OT: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2024 Season Thread - Footnote it is. Another long off-season ahead.

[gojetsgo]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805322732248154256

 

[bustamente]

Best scenario for the Bombers is get a few wins in the first half of the season hopefully get everyone on O and D healthy and make a run in the second half straight thru to the playoffs. A lot will have to go right for this scenario to happen.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

Hearing that Schoen could be done for the season.

 

[Benny27]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers Talk​

Bombers Vs Lions Review, #1 Concern, Most encouraging/discouraging thing vs BC, CGY Preview and more! What's do the Bombers need to do to get back on the winning track?​

 

[WPGChief]

Based on some of the tweets out there (like this one, or this one), I'm preparing for the inevitability that Schoen could be done for the season. (EDIT: Doug Brown and Derek Taylor at least theorizing live now that it's minimum 6 game IR, at the very least.)

Dave Naylor confirming that he believes Schoen is out for the year (it's about the 7 minute mark here, and mentioned on CFL on TSN here, if you don't trust 3DownNation right off the bat)

 

[kanadalainen]

Jesus, what a year.

 

[John Agar]

Shiza...

Bombers injuries this year...

 

[WolfHouse]

Million dollars in injuries so far?

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

The burning question now: will we beat the Elks? I have a feeling they are going to pass us. I’d start looking to next year immediately, which could be ugly too.

 

[bustamente]

 

[Holden Caulfield]

The burning question now: will we beat the Elks? I have a feeling they are going to pass us. I’d start looking to next year immediately, which could be ugly too.

Lol. This kind of panic is hilarious to me. Bombers are still in this year for sure. Hell I'd argue they still have as good a chance as anyone to win the division. It's way too early to be writing the year off.

 

[WPGChief]

Lol. This kind of panic is hilarious to me. Bombers are still in this year for sure. Hell I'd argue they still have as good a chance as anyone to win the division. It's way too early to be writing the year off.

It's the CFL, two teams made it in the playoffs with a losing record last year and that was mostly because of years of mismanagement and an injured QB knocking Saskatchewan out, and then it was the Ti-Cats. If you get healthy and find a groove, you can go all the way and win: that was the Bombers in 2019 finding Collaros to make a good offence great, and the Als last year in finding Shawn Lemon and Darnell Sankey to make a good defence great.

All that being said, I worry about the amount of injuries piling up that will put lots of pressure and attention on Collaros and Oliveira (and the lacklustre showing from the OL thus far) resulting in compounding of their injuries or exhaustion, and the defence not establishing a good scheme and instead trying to cover for their slow veterans or young corners. Hard to find that groove in these types of circumstances.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

One thing to keep in mind, with Lawler, Lawson, and Schoen on the 6 game list the Bombers will be banking some serious cap room. This will give them the flexibility to go out and get a guy if they need later. Maybe a Eugene Lewis was being used very sporadically by Bethel-Thompson in Edmonton?

 

[Holden Caulfield]

It's the CFL, two teams made it in the playoffs with a losing record last year and that was mostly because of years of mismanagement and an injured QB knocking Saskatchewan out, and then it was the Ti-Cats. If you get healthy and find a groove, you can go all the way and win: that was the Bombers in 2019 finding Collaros to make a good offence great, and the Als last year in finding Shawn Lemon and Darnell Sankey to make a good defence great.

All that being said, I worry about the amount of injuries piling up that will put lots of pressure and attention on Collaros and Oliveira (and the lacklustre showing from the OL thus far) resulting in compounding of their injuries or exhaustion, and the defence not establishing a good scheme and instead trying to cover for their slow veterans or young corners. Hard to find that groove in these types of circumstances.

OL finally started to find their groove in the 2nd half last week. Oliveira hasn't been anywhere close to healthy so far this year, hopefully that turns around. I'm less worried about the O right now.

The D is a question mark. But I think we saw the Deatrick Nicols effect out there last week. Or rather the effect not having him makes. The injury replacement Marquise Bridges struggled to keep up to Hollins. It's a different beast with Nichols. The DL and play calling need to improve for sure.

Well see but this season has barely gotten going. Last two games have been right there, but just slipped away. It'll come together soon. Now how well and how often it comes together is still a question mark. But MTL-SSK, these teams are peaking here early. Same thing Bombers did in 2022 and 2023. Dominated the summers. Well see where things land but I don't see those teams as nearly as great as they've played to date. It's a long season.

 

[WolfHouse]

It's the CFL, two teams made it in the playoffs with a losing record last year and that was mostly because of years of mismanagement and an injured QB knocking Saskatchewan out, and then it was the Ti-Cats. If you get healthy and find a groove, you can go all the way and win: that was the Bombers in 2019 finding Collaros to make a good offence great, and the Als last year in finding Shawn Lemon and Darnell Sankey to make a good defence great.

All that being said, I worry about the amount of injuries piling up that will put lots of pressure and attention on Collaros and Oliveira (and the lacklustre showing from the OL thus far) resulting in compounding of their injuries or exhaustion, and the defence not establishing a good scheme and instead trying to cover for their slow veterans or young corners. Hard to find that groove in these types of circumstances.

Bombers are supposed to be a ground and pound team that has drifted into big play passing... buck has gone full lapo

The strev/oliviera package is not going to be easy to scheme against - what worries me is how we went away from that late last game...

I think Neufeld is actually the biggest problem on the OL right now and it trickles into C and RT... get Eli in there with big body and it changes a lot

Same on DL - Thomas has never been an every down guy... he holds his own but there's no push - bomber scouts are always good with import Dline

Younger is scary but fix the DL and see if that changes things

Forget the demski jet sweep and really just focus on quick outs/slants to demski and woli - that's probably enough to keep collaros upright

 

[bustamente]

Bombers are supposed to be a ground and pound team that has drifted into big play passing... buck has gone full lapo

The strev/oliviera package is not going to be easy to scheme against - what worries me is how we went away from that late last game...

I think Neufeld is actually the biggest problem on the OL right now and it trickles into C and RT... get Eli in there with big body and it changes a lot

Same on DL - Thomas has never been an every down guy... he holds his own but there's no push - bomber scouts are always good with import Dline

Younger is scary but fix the DL and see if that changes things

Forget the demski jet sweep and really just focus on quick outs/slants to demski and woli - that's probably enough to keep collaros upright

Agree with Neuf and Thomas, those two are past their best before date and I have a feeling loyalty on the Bombers part keeps them in the lineup.

 

[snowkiddin]

Agree with Neuf and Thomas, those two are past their best before date and I have a feeling loyalty on the Bombers part keeps them in the lineup.

Thomas is fine as a rotational national but he’s being forced to start due to the Lawson injury (and injuries to the DL in general).

Neufeld is a bit of a weird career arc — was shitty for years, then just mediocre for years, then it all together and became elite for a season or two, but now he’s aging out. Wouldn’t be opposed to starting one of our Canadian backups in his place.

 

[WolfHouse]

Thomas is fine as a rotational national but he’s being forced to start due to the Lawson injury (and injuries to the DL in general).

Neufeld is a bit of a weird career arc — was shitty for years, then just mediocre for years, then it all together and became elite for a season or two, but now he’s aging out. Wouldn’t be opposed to starting one of our Canadian backups in his place.

The 'elite' part coincided with WJ and Jeffcoat primes and a massive rotation of DL

 

[Slimy Sculpin]

Bombers are supposed to be a ground and pound team that has drifted into big play passing... buck has gone full lapo

The strev/oliviera package is not going to be easy to scheme against - what worries me is how we went away from that late last game...

I think Neufeld is actually the biggest problem on the OL right now and it trickles into C and RT... get Eli in there with big body and it changes a lot

Same on DL - Thomas has never been an every down guy... he holds his own but there's no push - bomber scouts are always good with import Dline

Younger is scary but fix the DL and see if that changes things

Forget the demski jet sweep and really just focus on quick outs/slants to demski and woli - that's probably enough to keep collaros upright

The Bombers have all sorts of problems and with the O-line, imo, it starts with our current C. Sure, get Eli in there but at C. On D, and again just my opinion, it starts down the middle, Thomas is taking too many snaps and our S, Alexander, has lost more than a step. And don't get me started on our punter.....

 

[snowkiddin]

The 'elite' part coincided with WJ and Jeffcoat primes and a massive rotation of DL

Neufeld, not Thomas, though Thomas was only starter quality during those years, I agree. And Neufeld was only was elite when surrounded by tons of help.

 

[WolfHouse]

Neufeld, not Thomas, though Thomas was only starter quality during those years, I agree. And Neufeld was only was elite when surrounded by tons of help.

Everything else is splitting hairs if Younger can't scheme to stop the long ball anyway.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

For all the hand wringing the Bombers are literally two plays away from being 2-1. In Ottawa they were inches away from a TD late after the delay. And against BC if Collaros sees Clercius open over the top from the 7 instead of dumping in underneath to Demski they go up by 5/7 pts instead of 1 pt late in the fourth and much more likely to hold on. It's really not far away from turning around.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

One thing to keep in mind, with Lawler, Lawson, and Schoen on the 6 game list the Bombers will be banking some serious cap room. This will give them the flexibility to go out and get a guy if they need later. Maybe a Eugene Lewis was being used very sporadically by Bethel-Thompson in Edmonton?

There might not be as much cap room as we think with certain players injured long-term as bonuses count towards the cap regardless of games missed so there is no cap relief in those situations.

 

[blues10]

What channel is this on? Can’t find it. I can see an enhance TSN feed but nothing else.

 

[None]

What channel is this on? Can’t find it. I can see an enhance TSN feed but nothing else.

TSN3 and 5