TrueBlue4ever

Local radio - pre/post game is Bob Irving, Ed Tait, Joe Poplawski, and Bob Cameron. Game call Irving, Neil Lumsden and Greg Marshall (player, not coach) for colour. Player features Joe Pascucci. Sideline Kelly Moore. Happy honker Jack Wells. TV - pre/post game James Duthie, Chris Schultz, Matt Dunigan, Bo Levi Mitchell, coaching analyst Paul LaPolice, features Dave Naylor/Stephen Brunt, play-by-play Don Wittman, analyst Duane Forde, sideline Sara Orlesky.

Here’s some potentially worse juju - is it too early to talk about an 18-0 season?

Everybody.

Outside run to burn the clock rather than pass here.

Was screaming for the time count penalty, but I prefer the result with Hallett.

Last score wins tonight.

Two, but one was the end of the half. If we trade scores and lose by less than 7, O’Shea should be asked why he opted to give Calgary the ball for both start of half kickoffs.

Ok, that’s……..better? At least the younger generation is attending CFL games.

Matt and Henry Burris did a great breakdown of Fajardo’s oblique injury before the 2019 West Final with Matt explaining how it affected throwing motion and demonstrating arm angle and release point on a thrown football. Totally understandable to the lay person but full of expert insight. I agree more of this would be dynamite on the panel.

Even if just a FG, would like to see the Bombers run out the clock on this drive and not give Calgary another possession.

Great YAC by Woli.

And a stop!

As long as we get a TD on every other drive, that’s good enough for a win. But so far the “bend don’t break” defence is a little too bendy.

Brady O to Geebrr so far: 😁

Nice iso and breakdown on that Demski TD pattern. Great timing by Collaros.

SWEEEEEET!

Much better sneak that time.

And the drinking game begins!

A few other things would not look the same either, though. His salary added must be subtracted elsewhere. Not as simple as “cut Oliviera and Augustine to accommodate him” given ratio requirements and his injury history with no back-up coverage. So maybe we lose Bighill to keep Harris, or can’t chase Ellingson in free agency. Like 17to85 said, lots of factors at play. Would love to have him here, but he’s gone, let’s re-work the system to suit our new backs instead of forcing them into his style of running (especially with a depleted o-line) and let the offence run more through Collaros than the ground game. Working well enough so far to get us to 7-0.

Equipment manager Brad Fotty, and “he who shall not be named” as offensive coach. (You could also count Doug Brown and Bob Irving if you want to consider broadcasters as part of the team, I did not).

Not really. That business failed and went belly up. New management and new business model. In fact, only 3 holdovers from that 2002 regime who fulfilled the promise of finishing the business in 2019 by my count.

I wonder if part of the running issue is Buck’s playbook? He seems to be calling the plays as if he still has Andrew Harris to run up the middle and drag tacklers on every play. One thing I feel LaPolice did well was adapt the playbook to suit the talents of his players, even if it sacrificed explosive big plays for ball control, low turnovers, and more wins with less gaudy stats as a result. Have a QB like Khari Jones and a receiver like Stegall? Set up deep isolation routes to get Milt one on one where he can dominate. Got a scat back like Roberts who can’t be tackled easily? Run toss plays to get him in space outside the tackles where he can make people miss. Get a less mobile QB in Nichols who can’t scramble much but can run through his progessions rapidly? Develop a quick read, short pass game. Get a dual threat back in Harris with a strong o-line and solid blocking receivers? Centre an offence around his running and catching ability and use him extensively to win the time of possession battle and keep the big play, heavy rotation defence fresh. Got a bruising option-style QB in Streveler whose passing skills are a bit raw? Incorporate him as a running option with enough passing (or receiving) options to keep defences off-balance. Got a burner with great speed but unpolished route running like Lucky Whitehead in his rookie year? Design plays to get the ball in his hands as fast as possible and let his natural quickness and vision take over. I can see where Oliviera might physically be seen as fitting the Harris mould, but he is not (yet) reading and hitting the holes as fast as Harris did, and he is not often surviving first contact. And Augustine in very limited use has shown good effectiveness on toss plays outside the tackles, but Buck seems hesitant to call those plays more than once a game of that. I am in the “let Augustine get more reps” camp, but give him a playbook that gives him the best chance to succeed. And maybe getting Oliviera outside the pile might allow him the chance to make moves in open space with more time rather than needing that one key, one second opening up the middle to make the play work. I’d like to see some more varied run calls with the existing personnel we have now before we abandon them for new blood.

Anything to get rid of #FortHew is fine by me. 🤣 Seriously though, as long as we never go back to “Unfinished Business”, I’ll be content.

Yeah, I’m thinking that “politely declining the request” is not really on the table, is it?