With Rookie Camp getting underway Wednesday morning, it's officially time to talk about the 2026 Winnipeg Blue Bombers!

2 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

I don't think Dru outplayed Maier at all. If Ottawa's DB's could catch even 1 of the 4 or 5 chances Dru gave them, we'd have lost.

3 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

There was a decent **** downfield Nield let slip through his hands too so instead of a drive continuing it was a punt from our end of the field. Receivers were the worst aspect of the team last night but they had some competition from the OL

Our LBers, particularly Jones, Kramdi and Griffin were top notch last night and our DL started making noise later in the game as well.

1 hour ago, GCn20 said:

But we didn't lose now did we. If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle. There are a lots of times QBs get away with INTs in the course of a game and win player of the week afterwards. You are making an argument in bad faith. There were at least 2 near INTs by Ottawa because our players let balls go through their hands. That's not a QB mistake. FACT of the matter is that Dru and the offence erased a huge deficit in the third Q to get the win while Maier wilted when the game is on the line.

Furthermore, the discussion was about whether Dinwiddie made the right decision...his team is 0-6 with poor QB play in all but 2 of those games. Clearly he did not make the right decision and his decision was not based on anything but practice reps.

and factor in we dont know if the WR made the wrong cut..move etc....Was clear on several throws that were not close to being intercepted....or caught forthat matter that Dru and Wilson in particular were on different thought processes...I saw no problem with Dru's game last night...he won that for us...I not sure ZC couldve

1 hour ago, Stickem said:

A small thing last night, was the third down gamble early in the game, that wasn't converted by Perkins...This guy is almost automatic in those situations and against one of the leagues poorest defense's, should have been....especially when they were missing their starter in the middle...Could have put a whole new complexion on the game had we converted....

he had guys in his face right thru center...unimpeded almost...Not on Perkins

59 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

There was a decent **** downfield Nield let slip through his hands too so instead of a drive continuing it was a punt from our end of the field. Receivers were the worst aspect of the team last night but they had some competition from the OL

yeah...Thats why i said earlier Dru was main reason we won based on what we gave him to work with and the support he got on offence, and the exclusion of BO....was ugly as heck and he did what he had to, almost adlibed it seemed to win

9 hours ago, GCn20 said:

At the very least he should have given the team the impression that there was an actual QB competition for starter. Not giving him any play time in pre-season had to be viewed by the O players in Ottawa as mistreatment of Dru. No way he could sell that Maier beat him out when there was no chance for Dru to compete.

The way Dimwiddie treated Brown is strange considering he was a CFL qb with us & then a qb coach after that. You'd expect that from someone who never played the position.

Thanks to everyone for updating me with all things not directly related to the QB comparison, but none of it actually responds to the object of my post.

If you think that Dru played better than Maier, please let me know why. Note playing for the Bomber and winning the game aren't QB comparison points.

6 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

Thanks to everyone for updating me with all things not directly related to the QB comparison, but none of it actually responds to the object of my post.

If you think that Dru played better than Maier, please let me know why. Note playing for the Bomber and winning the game aren't QB comparison points.

Were we actually talking to you??? other than a couple of comments directed at you, the discussion was among all of us.

10 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

Thanks to everyone for updating me with all things not directly related to the QB comparison, but none of it actually responds to the object of my post.

If you think that Dru played better than Maier, please let me know why. Note playing for the Bomber and winning the game aren't QB comparison points.

quicker release, better accuracy by a significant margin, better footwork, better poise, better ability to move the pocket, roll/throw on the roll, better at avoiding pressure, able to run a far more diverse playbook, more athletic, drastically less turn over prone, capable of drastically better peak out put and capable of game managing neither of which maier can do.

Just now, wbbfan said:

quicker release, better accuracy by a significant margin, better footwork, better poise, better ability to move the pocket, roll/throw on the roll, better at avoiding pressure, able to run a far more diverse playbook, more athletic, drastically less turn over prone, capable of drastically better peak out put and capable of game managing neither of which maier can do.

I think that just about covers it.

19 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

The way Dimwiddie treated Brown is strange considering he was a CFL qb with us & then a qb coach after that. You'd expect that from someone who never played the position.

Coaches like him tend to be harder on their position. Maas is the same way.

Just now, wbbfan said:

Coaches like him tend to be harder on their position. Maas is the same way.

Yet, I've heard Dave Dickenson was a great guy to have as a qb coach. He was tough on his guys but fair. Dave's been coaching for 20 some seasons. Nothing like Dinwiddie has never come up. Same with Hufnagel. They were just great qb coaches who knew how to develop potential qbs.

35 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

quicker release, better accuracy by a significant margin, better footwork, better poise, better ability to move the pocket, roll/throw on the roll, better at avoiding pressure, able to run a far more diverse playbook, more athletic, drastically less turn over prone, capable of drastically better peak out put and capable of game managing neither of which maier can do.

Now that's more like it but.... I'm talking about the game not an overall assessment of the two QB's.

What did Dru do in the game that made him any better than Maier in the game?

26 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

Now that's more like it but.... I'm talking about the game not an overall assessment of the two QB's.

What did Dru do in the game that made him any better than Maier in the game?

He won

20 years... ugh I feel old!

2 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Yet, I've heard Dave Dickenson was a great guy to have as a qb coach. He was tough on his guys but fair. Dave's been coaching for 20 some seasons. Nothing like Dinwiddie has never come up. Same with Hufnagel. They were just great qb coaches who knew how to develop potential qbs.

yep, from what i’ve heard it’s us against the world in his qb room and it he keeps you around he has your back. they also seem to scout mental fits to the dd mold really well.

1 hour ago, TBURGESS said:

Now that's more like it but.... I'm talking about the game not an overall assessment of the two QB's.

What did Dru do in the game that made him any better than Maier in the game?

He produced almost exactly the same amount of yards with drastically less help from his wrs, and a worse game plan. He also protected the ball better (despite all the tips and drops that put the ball at risk), and did it against frankly a better D.

1 hour ago, coach17 said:

He won

Some truth to this, I hate qb wins as a stat. But what dru did is when the game was on the line and his back to the wall, he turned it up and produced.

Those 2 point conversion shoot outs was basically him throwing guys open faster than the D could react. Major props to brown for that.

Another underrated asset that dru brown brings, which maier and zach lack, is he doesn’t throw hospital balls. He’s one of the best in the league at protecting his wrs with placement and leading.

Brown has what nichols had, but with a drastically better set of tools.

iirc, dru has only lost 1 start as a bomber. Also 17 td passes to 3 ints. 5 years of actual playing and he has never had as many picks as tds thrown. He does a tremendous job of using placement, timing, release and zip to take the danger out of a lot of routes.

5 minutes ago, Brandon said:

20 years... ugh I feel old!

20 years ago?

i can feel my self rot with that fact.

One of my all time favorite bomber plays though

3 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

Thanks to everyone for updating me with all things not directly related to the QB comparison, but none of it actually responds to the object of my post.

If you think that Dru played better than Maier, please let me know why. Note playing for the Bomber and winning the game aren't QB comparison points.

Winning is not a comparison point? Its the ONLY comparison point that matters. Smh

One guy rose to the occasion when it mattered, one guy wilted under the pressure. If you dont think that matters I dont know what to say to you. That's the difference between good QBs and bad ones 99x out of a 100.

Dru's one great Q outweighed the entirety of Maiers play because he came from a massive deficit, put the team on his back, and his team to victory. If you dont appreciate the significance of that you are either dense or playing silly bugger.

You didn't ask who was the most efficient passer in the game was, you asked who played better. The answer to that is not even close...Dru Brown because he is the guy who did what he's paid to do. Facilitate his offence so that it outscores the opponent.

Edited July 21Jul 21 by GCn20

I am such a fan of Brown just from the way he took his first playing time and was absolutely God awful. Like to the point you wondered why he was even here and immediately coming back a thousand times better and more polished. The way he talks about the influence people like collaros had you can tell he is a guy who absorbs any and all advice he is given. He is right now a way better QB than collaros and should be the starter going forward. His receivers let him down big time last night but he still kept calm and made plays when it mattered.

4 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

If you think that Dru played better than Maier, please let me know why. Note playing for the Bomber and winning the game aren't QB comparison points.

Winning the game literally is where fundamental QB comparion starts and ends. It's why Ottawa is 0-6 and we aren't.

It's why Tom Brady is who he is.

It's why Steven Jyles was who he was despite "sexy" stats.

You don't win without a capable quarterback - Especially a QB who can't make plays in the fourth quarter. When we absolutely needed a play, Dru made a play. He did the same thing a couple years back when Zach spotted Edmonton roughly a 3 TD lead on the road. Those are the players a locker room rallies around. Can you get the job done when it matters the most? Dru has shown in his time here, he can. This really isn't difficult to understand.

1 hour ago, Mr. Perfect said:

Winning the game literally is where fundamental QB comparion starts and ends. It's why Ottawa is 0-6 and we aren't.

It's why Tom Brady is who he is.

It's why Steven Jyles was who he was despite "sexy" stats.

You don't win without a capable quarterback - Especially a QB who can't make plays in the fourth quarter. When we absolutely needed a play, Dru made a play. He did the same thing a couple years back when Zach spotted Edmonton roughly a 3 TD lead on the road. Those are the players a locker room rallies around. Can you get the job done when it matters the most? Dru has shown in his time here, he can. This really isn't difficult to understand.

Brown was at his best in the fourth quarter & OT. Especially during the conversion portion of the OT. He was just dialed in.

12 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

Now that's more like it but.... I'm talking about the game not an overall assessment of the two QB's.

What did Dru do in the game that made him any better than Maier in the game?

He made 1+ more plays that JM did to help win the game.

12 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

Now that's more like it but.... I'm talking about the game not an overall assessment of the two QB's.

What did Dru do in the game that made him any better than Maier in the game?

won

and yes football is a team game and most times...u need several aspects to win

But...and a big but you need guys to take advantage of....and utilize whats going on..and whats given...or not given to get that win...especially at QB....Dru did that....and was given a horrible game plan...he been saddled with a receiving group thats less than I deal and we basically have a wasted spot where it has no relevance on the game whatsoever...and he just made plays to win

1 hour ago, Booch said:

won

and yes football is a team game and most times...u need several aspects to win

But...and a big but you need guys to take advantage of....and utilize whats going on..and whats given...or not given to get that win...especially at QB....Dru did that....and was given a horrible game plan...he been saddled with a receiving group thats less than I deal and we basically have a wasted spot where it has no relevance on the game whatsoever...and he just made plays to win

Some QBs throw a nice ball and quietly put up good numbers but lose, some QBs put the team on their back down by 17 points in the 3rd Q and elevate their game when it counts and win. I know which guy I would rather have 7 days a week and twice on Sunday. TB wants to narrow down the conversation to just stats for a position that is 20% stats and 80% intangibles. It's why wins matter for QBing far more than the stat line. You have good QBs like VA, for instance, who light it up but still lose. Why? They miss the one key component that every great QB needs...being clutch.

Take a guy like Trevor Harris. He didn't have a Grey Cup until last season despite being one of the most statistically impressive QBs of the last decade. It wasn't until he found a way dig deep enough in the big moments, a skill or desire he didn't have until he realized he was running out of time then the light bulb went on in his head. Dru, early in his career, learned to seize the big moments just like his mentor Zac. Throw for show, win for dough. Lots a QBs worry about their stats instead of going out and leaving it on the field for the win. The guys that will drag a team to a win are more valuable. I will take a gutsy QB that only cares about winning and can rise to the occasion over the statistical darling any day of the week.

So TB wants to know which QB played better? The answer is so obvious I can't believe he asked the question.

Edited July 21Jul 21 by GCn20

2 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Some QBs throw a nice ball and quietly put up good numbers but lose, some QBs put the team on their back down by 17 points in the 3rd Q and elevate their game when it counts and win. I know which guy I would rather have 7 days a week and twice on Sunday. TB wants to narrow down the conversation to just stats for a position that is 20% stats and 80% intangibles. It's why wins matter for QBing far more than the stat line. You have good QBs like VA, for instance, who light it up but still lose. Why? They miss the one key component that every great QB needs...being clutch.

17 down going into 4th wasn't it? Even more outstanding

Not to be lost in this was his comeback down a bazillion vs edm when ZC got creamed...obviously the kid has a knack to be cool.and collected and do what has to be done to get a win..thats a nice trait in a qb

3 minutes ago, Booch said:

17 down going into 4th wasn't it? Even more outstanding

Not to be lost in this was his comeback down a bazillion vs edm when ZC got creamed...obviously the kid has a knack to be cool.and collected and do what has to be done to get a win..thats a nice trait in a qb

I'll take a QB that has a below average game for 3 Q but puts the team on his back in the 4th Q any time, any day.

Kerning Bell had stats but didn't win.

I think both qbs played pretty well. Brown got away with some bad throws. We can talk about players all day, the biggest difference imo was the play calling. Especially in the extra point OT. That defense ott was running was putrid and bordering on idiotic. Thats really what gave us the W. That first throw to Cobb, any qb starter or backup, in this league can make. It doesn't get any easier than that. Nothing special was done by our O for that, it was a horrible defensive play call (or bust).

If the conversation was, "Who is the better QB overall?" I'll take Brown. I don't think Brown had a great game, though; he overthrew his receivers over and over again and just got lucky that their DB's didn't catch one of the several pick balls he threw. On the other hand, Maier had a good game. More accurate than Brown. Not his fault that they couldn't get a TD after he got them to the 1 or that Kramdi made a great play on OT unless there was an open man that he should have thrown to.

As for wins being a QB stat... that balderdash! If one of the pick balls was caught by them, it wouldn't change anything about how each QB played, but for a bunch of you, it would mean that Dru played worse or Maier played better. Neither is true, and you know it. It wouldn't matter if Maier made 1 more play and won the game either. That's just 1 play, not how the QB played the entire game.