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

[Jets 31]

Damnit, just damnit. Don't understand why we never ran the ball and i don't understand why we only rushed 3 all game against their backup QB . Great to be in 5 straight Cups but we need to win one of them again.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I kind of wonder if Ryan Dinwiddie gets considered for the NFL at this point.

 

[Blitzkrug]

I kind of wonder if Ryan Dinwiddie gets considered for the NFL at this point.

I don't see it. It's gonna take a long time for the wounds left by Marc Trestman being a boob in Chicago

 

[Edgar Halliwax]

So damned disappointing. I had a bad feeling after the first half and decided to not watch the rest of the game live. Turned out good for my mental health the way the 2nd half went...

 

[Channelcat]

It's difficult to say your QB sucks when he brings you to 5 straight championship games. But he does.

 

[SensibleGuy]

Well that stank. To be honest though I feel like that was almost a bonus appearance in the final for us. This entire season it's kind of seemed like we were running on fumes.

 

[bustamente]

For the money Collaros makes you would think you would get better results in the Grey Cup but yet again a supposed inferior qb out performed him.

 

[TS Quint]

Damnit, just damnit. Don't understand why we never ran the ball and i don't understand why we only rushed 3 all game against their backup QB . Great to be in 5 straight Cups but we need to win one of them again.

Rushing 3 is what Younger does. It’s the Ritchie Hall philosophy. Keep the ball in front of you. Eventually, hopefully, after enough plays, they make a mistake and we win the turnover battle. Instead they got picked apart by Jon Arbuckle.

Brady had 7.6 yards/Car. Zach had 6.7 yards/throw. Definitely should have ran more.

 

[bustamente]

Given a qb all day by rushing 3 and using Tony Jones as a spy just didn't work, you would of thought they would of made adjustments but they didn't and paid dearly for it.

 

[Jets 31]

Rushing 3 is what Younger does. It’s the Ritchie Hall philosophy. Keep the ball in front of you. Eventually, hopefully, after enough plays, they make a mistake and we win the turnover battle. Instead they got picked apart by Jon Arbuckle.

Brady had 7.6 yards/Car. Zach had 6.7 yards/throw. Definitely should have ran more.

Given a qb all day by rushing 3 and using Tony Jones as a spy just didn't work, you would of thought they would of made adjustments but they didn't and paid dearly for it.

See that's exactly what i wouldn't do against a backup QB, put pressure on him constantly and force him to rush throws and make mistakes. Watching Jefferson just basically stand there takes him out of the game.

 

[snowkiddin]

Rushing 3 is what Younger does. It’s the Ritchie Hall philosophy. Keep the ball in front of you. Eventually, hopefully, after enough plays, they make a mistake and we win the turnover battle. Instead they got picked apart by Jon Arbuckle.

Brady had 7.6 yards/Car. Zach had 6.7 yards/throw. Definitely should have ran more.

See that's exactly what i wouldn't do against a backup QB, put pressure on him constantly and force him to rush throws and make mistakes. Watching Jefferson just basically stand there takes him out of the game.

What's really mind-boggling about this, the few times they did get pressure (which was usually when Jefferson beat his man quickly), Arbuckle panicked and made poor decisions. When the Argos struggled to move the ball early, that was a big reason for it. When rushed through his progressions, Arbuckle was shit, when given time to stand back in the pocket, he was constantly able to find an open man, even with nine in coverage. All game he was picking the secondary apart. How do you not adjust to that?

It legitimately looked like both coordinators were trying to throw the game away.

Also, here's Collaros's stats in the five Grey Cups:

2019: 17/23, 170 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
2021: 21/32, 240 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
2022: 14/23, 183 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
2023: 19/23, 236 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
2024: 15/30, 202 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT

Total: 86/131, 66% completion rate, 206 passing yards/game average, 2 touchdowns, 8 interceptions.

He's been outplayed now by McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Cody Fajardo, and now Nick Arbuckle. Two middling QBs and a backup who was almost out of football. Yes, he didn't get any help from his OC or his receivers but those are unacceptable numbers. I thought he just struggled in the cold, but with his worst game coming in the dome, I think he just struggles in the big moment. It's a real shame. But you're not going to win when your highest-paid player is performing that poorly and is being outplayed by the opposing QB.

 

[jungles]

Remove the Stone of Jets Playoff Disappointment.

Attach the Stone of Bombers Grey Cup Choke Jobs!!!

 

[Jets 31]

Remove the Stone of Jets Playoff Disappointment.

Attach the Stone of Bombers Grey Cup Choke Jobs!!!

Lets just hope they are saving themselves for next season when the Grey Cup is here.

 

[SensibleGuy]

Lets just hope they are saving themselves for next season when the Grey Cup is here.

OK sure...but that's definitely not what they are doing.

 

[Jets 31]

What's really mind-boggling about this, the few times they did get pressure (which was usually when Jefferson beat his man quickly), Arbuckle panicked and made poor decisions. When the Argos struggled to move the ball early, that was a big reason for it. When rushed through his progressions, Arbuckle was shit, when given time to stand back in the pocket, he was constantly able to find an open man, even with nine in coverage. All game he was picking the secondary apart. How do you not adjust to that?

It legitimately looked like both coordinators were trying to throw the game away.

Also, here's Collaros's stats in the five Grey Cups:

2019: 17/23, 170 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
2021: 21/32, 240 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
2022: 14/23, 183 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
2023: 19/23, 236 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
2024: 15/30, 202 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT

Total: 86/131, 66% completion rate, 206 passing yards/game average, 2 touchdowns, 8 interceptions.

He's been outplayed now by McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Cody Fajardo, and now Nick Arbuckle. Two middling QBs and a backup who was almost out of football. Yes, he didn't get any help from his OC or his receivers but those are unacceptable numbers. I thought he just struggled in the cold, but with his worst game coming in the dome, I think he just struggles in the big moment. It's a real shame. But you're not going to win when your highest-paid player is performing that poorly and is being outplayed by the opposing QB.

Ya it's amazing how bad he's played in the Grey Cup games. The other thing that happened was all the 2 and outs by our offense tired out our defense. Just don't understand why you wouldn't want to involve the MVP in the offense more, it's mind boggling.

 

[Huffer]

Another Grey Cup disappearing act from Collaros.

Whether it's the play call or the read, I thought what made the Bombers successful against the Riders was the Bombers running some misdirection and hitting on the intermediate routes. Seemed like yesterday all they were doing was going long. So they got nothing established on the ground, and no time of possession to keep their D fresh and try and wear down the Argos D.

The D might have been ok if the offense showed up, but with bringing 0 pressure how are they then so soft in coverage? Against the Riders all the throws were contested, but yesterday they were leaving Argos totally uncovered with big cushions.

 

[WolfHouse]

This team is transformed if they bring in a QB like Vernon Adams... scouting staff has replaced every vet that has gone down with more than capable rookies

The challenge moving forward is finally pulling the plug on Lofton, Neufeld, Thomas, etc - Thomas just doesn't clog up the interior or get any real push, the right side of our line has leaked all season...

The Bombers have always been a run first team - and our coordinators have ALWAYS tried to make us a passing team... I'd legit move on from one of Lawler or Schoen and spend that money on the OL

We knew what we were getting when we fired/not fired Richie Hall... we can say its Younger at the helm but everyone knows that's not true. That was classic Richie Hall prevent D last night - with classic results.

The three key mistakes that cost this team the cup
- Walters not making Janarion Grant a priority
- Walters not addressing our backup quarterback issue when it was clear Strev was injured most of the season
- Walter/Osh choosing Neufeld/Lofton as the anchors of our right side - Randolph was solid as LG... and simply demoted to PR

Secondary mistakes
- giving Wilson back his job for the playoffs after Cole looked very solid - if Cole is in the lineup, he probably can shift over and take Kramdi's spot after the injury
- sticking with Sheahan all season
- ignoring the run - FOR THE WHOLE SEASON - this was an issue that Buck needed to address or Osh... BO only hit 20 touches twice all season. Yet almost every game has was on pace for 100 yards plus

if BO gets 20 touches - Winnipeg probably wins that game...

 

[jetsmooseice]

Just to refresh my memory and get a little perspective, I watched the 15 minute condensed game YouTube video this morning and it's truly amazing how close this game was until well into the 4th quarter, in spite of everything the Bombers did wrong. It really wasn't until the Priester pick six with a little over 3 minutes left that the game finally fell out of reach for the Bombers. The Argos simply weren't that great themselves. The fact that this was a winnable game makes it sting even more.

Defense and special teams did just enough to carry the day. Willie J tried to personally will the team to a win, he was amazing. The offense, however, was embarrassingly inadequate. And you can't really blame Collaros' freak throwing hand injury because they were struggling to move the ball at all even before that happened.

Bomber fans deserve some accountability here. But a full scale housecleaning is a bad idea and I think Wade Miller/the Bomber board knows better than to make hasty moves in the wake of a disappointing loss. I remember the last time that happened, after a playoff blowout in 1996. That got us the Reinebold era and three years of utter futility before the Bombers even entered the conversation of being a possible contender again. But it is time to put the succession plan into action... I'm not sure the Bombers should just stand by while other teams scoop up the likes of Tre Ford and Vernon Adams, for instance.

One sad downside of this is that I'm sure people will be hopping off the bandwagon now. Going to Bomber games these past few years has been an amazing experience with a highly energized and enthusiastic fanbase in the stands... I think that has likely peaked. Hopefully it won't drop off too fast (there is the Grey Cup to keep people around next season) but I think a decline is almost inevitable. People are cynical.

 

[10Ducky10]

Buck Pierce called a horrible game and should pay for it.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Sorry folks, hope the Bombers bounce back and make it 3-3 next season.

 

[Gm0ney]

Buck Pierce called a horrible game and should pay for it.

Unless he gets hired away, I'm sure he'll be back next year.

 

[sipowicz]

Collaro

Buck Pierce called a horrible game and should pay for it.

Abandoning the run game when it was working and something that has been their bread and butter all season was dumb

Having Collaros attempt to throw a deep ball just after getting stiches in his finger and wearing a friggin glove was dumb

O'Shea and Pierce were badly outcoached and have been in the last three Grey Cups!

Looking like Ritchie Hall was never the problem!

 

[FlyerNutter]

respectfully. Richie hall is the problem. 3man pressure all game allowed Arbuckle to execute with ease.

Keeps the defense on the field too long. Look at time of possession, TO was allowed to march the ball at will.

When I saw that f***er in the booth (Hall) it just confirmed that he never really left. Sack of shit uses this strategy constantly, and predictably - it costs them.

No other team gives opposing QBs such an easy ride. I understand Collaros would get heat, but forcing deep throw after deep throw - especially after an injury to his throwing hand… Ignoring the biggest weapon in Brady…

Coaches at primarily at fault here. Downright one of the worst game plans I’ve seen. Pathetic.

If I was Jefferson I’d be pissed. Might as well pay a guy league minimum to do his job as he’s going to be negated anyway. Same with Brady. What’s the point of spending big cash to abandon any sort of run game.

This is a very talented team, that is being run by a bunch of morons frankly. O’Shea is a good coach but he’s running a country club at this point with his assistants. Zero accountability.

 

[ryanshope]

respectfully. Richie hall is the problem. 3man pressure all game allowed Arbuckle to execute with ease.

Keeps the defense on the field too long. Look at time of possession, TO was allowed to march the ball at will.

When I saw that f***er in the booth (Hall) it just confirmed that he never really left. Sack of shit uses this strategy constantly, and predictably - it costs them.

No other team gives opposing QBs such an easy ride. I understand Collaros would get heat, but forcing deep throw after deep throw - especially after an injury to his throwing hand… Ignoring the biggest weapon in Brady…

Coaches at primarily at fault here. Downright one of the worst game plans I’ve seen. Pathetic.

If I was Jefferson I’d be pissed. Might as well pay a guy league minimum to do his job as he’s going to be negated anyway. Same with Brady. What’s the point of spending big cash to abandon any sort of run game.

This is a very talented team, that is being run by a bunch of morons frankly. O’Shea is a good coach but he’s running a country club at this point with his assistants. Zero accountability.

Totally agree. Awful play calling. Your primary QB gets injured and then you put in your backup who is lobbing the ball and did not complete one pass attempt. Almost gave up an interception in the end zone. Buck Pierce and O'Shea need to shoulder the blame for this loss. You play a near perfect game against SK at home and then follow up with this abomination.

Makes no sense to me- there was no ability to adapt and figure out how to drive the offense and they didn't even establish a running game. They got that long route touchdown early on and then it was like, "oh, we'll just keep trying until we connect again." Like, wtf. Awful game. Can't say it enough to the Bomber coaching staff.

 

[Heldig]

Horribly outcoached.

Bad Collaros showed up. 4 interceptions :barf

I am ready to move on from the veteran team. Get Tre Ford here (so his brother stays here too).