Winnipeg Blue Bomber Thread

[jerrym]

Winnipeg has add 5'9", 185 lb WR Brisly Estime who caught 103 passes for 1208 yards with Syracuse University and was an undrafted NY Jet TC invitee to their PR.

[jerrym]

Winnipeg's defensive dominance of the Argos was not an accident. Stats show they have improved considerably since last year. They rank second in both fewest points allowed and net opposition offence behind guess who.

A sore point in 2017 — the Bombers were the worst team in the league against the pass and gave up the second most overall yards — the defence has begun to shine against the pass and the run over the past few games.
After an outstanding performance on Saturday afternoon in a 38-20 win over the Toronto Argonauts, the Bombers are near the top of the CFL in most defensive statistical categories. ...

“It’s just the makeup of guys that we have, the personality and the way the coaches are delivering the message,” veteran cornerback Chris Randle said Wednesday after the Bombers practised in advance of Friday’s rematch against the Argos at Investors Group Field.

“The communication is very, very thorough on what we are needing to do. The way they are explaining it and the way we are taking in the message is just a little different this year. It’s more complex in terms of what we’re understanding. We are really dissecting what we want to do as a defence and I feel like each week, as a team, we’re progressing and growing.”
Head coach Mike O’Shea promised to take a larger role in coaching the defence this season and co-ordinator Richie Hall preached that better communication would allow the Bombers to cut down on the “explosion plays” that killed them so many times last year. ...

The Bombers are second in the league in points allowed (22.2 per game) and opposition net offence (317 yards per game). ...

Most impressive has been the play of the secondary, which has been shaken up considerably by the departure of all-star T.J. Heath and injuries to key veteran players like Chandler Fenner and Randle, who missed last week’s game but will return Friday night. The Bombers are fourth in the CFL in opposition passing yards (259.3) — they were ninth last year — and have allowed only four passing touchdowns in six games this season. Like last year, they lead the league in interceptions, with eight, are second overall in turnovers (15) and are second in points off turnovers (55). Bear in mind those stats have been generated by a secondary that was using first-year CFL players Tyneil Cooper and Marcus Sayles last week, along with second-year player Brandon Alexander and Kevin Fogg, who was a backup last season. ...

It would be impossible not to give some of the credit for this improvement to Bighill, who has made a massive impact since signing as a free agent on the eve of training camp. The man in the middle of the linebacking corps has been as good as you might have expected, leading the league with 37 tackles, but also brought instant leadership and cohesiveness to the defensive dozen. He and second-year player Jovan Santos-Knox (29 tackles) have been beasts against the run and Bighill has added a couple of interceptions and a defensive touchdown. ...

Several Bombers players said Wednesday that everything starts with that D-line and O’Shea concurred. “We’re consistently getting more pressure,” O’Shea said. “I don’t know if that leads to more sacks, but I don’t think we should worry about those stats.

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/footb...umbers-show-it

[jerrym]

Ted Wyman discusses the Bombers contest against the Argos focusing on Nic Demski's breakout game as a Bomber.

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/footb...oll-over-argos

[jerrym]

DL Bryant Turner Jr. has signed a one day contract in order to retire as a Bomber. He joined the Bombers in 2011 before going to BC in 2016, making the All-Star team in 2013.

[jerrym]

After making ten DT and three sacks against the Argos last week, International LB Jovan Santos-Knox was named a top Shaw CFL Performer yesterday.

[jerrym]

August 8th is the 37th anniversary of the most lopsided win in Bomber history when Winnipeg defeated a Montreal Alouettes team heavily laden with NFL stars 58-2. If you don't remember watching this game on TV that's because it occurred during a CBC strike when there was no CFL game broadcasts.

"Yeah, I remember the Winnipeg game," says Vince Ferragamo, almost 37 years later. "Dieter Brock… it was 58-2! All I can remember was that cannon going off (after every Winnipeg scoring play). I sat there on the sidelines, thinking to myself, ‘What play can I call to get two yards? I’ve gotta be able to call a play that can get me at least two yards. Gosh, what are we gonna do?’ " ...
But it is fair to say the Alouettes caused a sensation when owner Nelson Skalbania went on a wild spending spree in the spring of 1981 by signing Ferragamo, the quarterback who had led the L.A. Rams to a near miss in the Super Bowl only a year earlier, along with established NFL wide receivers Billy (White Shoes) Johnson and James Scott and first-round NFL draft picks Keith Gary, a defensive end, and running back David Overstreet. The Als also had linebacker Tom Cousineau, a No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft, who had spurned the Buffalo Bills to sign in Montreal. But Cousineau was hurt when the 1-4 Als arrived to take on the 4-1 Blue Bombers.

Two weeks before taking on the Blue Bombers, Ferragamo landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
"I thought we were good because we had some talented people, but you know, just because you see these great people on paper, great players, it doesn’t mean it’s going to mesh," says Gerry Dattilio, Ferragamo's backup that day. "Sometimes it’s better to have a bunch of no-names playing for one cause instead of a bunch of superstars. We had a lot of superstars on paper, there’s no way it should’ve been anything but the Grey Cup… It was a wipeout that year but we made the playoffs that year, believe it or not, because the East was so terrible." ...

After earning $US52,000 in 1980, Ferragamo was looking for options and Skalbania, who had recently purchased the perennially successful Als from long-time owner Sam Berger, saw the charismatic star as his new, marquee attraction. It seemed like a good fit at the time. ...

Ferragamo signed a four-year deal reportedly worth $750,000 per year while Scott, Johnson also inked big-money deals. "At the time, we didn’t have free agency in the NFL," says Ferragamo. "I was one of the pioneers, along with James Scott and Billy White Shoes, we kinda paved the way for free agency in the NFL. And having played in the Super Bowl and breaking most of the records the following year in L.A., you would think you would stay with the team. But when it came time to renegotiate, I wasn’t able to come to any conclusions with the team." ...

On this night, Montreal’s defence was no match for Brock, who was coming off an MVP season and very much at the height of his powers. The Birmingham Rifle went 19-for-30 and threw for 295 yards, including a trio of TD passes during a span of less than five minutes in the second quarter. He was pulled in favour of backup Mark Jackson in the fourth quarter.
Wide receiver Eugene Goodlow, in the midst of a season in which he became the first CFL player to reach the 100-catch plateau in a season, hauled in seven passes for 160 yards and two majors. The club's other main deep threat, Mike Holmes, did not play due to an injury. Winnipeg slotback Joe Poplawski, meanwhile, had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown while running backs William Miller and Obie Graves ran for 108 and 92 yards, respectively. Graves rumbled for a pair of touchdowns; fullback Dan Huclack added another rushing major. ...

Ezerins, an outside linebacker assigned to cover Montreal tight end Peter Dalla Riva, remembers going into a three-point stance before dropping back into coverage to make one of his two interceptions — it looked easy against Ferragamo who was struggling to dissect CFL defences. Later in the game, Ezerins almost made it three. Before Ferragamo's night was done, he had completed only 11 of 29 passes for 97 yards and four interceptions.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg's risk-taking all-Canadian safety, [former Argo] Paul Bennett, took advantage of Ferragamo's indecision. "They called my number on a blitz," says Bennett. "I came around the left side, he was looking down and I hit him as hard as I could. He was strong. It was like hitting a load – boom! I took him down but I was surprised by how strong and heavy he was."

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sp...489930351.html

[jerrym]

Andrew Harris has been named player of the month for July after three consecutive 100+ yard games that made him the CFL's 2018 leading rusher with 638 yards, a pace that would see him game 1640 yards over the season. The month also saw him pass Jon Cornish to become second on the all-time Canadian running back list with 6,902 yards, behind only Normie Kwong. He also set a career best with 177 yards rushing in a single game against the Argos, something we would all like to forget.

[jerrym]

You probably don't want to hear it, but in case you want to relive Argo's 40-14 loss to Winnipeg from a Bomber perspective, here's John and Tim Hodge's podcast that focuses on Jovan-Santos Knox and Nic Demski's major contributions, as well as a discussion of the Adarius Bowman trade to the Als.

Blue Bomber Talk Podcast: Santos-Knox’s brawn, Demski switches on, Bowman is gone. @3DownNation @CFPodNetwork @CFLUniMonitor #Bombers #CFL https://t.co/DGX8aJZscB

— John Hodge (@JohnDHodge) August 6, 2018

[jerrym]

The Bombers got good news this week: they are expecting LB/DB Chandler Fenner, DB Anthony Gaitor, RB Timothy Flanders, and QB Alex Ross back off the six game injured list.

[jerrym]

National OL Qadr Spooner has been suspended for two games after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. Spooner has been on the Bombers' injured list. He will be moved to the suspended list for the next two games. Sounds like another mild suspension situation like that of Ottawa's practice roster International WR Seth Coate for using a banned substance. It is left up to the team whether or not he could practice during the suspension.

[jerrym]

Nichols offensive numbers have dropped off significantly, but he is still doing what counts, aided by a great offensive line and the league's top RB, Andrew Harris.

Is it time to worry about Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols? Probably not. Not when he has a 4-1 record as the starter this season. ...
But you can’t say it’s been a good year for the 31-year-old quarterback so far. On Friday night, the Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 29-23 at Investors Group Field and some people would argue they won in spite of having a struggling quarterback. Nichols threw for just 180 yards and misfired on 11 of his 24 pass attempts. He sailed passes, under-threw passes and looked to be generally out of sync with his receivers. ...

And the low passing numbers are more of a trend than an anomaly.
In five starts this season since returning from a training camp knee injury, Nichols has thrown for an average of just 210.6 yards per game, despite playing behind an offensive line that has allowed a league-low nine quarterback sacks in eight games.
Last year, Nichols threw for an average of 263 yards per game. ...

Nichols has not come close to throwing for 300 yards this season, his highest output for the year being 253 yards in a win over the Toronto Argonauts on July 21. He has been held under 200 yards twice and the Bombers have been held below that number four times in total — Chris Streveler’s passing yardage totals in three starts were 178, 246 and 146. Nichols has completed 61.4% of his throws this season, which puts him dead last among CFL quarterbacks who have thrown at least 90 passes and 20th amongst all league pivots.
That is certainly a bit troubling.

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/footb...l-that-matters

[jerrym]

The Bombers are getting great production out of hometown boys Andrew Harris and Nic Demski.

It’s pretty impressive that the two best offensive players for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers the last two weeks are both homegrown athletes.
Not only are the Bombers getting terrific production from their Canadian talent, they are getting game-breaking performances from a couple of Winnipeggers — running back Andrew Harris and slotback Nic Demski.
Both products of the Winnipeg High School Football League, Harris and Demski have been piling up the yards and touchdowns this season.
They both scored in Friday’s 29-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and they’ve combined to score 12 of the Bombers’ 30 touchdowns this season. Harris has eight majors, while Demski has four.
Harris leads the CFL with 720 rushing yards and has 254 receiving yards while Demski has caught 30 passes for 312 yards and rushed another 17 times for 120 yards. Demski also did an excellent job on Friday night of returning kickoffs, bringing back four kicks for 134 yards (33.5 yard average).

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/footb...nst-the-ticats

[jerrym]

After catching a pass in his 120th game in a row in which he played to tie for eighth on the all-time consecutive games receptions list (Don Narcisse leads with catches in 216 consecutive games), Weston Dressler suffered a leg injury and is likely to miss his next game. He appears to be slowing down with age as he has 28 receptions for 319 yards this year after 11 games compared to 51 catches for 651 yards last year.

[paulwoods13]

I don't think Dressler could have played 11 games this year. But yes, he may indeed be slowing down.

[jerrym]

I don't think Dressler could have played 11 games this year. But yes, he may indeed be slowing down.

You are right. The last sentence should have read "He appears to be slowing down with age as he has 28 receptions for 319 yards this year in his 11th season compared to 51 catches for 651 yards after 11 games last year."

[OV Argo]

You are right. The last sentence should have read "He appears to be slowing down with age as he has 28 receptions for 319 yards this year in his 11th season compared to 51 catches for 651 yards after 11 games last year."

Dressler is still a vet, smart, sure-handed receiver; I't take him in the line-up, even if he is not a # 1 or 2 receiver anymore. The Bombers still are not loaded with superstar receivers; but young Petermann will be a very good CFL receiver when he gets more opportunity IMO - he seemed to be in for Dressler late last game. Steal of the draft IMO (and he could be starting for Ottawa IMO - but Desjardins has been a real dullard with some of his drafting); they also have another draft pick receiver from this year - Simonise - who is a big target and flashed some talent already; Demski, Wolitarsky, Petermann & Simonise - they could easily be starting 3, if not 4, Canadian receivers down the road if they chose to look at that option.

[jerrym]

Demski, Wolitarsky, Petermann & Simonise - they could easily be starting 3, if not 4, Canadian receivers down the road if they chose to look at that option.

With Wolitarsky only in his second year, Petermann & Simonise being rookies, and Demski only 25 years old they could be set with their Canadian receivers for a long time if they don't lose them through free agency.

[OV Argo]

With Wolitarsky only in his second year, Petermann & Simonise being rookies, and Demski only 25 years old they could be set with their Canadian receivers for a long time if they don't lose them through free agency.

They could also add to that via next year's draft - which IMO has a really big/talented receiver crop (3 NCAA productive starters, and 3 to 4 outstanding CIS receiver prospects) = could get one of those guys in the 2nd round even, and thus still be able to address another area of need with a 1st rounder. Dressler might be on his last legs. A CFL team now starting 3 NIs at receiver though ? = I'll believe it when i see it.

[jerrym]

International WR Ryan Lankford is scheduled to replace Weston Dressler, who has been placed on the six game injured list, in the lineup this week.

[jerrym]

Two familiar problems for the Bombers in 2017 reappeared in the team's loss to Ottawa.

A lack of discipline and a porous defence were two of the main ingredients to a stew that left a sour taste in the mouths of a season-high 27,602 fans looking for a fourth straight win on home turf.
“Not good,” head coach Mike O’Shea summarized. “Undisciplined play leads to a lot of points… they capitalized and really generated a lot of points after we made mistakes and kept them on the field. The game looks different if we’re more disciplined and we get off the field. The defence is then more rested and our offence has more opportunities to drive the ball and battle a good Ottawa defence.”
The Bombers took 11 penalties for 80 yards, seven of them on defence. Two of them gave the Redblacks a second shot at two-point convert attempts, which they made. ...

As bad as Winnipeg’s defence has been at times this season, it reached a new low in giving up 500 yards total offence, Friday: 361 through the air, 139 along the ground.

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/footb...eek-in-calgary