringe...he's learning and slowly developing...but we are screwed if we need him long term or if ZC goes out for yr

We did some beyond befuddling things  on offence. We repeatedly took lawler off the field in 2nd down situations. We ran a lot of bunch sets with shallow passing concepts. Hitch, quick, stick with no deep release, stick out etc. a lot of slow developing play actions and option set ups that were never cashed in. We didn’t use any concepts to try and get guys looks. Normally especially with lawler we would run yankee on faster play action to get him into his favourite deep out position. We’ve been using flag concept with Brady clearing out this year to great success, set up by his screens and play action. Didn’t use it. 
 

all our designed concepts ran around getting guys touches in the tackle box. Runs and screens to Demski  gmc and Bailey. Screens hitches and bubbles to brady and the above mentioned. 
 We completed 5 passes to lawler and schoen combined for 14 yards per completion. But with only one end zone shot. 
 

When you try and get a young qb into a rhythm, you use high percentage stuff to build some confidence then run concepts to get a guy like lawler into a specific situation with an easy check down. Our first drive did a good job of getting a pace going but had too few runs and our red zone calls were awful.  We could just iso schoen or lawler run play action and toss a 50/50 ball. We probably score a td on that far more than 50% even when teams know it’s coming. 

Pigrome looked decent in an exhibition game, while Brown has two games where he has thrown for over 300 yards with multiple TDs and posters are saying we should have kept Pigrome and Brown stinks? To them, I say

1 hour ago, rebusrankin said:

Pigrome looked decent in an exhibition game, while Brown has two games where he has thrown for over 300 yards with multiple TDs and posters are saying we should have kept Pigrome and Brown stinks? To them, I say

I would have preferred keeping Pigrome over Prukop, not Brown.

3 hours ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

So if 5 out of 9 teams in the league have subpar rosters, you don't think better quarterbacking would push them ahead of the rest of that group?  That's the point.

Not for Edmonton, Ottawa, and Hamilton.   They are that bad that unless you bring a superstar game changing QB they wouldn't be much further ahead.   Case in point look at ZC in Saskatchewan.    

You keep forgetting Dru Brown gameplay experience is with the best team in the league,  I'm sure  Tre Ford,  Dustin Crum,  Taylor Powell all would look light years better playing at QB for the Bombers.   

Watch the game yesterday,  he had time in the pocket to make throws,  his receivers were not dropping balls,  he had a great running back helping him out.  The dude just looked like a young player who isn't ready yet.    Which is normal and is part of the growing pains of gaining experience.     But to suggest he goes to Edmonton and instantly makes them better then what they are now with Tre Ford is silly.    

 

3 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Not for Edmonton, Ottawa, and Hamilton.   They are that bad that unless you bring a superstar game changing QB they wouldn't be much further ahead.   Case in point look at ZC in Saskatchewan.    

You keep forgetting Dru Brown gameplay experience is with the best team in the league,  I'm sure  Tre Ford,  Dustin Crum,  Taylor Powell all would look light years better playing at QB for the Bombers.   

Watch the game yesterday,  he had time in the pocket to make throws,  his receivers were not dropping balls,  he had a great running back helping him out.  The dude just looked like a young player who isn't ready yet.    Which is normal and is part of the growing pains of gaining experience.     But to suggest he goes to Edmonton and instantly makes them better then what they are now with Tre Ford is silly.    

 

My god what a horrendous argument this is. 😂

36 minutes ago, Mike said:

My god what a horrendous argument this is. 😂

It's just laughable at this point.

37 minutes ago, Mike said:

My god what a horrendous argument this is. 😂

No it isnt.    Brown plays on the best team in the league and his big game was against the worst team in the league.   Many players put in that position would also show well.     

He looked very mediocre / subpar when playing against a 3-6 Calgary team.     

It's a case of some people having blue tinted glasses.  Yourself included.   

For Edmonton, specifically, they bought an entire receiving corps that, objectively, is very good... And have just been missing a QB to get them the ball. Dru Brown could fix them in a hurry... And Tre Ford might already be doing it. 

1 minute ago, Noeller said:

For Edmonton, specifically, they bought an entire receiving corps that, objectively, is very good... And have just been missing a QB to get them the ball. Dru Brown could fix them in a hurry... And Tre Ford might already be doing it. 

Kinda wish we hadn't gotten rid of Pigrom, considering how thin qbs are in the league, Brown may be as good as gone already.

Edited August 20, 20232 yr by Nolby

2 minutes ago, Noeller said:

For Edmonton, specifically, they bought an entire receiving corps that, objectively, is very good... And have just been missing a QB to get them the ball. Dru Brown could fix them in a hurry... And Tre Ford might already be doing it. 

Emmanuel Arceneaux who is old and way past his prime?

Kyran Moore coming off three years of injuries and only one good season? Drops lots of balls.  

Dunbar who has a total of one 1000 yard season which was last season where he had exactly 1000 yards?  

I guess Dillon Mitchell thinks highly of himself based on a single 600 yard season?  

Geno Lewis is legit but ended up getting hurt early and has barely played.    

That receiving core is a whole lot of mediocre.    

That team also had (maybe still has)  a terrible o-coordinator.   McAdoo has always been the drizzling poops.   

 

Geno Lewis who has the most receiving yards since 2019.

Dunbar has 630 yards his first season in 12 games or a 945 yard pace and then had a 1000 yards.

Mitchell had 637 yards in 8 games last season or well over a 1200 yard pace.

That's a solid group.

Don't get me wrong, I like our group better, but Edmonton has some guys for sure...

And Edmonton has some good running back options too. Their big problem is they tried ti make Taylor Cornelius a thing and Taylor Cornelius both sucks and blows.

And further more, brown hasn't just looked good vs Edmonton, he looked good in a couple starts and relief appearances the past couple years. Guy has shown more than a lot of qbs getting starting reps for other teams.  Does it make him a world beater? Nope, just that qbs around the league are in a bad place at this time. 

Edited August 20, 20232 yr by 17to85

1 hour ago, Brandon said:

Emmanuel Arceneaux who is old and way past his prime?

Kyran Moore coming off three years of injuries and only one good season? Drops lots of balls.  

Dunbar who has a total of one 1000 yard season which was last season where he had exactly 1000 yards?  

I guess Dillon Mitchell thinks highly of himself based on a single 600 yard season?  

Geno Lewis is legit but ended up getting hurt early and has barely played.    

That receiving core is a whole lot of mediocre.    

That team also had (maybe still has)  a terrible o-coordinator.   McAdoo has always been the drizzling poops.   

 

I'd say it's still a very capable corps with a decent qb, but that's where the problem is.

14 hours ago, wbbfan said:

Maybe the league needs to add a free pr spot just for QBs. Maybe the salary cap should have a separate number for all qbs. Or maybe we need a higher salary floor for qbs. 
 One thing is clear, you can’t trust or depend on teams to prioritize and develop young qbs in the cfl right now.  

I actually really like this idea… if the bombers had a dedicated QB development position where I player gets league minimum instead of PR salary… we’d probably still have Prigrome on our team

One of the best ideas the XFL had was a “Team 9” that was essentially a league practice roster which was to develop both coaches and players who  aren’t currently employed and to have players ready to sign with good scouting.

Personally to me it’s a no-brainer for the CFL to do something like this to develop Canadians, Globals, QBs and give some younger coaches experience too.  You have say the last 4-5 cuts from each team continuing to develop instead of going home and then when teams need to sign guys they are still around and easily accessible.