Terrible Effort

...Too many turnovers to even make this one respectable...If Lapo doesn't address the O line problems (another huge hit on Buck) we won't have Pierce in the lineup much longer...PLUS the fact they can't seem to block for any any type of running game/// :thdn: ...I thought Tim Brown showed some flashes as a return man but looks very green...Out coached...out played....Is this a sign of things to come....Injury to Lobendahn doesn't look good...Back to the drawing board :roll:

can't solely blame oline Reid makes terrible reads on his blocking assignments he could have blocked those 2 huge hits if he was paying any attention at all there was one where the center had his guy and he went to help him out instead of taking the guy coming off the edge.

Buck taking too many shots. I was sure he was going to be pulled a couple times as he got up looking a bit woozy on more than one occasion today. The sac of course, trying to make a tackle on one of his picks...

Speaking of picks, I was pretty critical of Barker leaving Bell in the game vs BC when he threw 4 picks, same has to go for LaPo. Gotta wonder at the wisdom of leaving in your starter who's taken a couple hard hits that have left him a bit woozy, but regardless, I fail to see the wisdom of leaving Buck in that long. After the 3rd pick, a change behind center might have helped wake up the team and they were still in the game at that point. For sure after the 4th pick. But after the 5th pick? He waited too long to pull the trigger and that indecision put the game out of reach. I've wondered in the past about LaPos calls, i continue to wonder. I have less confidence now that he can outcoach the guy on the opposite side of the field when it becomes necessary. In game adjustments on the offensive side of the ball have been lacking. Lately defensive adjustments haven't been great either. The last 3 games you've seen teams be more effective and HOLDING up the pass rush and that's exposed the secondary.

Turnovers...Bombers have enjoyed the turnover differential all season, were bound to have a game where it would go the opposite way but this bad?!!

Make no mistake, the Bombers played another bad game. However the refs should be embarrassed with their effort tonight, the 2nd half in particular. Absolutely brutal. A PI call on an uncatchable ball that put the Riders on the bomber 3. The BS offside call on Willis which replays failed to show. Obvious holding against Willis right in front of a linesman, an unsportsmanlike on Carr for protesting? Carr needs more composure if he said something to the refs, refs need a thicker skin when they are laying an egg on the field. There has been obvious holding against Willis the last 3 games which are not being called. It seems the league has no interest in improving this aspect. If they would they would make it clear by announcing if/when they fine or censure any part of a ref crew. You know its bad when Suitor starts wondering about the calls.

Lobendahn injury hurt the team big time. I like Labbe but he seemed outclassed in there today. Muamba - the door is open kid. Not sure who else takes JoLo's spot if its a long term injury. Maybe Dustin Doe gets a shot? merril Johnson? Hefney injury also hurts. Not having either/both going into Montreal will hurt.

The Bombers will be fine, even if we finish the year 9-9 that will still put us in the playoffs, would be greatly disappointing after a 7-2 start but you first have to get in to the playoffs to win the Cup.

The Riders fans are going to become insufferable. Back to back wins vs the team with the best record in the league, thanks to the return of "Ken Miller" I'm sure they will be saying. Bottom line is the won 2 games by the bombers putting a stinker out on the field in Regina, then another one at home aided by 6 turnovers. Now they get to go on a bit of a tear as they play a bad Argos team (even if Jyles steps it up, the rest of the team is still lacking) next week and BC the week after. I'm not too convinced BC has turned the corner, they're playing better but that could be just lipstick thanks to back to backs vs the woeful argos. So the Riders could easily win their next 2 games. They are a better team with Fantuz back, plus getting Freeman and Koch back from the IR will hurt them, but they may not face a stiff challenge until they play the Stamps in 3 weeks, so expect a whole level of obnoxious.

Bombers O line is not good at all. MOrley and January were washed up years ago. They are the weakest and least athletic O line in the CFl.
Fred REID is too small and not big enough to block and do much these days.

Lapolice needs to calm down bigtime, he is too hyper on the sidelines, look like he drank 30 coca colas. He is way too wound up and his demeanour is of someone nervous.

Buck can throw the short passes and deep passes. However Buck has no intermediate game. We had BUCK in BC and i can tell you guys, Buck has no intermediate game at all. He lacks the 12-15 yard completions. He is simply not a drop back passer who can read the defense. Guys like Buck have that quick fast release to fire the short passes and then can throw the deep passes.
He does not anticipate plays at all and is too quick to run instead of letting plays develop.
Buck is not our starter in BC because they saw LULAY in practice and realized that LULAY is much more polished and more of a PRO style QB-

The Winnipeg defense is highly overrated. The issue is that the dbs are all too small. Guys like Heffney and Suber and JOhnson have no shot of making plays downfield vs a team like SASK who has Fantuz 6'6 and Getzlaf 6'4. They simply cannot cover a deep corner as they dont have the long arms to make the plays.

Teams have figured out that you can take the deep shots you will beat Winnipeg often and early in a game. Reality is that Winnipeg's statistics on defense were compiled vs TORONTO twice and vs BC twice when they were struggling.

Lapolice offense just does not work in PRO football anymore. Look at the NFL, CFL, and notice that teams are not throwing 5-6 yard passes over and over. Teams are taking deeper shots more and more. Look at what Winnipeg was doing on offense vs what SASK was doing. SASK was airing it out and running all guys deeper and someone gets open.

WInnipeg pass patterns are all individual patterns. one receiver is not clearing for another, there is no synchronization with the routes. They are all either vertical routes or hooks.

Winnipeg offense is the 2nd worst offense in the CFL after Toronto's. The offense has really went downhill since Greg Carr has entered the lineup. Perhaps Lapolice should not change a winning lineup and bench TJ HARRIS--

You labelled me as negative, but I saw what fans like you couldn’t see:

"The Offense sucks!
-The O-line stumbles around like drunken elephants which endangers its ONLY legitimate QB, Buck Pierce, and leaves no holes for its premier RB, Fred Reid, to run through.

The Coaching Sucks!
-The play calling is unimaginative and repetitive, meaning it’s only a matter of time before other teams completely shut down our offense. Face it, as good as the special teams and defense are, you can’t expect to win football games without your offense, which leads the league in 2-and-outs. The defense will eventually wear down and suffer injuries if the offense doesn’t get its act together. " (Thu Sep 08, 2011 10:01 am)

Now Lobendahn is injured and Swaggerville has turned into Staggerville. Montreal is going to eat this team alive.

BTW, good insights Guru, though I would point out that Fred Reid has proven he can run very well when he has good blocking. I suggested in an earlier post that bringing in a FB would improve the running game and help protect our QB (something you pointed out Reid can’t do very well). Buck almost got killed out there on Sunday!

As much as I like LaPo, I have to wonder about his offensive play calling. We have an OC that only heaven knows what he does and LaPo's statement that only he will call the plays reminds me of another statement made not so long ago that only me will touch the QB's. I'm not by any means comparing, only stating coaches sometimes might be overconfident about their abilities and not relying on the guy they're paying to design the offense. I just can't see the use of running a guy into a brick wall time and time again. Surely there are other plays available for the half back. And one might be to stay at home and protect Buck's blind side!

We have bought in defensive players by the boatload but there has not been a change on the Oline right from the start. They are going to have Buck on a stretcher sooner than later. And for heaven's sake... What's with pulling your all star defensive tackle and MLB on a second down? Durant had not problem realizing the weakness and running plays all day.

I don't want to sound negative but we are in for a tough second half.

…well you’re getting better…At least you had some faint praise for Fred in there…I try to be balanced in my posts…I think without having some constructive criticism and maybe offer some solutions you risk sounding like you’re not on board with this team whatsoever…Not just my take but also noticed by a few others…In any event…Guru has some valid points and offers some advice…I don’t know if they’ll all be accepted but an effort none-the-less :wink:

Man did Buck ever take a pounding, he was clearly out to lunch after the first big hit, should have never been allowed to continue playing, at least not behind that oline.

I don't know what our offensive coaches are thinking but they have to do a better job of pass protecting Buck as he must be blind in one eye not to see that blitzer coming. This is the second time he got smoked on his throwing side.

Blows to lose both those games to the Riders but the real task at hand are now the games against our eastern opponents. Still plenty of time to get the wheels back on the track, but it would be nice to see a few new bodies in camp to push a few players who seem to be feeling a little too comfy about now.

…The times that Buck got nailed were because an opposing player blitzed into the backfield in an instant, without so much as a finger laid on them…I don’t think he had time to blink, never mind re-act…When someone gets in the back-field that quick and uninterrupted…someone failed at their job…I haven’t seen one other qb. take that kind of direct punishment so far this year…Even wobbly ol Glenn gets better protection…There has to be changes or Buck will be done like dinner…It’s strange as well in that Lapo has stressed …over and over again…Buck has to stay upright, is the way he puts it…If that’s the best we can do…it ain’t good enough and the search for someone who can should be on :wink:

While I am not here to defend Winnipeg's offensive line, I am not sure that the line can be blamed for Butler's hit on Pierce. He came on a blitz; the Bombers' right tackle was occupied with the Riders' left end. .. there was no one there to block Butler. On that basis, the 'error' on that play would lie elsewhere (Reid for not going over to block him? Pierce for not recognizing the blitz was coming and changing the play?).

Yor’re right, there’s so much else to blame them for, :x it really doesn’t matter in the scheme of things.

We need more than sound coaching of the O-line. We need the hog butcher, Mack, to cull the herd and bring in some fresh hogs who can runblock and protect Buck (assuming that he didn’t suffer another concussion or other serious injury). Buck got drilled out there!

…I disagree MadJack…Our o line is the weakest in the league…January is passed his best before due date…Morley not much better…Douglas is having a poor year and Khan is not the player he once was…Adds up to a weak unit…LaBatte being the only one of any worth…and his play is trailing off (no wonder playing with those yokels)…We have to get better in this area… A Chris Walby type that takes no guff and is not scared to push people around …especially if they went after his qb.
Seems our coach doesn’t see a problem ,( according to the coaches show)lol lol …I wonder if his qb.s’ have the same opinion :roll:

That it may very well be, papa, I’m not arguing that point. All I was trying to say was that on that one particular play (Butler’s sack of Pierce), I am not sure that the blame lies with the line.

....according to some reports just coming out, it looks like it was Kito Poblah who missed an assignment....If that's the case it could let the o line off the hook....temporarily...Their collective play this year has still been lousey....I think i will have to refer to Poblah as (mos)Kito if he goofs up like that again and he'll deserve a swat.... :lol: ...Can't really dump on him totally though...he's still very green but this will show him what happens when you don't execute :wink: