More of the same

Many Bomber fans were wondering how the club would look tonight after a less-than-stellar performance in Week 1 still resulted in a win and it was shocking how similar tonight’s game was to last week’s at IG Field.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: for much of the first half, the offence failed to put plays together into consistent drives, the defence allowed Masoli and the Redblacks’ offence to put up yardage but did a good job of keeping points off the board, and both sides of the ball were better after half-time adjustments. Even the time of possession for the two games was within five seconds of each other (28:43 last week versus 28:38 tonight) and the Bombers finished with 19 points in both games.

Of course, there were still things that improved in tonight’s game. The Bombers were able to run the ball better, finishing with 26 rushing attempts for 115 yards — almost double the rushing yardage from the first meeting of these two clubs — and the defence kept the Redblacks out of the endzone for the entire game. There were some close calls when Ottawa was able to get the ball deep into Bombers’ territory, but they were stopped before getting into the endzone. However, if we’re discussing Ottawa being able to move the ball…

Picking up where he left off

For the third straight game — I’m including the 2021 Grey Cup — Jeremiah Masoli was able to move the ball effectively against the Bombers’ defence, finishing with 27 completions on 38 attempts for a total of 331 yards. For a defence that was setting records just last year, it’s concerning that a quarterback can work their way downfield so consistently.

With that said, though they have allowed substantial yardage through the first two games (441 total yards in Winnipeg, 425 total yards in Ottawa), the Bombers’ defence is getting the job done when it comes to points on the board. Despite the 866 yards allowed, the Bombers have limited the Redblacks to just one touchdown and a total of 29 points through 120 minutes of football. The yardage allowed is the kind of thing that will give defensive coordinator Richie Hall a headache but the defence is playing well enough to win games and ultimately, that’s all that matters.

Thunder & lightning

It’s been interesting to see the division of work between Brady Oliveira and Johnny Augustine through two games. The coaching staff has been saying that the two players will rotate this season, with neither being the “main” running back. Both players had better games in Ottawa, but how are they comparing to one another?

Oliveira has started both games this season and has been the player carrying the ball on over 70 percent of the running plays so far. However, Augustine has the better average at 5.3 yards per carry compared to just a 2.7-yard average from Oliveira.

I’m not trying to advocate for one player over the other. Oliveira is larger and more physical, while Augustine has a remarkable burst at the line with incredible speed. I thought it was notable that Augustine was the running back on the field at the end of the game this week when the Bombers were trying to kill the clock.

Both players are good options. I’d like to see them move closer to a 50/50 split rather than the 70/30 split we’ve seen through two games.

The new guys

After the losses of Kenny Lawler and Darvin Adams this offseason, the Bombers had a couple of holes to fill at receiver.

Signing Greg Ellingson in free agency was a solid move which has already rewarded the club. Ellingson has a touchdown in each of his first two games as a Blue Bomber and seems to already have rekindled his connection with Zach Collaros from when they were playing together in Hamilton.

The final receiver spot was won by American rookie Dalton Schoen, who has done nothing but impress at every step in his very young career. Schoen looked great in the preseason and through two regular-season games is sitting at seven receptions on nine targets for 127 yards. He scored his first CFL touchdown with 5:41 left in this game to extend the Bombers’ lead to seven points — their largest of the night.

Two games aren’t a huge sample size but so far, the new guys have fit right into the receiving corps and aren’t missing a step.

O-line ups and downs

Much like last week, the vaunted Winnipeg offensive line spent the first half struggling against the Ottawa front seven. The running game was struggling and Collaros didn’t seem to have a comfortable amount of time to find receivers downfield.

Left guard Geoff Gray took a couple of holding penalties at inopportune times in the first half — one of which took away a long completion to Dalton Schoen — and when starting centre Michael Couture went down with an injury, I thought the offence might be in for a long night with reserve offensive lineman Chris Kolankowski in his place.

Couture didn’t return to the game but much to the delight of Bomber fans, the offensive line played much better in the second half. The offence was able to increase its yardage output by 20 percent despite having one less drive in the second half, and that number looks even better considering that the Bombers were trying to kill the clock rather than push downfield on their final drive with 1:50 remaining.

Collaros had much more time in the pocket and it should be no surprise that the average drive length increased from 3.8 plays in the first half to 7.4 plays in the final 30 minutes of the game. It’s a lot easier to score points and win a game when you double your average drive length at halftime.

Where’s the game?

TSN lost the game feed for two possessions in the second quarter, leaving many of us wondering what was happening in the game. Ottawa went 2-and-out and the Bombers started at their 19-yard line after an illegal block penalty on the punt return.

The video feed resumed suddenly on a free play for the Bombers where Collaros forced a ball into coverage for an interception after Cleyon Laing jumped offside. The issue was that the feed cut in as the ball was in mid-flight, leading to a nation of viewers not realizing that play would be negated and assuming the Bombers had just lost the ball again. Luckily, the issue didn’t last too long.

On the topic of penalties…

Penalties galore

After accumulating four penalties for 38 yards last week in their home opener, the Bombers were flagged a whopping nine times in tonight’s game for 95 yards. Those aren’t numbers you expect to see from a Mike O’Shea-led football team.

It wasn’t just the Bombers getting the refs to toss their flags, the Redblacks were also flagged 10 times for 96 yards. While many of the penalties were absolutely warranted, a number of them were marginal at best. It would have been nice for the refs to have kept a few of those flags in their back pockets to allow the game to progress.

It seems fitting, given the number of flags, that the game was ultimately clinched by the Bombers thanks to a roughing-the-kicker penalty taken with under a minute left with the Bombers deep in their own end.

Not so Rose-y

After a poor showing in the home opener, in which Jaelon Acklin scorched him with six catches for 143 yards, there was a lot of focus on Winston Rose all week. Rose was dominant at his corner position in 2019, leading the league with ten interceptions en route to the Bombers ending their 29-year championship drought, but could he reach those heights again.

Lining up primarily against each other for a second consecutive week, Acklin finished the evening with seven catches on eight targets for 77 yards. Though the yardage was less than last week, seven catches is still a large number.

Rose was also beat in the second quarter on a 41-yard completion to Darvin Adams as it started to pour rain at TD Place and was also called for a rather questionable illegal contact penalty early in the fourth quarter which kept the Redblacks’ offence on the field.

Tonight may have been an improvement for Winston Rose, but his play won’t have quieted the conversation about him for another week. It’s safe to say fans will be watching Rose closely this Friday at IG Field.

Mr. 100

Congratulations to right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick, who played in his 100th CFL game on Friday night. Hardrick has been holding down the right side of the Bombers’ offensive line at an all-star level since he joined the club in 2016.

While he’s a stellar tackle, Hardrick is perhaps best known for his seemingly endless energy and positivity, both on and off the field. He can always be seen hyping up his teammates and celebrating every play — he originated the “Hardrick Hop” after touchdowns at IG Field, during which he and his fellow linemen do their best to jump into the stands.

There have been many popular offensive linemen in the history of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers but with the exception of Chris Walby, I haven’t seen nearly as many jerseys in the stands for any other o-lineman. Hardrick is fully deserving of his status as an absolute fan-favourite Blue Bomber.

Congrats, Jermarcus — here’s to the next 100 in blue and gold!

Third-string woes

The Bombers surprised the league on Tuesday when they announced that third-string quarterback Dakota Prukop had been placed on the six-game injured list. Joe Mancuso, who signed with the Bombers before training camp but was released, returned to the club this week and served as the holder for field goals in Prukop’s place in Ottawa.

The Bombers, like a number of other teams, typically utilize all three of their quarterbacks in various parts of each game. While losing a third-string QB doesn’t always have a huge impact on a team’s success, Prukop ran the short-yardage package for the club in addition to his duties as the holder.

It will be interesting to see how the Bombers deal with the loss of Prukop for at least the next month and a half. Backup quarterback Dru Brown took over short-yardage duty in Ottawa but was called upon just once.

Next up

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-0) are hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-1) on Friday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. CT at IG Field. The Bombers are calling for a classic Winnipeg “whiteout” at the game and will be wearing white jerseys with their new third uniform blue pants. This will mark the first time the club has worn their current road jersey with blue pants — it should be a good uniform combination and I’m excited to see it on the field next Friday.

Thanks to my brother John for letting me fill in for him this week, as he and his wife got possession of their new home today. This weekly post-game piece will return to its usual level of expertise next week when it is firmly back in John’s hands. I always appreciate that chance to share my thoughts on 3DownNation.

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As a uniform enthusiast, I love seeing teams come up with new uniforms. Winnipeg’s current uniforms are just about as close to perfect as you could hope for, but an alternate look that will be worn twice is a great way to add some variation while keeping the visual identity of the football club consistent.

This brings us to the third uniform announcement from a few days ago. The Winnipeg Football Club had been marketing this as a “third jersey unveiling,” so I assumed this would just be an alternate jersey accompanied by the standard gold helmet and pants. The unveiling was actually for a completely new alternate uniform, with new helmet striping to go with the new jersey and pants.

Photo courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

This new uniform falls into a couple of categories which won’t be popular with all fans. The first is that it eschews the standard large chest numbers and replaces them with a large ‘W’ logo across the chest. The second is that it is a mono-colour uniform: the jersey, pants, and socks are all royal blue. The NFL has been doing this for years with their “colour rush” program, which has largely been panned by uniform enthusiast.

I believe football clubs should leave large chest logos to hockey sweaters and stick with the traditional numbers on the front of jerseys. I feel for Derek Taylor, the new voice of the Blue Bombers, having to try to read the small chest numbers from the Bob Irving Media Centre at IG Field.

With that said, I can understand the team’s intention with this design choice. The club has been using ‘ForTheW’ as their official hashtag/slogan for years now and given that the only other change from the regular home jersey is the shoulder stripes, the large ‘W’ certainly makes the jersey unique. A third jersey should stand out, and although not everyone likes a large logo across the chest, this jersey certainly stands out.

The first time the club wears this alternate uniform on August 11th will mark the first time since November 6th, 2015 that the Bombers have worn blue pants. I prefer jerseys and pants to have different colours, but I appreciate the club wanting to display their primary colour so boldly. I would like to see the Bombers wear these new blue pants for a road game this season as they would offer a completely different look paired with white road jerseys and gold helmets.

My favourite part of this new uniform, by far, is the striping. The double stripes on the shoulders and pants are an absolute classic football uniform design and the gold really pops. The fact that the two stripes are meant to symbolize the past two Grey Cups should be more than enough to get every local fan on board.

The item I am most interested to see live at IG Field is the helmets. The typical single blue helmet stripe has become white and is flanked by a pair of blue stripes. It’s not a massive difference, but the addition of white and the significantly wider stripe width will be very noticeable on the field.

The helmets weren’t featured very heavily in the club’s promotional material and there weren’t any images of players wearing their helmet with the uniform. I suppose it does leave something to be discovered when the uniform is worn for the first time in a game this summer.

Photo courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

While the large chest logo and the mono-blue might not be winners for everyone, there is a lot of good in this alternate uniform. The stripes are fantastic and the club has stayed true to the royal blue and gold it’s worn since the beginning of the 2016 season.

For me, swapping the chest logo out for traditional numbers would have made this uniform an absolute slam dunk, but I can understand the club’s choice to focus on the ‘W.’ Ultimately, this uniform is a chance for the Bombers to change things up a little and have some fun, and they’ve done that while sticking to their team identity.

These alternates are Winnipeg’s first new uniforms since the 2016 CFL season. The club has been remarkably consistent with their uniform for the past five seasons, keeping it identical every game apart from swapping royal blue and white jerseys depending on the location of the game.

The lone standout was the Dené Sinclair-designed star blanket ‘W’ logo that appeared on the club’s helmets for last season’s October 9 home game against the Edmonton Elks.

Winnipeg will wear these alternate uniforms on August 11th against Montreal and on September 10th when the Saskatchewan Roughriders are in town for the Banjo Bowl.

The post Blue Bombers’ new alternate uniforms are all-blue slam dunk appeared first on 3DownNation.

More than 14 months after the first teaser back in March 2020, we finally get a look at what the Stamps will be wearing on the field for a surprising six of their seven home games this season.

Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders

Overall, this uniform is a definite winner. While certainly retro-inspired, this 75th anniversary uniform offers an immediate upgrade over everything else the Stamps have in their current wardrobe.

Yes, they’re even better than the very popular black ‘outlaw’ uniforms the Stamps have been wearing since 2014. Those uniforms are overrated, and I’d be happy to see them retired (come at me, Stamps fans).

Alas, I’m assuming the one home game the Stamps won’t wear the new 75th anniversary uniforms will be the Labour Day matchup against the Edmonton Elks, at which they’ll likely
dust-off the ‘outlaw’ uniforms. Sigh.

Screenshot courtesy: Calgary Stampeders

To put it simply, there isn’t anything I dislike about this uniform. The striping across the shoulders may not be to everyone’s taste, but I like it. It’s unique, which, given that the CFL has had several of its nine team wearing the same uniform template for a number of years, is worth more than you might initially realize.

The jersey is consistent with the style of the team from late 40s and early 50s — including their only undefeated season, culminating in a 1948 Grey Cup championship — and the retro Stampeders logo on the sleeves is also a classic nod to the team.

Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders

Happily, the team has also released photos that include the uniform’s pants and socks, and they are also winners. No helmets have been shown by the team but as @OttRedandBlack points out, we have likely already seen the helmet the team will wear.

Contrasting the red jersey are white pants with a simple double red stripe, and the look is balanced with red socks. The pants are great, and before anyone comments on it: yes, these pants are a red version of the Riders’ throwback pants. But those are just a green version of the Indianapolis Colts’ pants. It’s a common pant design in football, and it works great.

Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders

I’ve saved the best point for last: this uniform has completely eliminated the colour black.

Playing in a league with a team called the ‘Redblacks’ means that red and black should be fully left to the Rouge et Noir. Ottawa wore black first and has always worn it better. The Stamps should embrace red and white and claim it as their unique look in the CFL.

I, as well as most uniform-conscious fans, have found games between the Stampeders and Redblacks to be nightmarish over the years with both teams wearing roughly the same amount of black, red, and white. The Stamps have gotten it right by sticking to a simple two-colour look with these new uniforms.

Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders

If the Stampeders really want to embrace a third element to their colour scheme it should be silver. These retro uniforms the team wore in 2010 and 2011 are still the best uniform in the club’s history, hands down.

Overall, these retro uniforms are a major success for the Stampeders. I’m certainly hoping that this uniform — or better yet, the red and silver beauties from ten years ago — become the basis for the team’s full-time home and away uniforms in 2022 and beyond.

Moving back to a focus on black would be an even bigger blunder than losing the 2016 Grey Cup in overtime to Ottawa (ouch).

The post Why the Calgary Stampeders’ new uniforms are awesome & should be worn beyond 2021 appeared first on 3DownNation.

After seeing the league in action for a full season, the time has come for the first definitive “CFL Uniform Monitor” ranking.

As an aside: my self-proclaimed title of “CFL Uniform Monitor” is one that I take seriously. With great uniform power comes great uniform responsibility.

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

9. Toronto Argonauts

They may have avoided finishing last in the East Division in 2019, but the Argos find themselves at the bottom of this list. The biggest issue with the Argos isn’t what they look like now; it’s what they got rid of in the switch to New Era.

The Argos had, in my opinion, the second-best kit in the league in 2018. The outlined white numbers on their navy home uniforms were fantastic (and much better than the current light blue numbers), and the sleeve striping was gorgeous. Now we’re left with what look like left-over NFL Pro Bowl uniforms (and that’s not a good thing).

The revamp this year eliminated everything that was great about their uniform, and it was disappointing that not even four weeks of the beloved boat logo on their helmets could make up for it.

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

8. Ottawa Redblacks

Ottawa’s look didn’t change much with the switch to New Era, but the team moved from awkward underarm striping to awkward chest striping.

The Redblacks have now had three different uniform variations in their six-year existence, yet none have come close to touching what the Rough Riders wore during the Russ Jackson era. I understand the franchise needed a new look in 2014, but after six seasons, three Grey Cup appearances, and one championship, the time is right for a throwback.

Ottawa: do the right thing in 2020 and give us a Rough Riders throwback.

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

7. Saskatchewan Roughriders

I was happy to see the Riders ditch black entirely in their 2016 redesign, but I think they could have come up with something better than what they have now. The team is very fond of wearing mono-colours, which I really don’t care for — the team looks so much better with a contrasting jersey and pant.

The biggest uniform issue I have with the Riders is a common complaint: they have their retro-uniforms sitting in the closet most of the year. The Riders’ retro outfits are fantastic. It’s a shame the club rarely wears them unless it’s Labour Day. If the Riders ever switch to their retros full-time, expect them to skyrocket up this list.

6. Montreal Alouettes

I was thrilled to see Montreal unveil not only a new uniform for the 2019 season, but also a completely new logo and brand identity. It was long overdue as the Als hadn’t made a significant change to their uniform since re-joining the league in 1997. I can understand not wanting to change the look of the organization during the Calvillo era — even if those uniforms were atrocious — but this change should have happened several years ago.

Switching to a darker, more modern colour scheme and uniform was clever. Their new logo just won Best New Primary Logo of 2019 on sportslogos.net — although I don’t necessarily love the placement of the logo on the top of the helmet — and the relative simplicity of their uniform is welcomed. As with the Riders, I’d be happy to see the club mix up their blue and white jerseys and pants to avoid the mono-colour look going forward.

Photo courtesy Alex Lupul/AlexLupul.com

5. Edmonton Eskimos

The Eskimos redesign in 2016 simplified their uniform overall and marked the end of their ridiculous green helmets. The switch to New Era resulted in essentially no uniform changes, seeing the club stand pat.

I don’t think the Esks really need to change much. The uniform is simple and effective — even if I don’t like drop shadow numbers — but my biggest concern with Edmonton is the “signature” third uniform they continue to wear. I disliked it when it was released, and I loath when it comes out again a couple of times each season.

From what I can gather on social media, the fans in Edmonton like them but they are the main reason I’ve ranked the Esks lower than their provincial rivals.

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

4. Calgary Stampeders

Much like the Esks a few years ago, the Stampeders’ biggest addition in 2019 was a subtraction — the elimination of their black helmets. Black helmets simply have no place in Calgary’s locker room. I don’t mind the Stamps’ all-black “outlaw” uniforms that they wear on Labour Day, but I’m tiring of them. As with the Eskimos, I’d be happy for the club to retire the blackout unis and move on to something else.

While on the subject of the Stampeders wearing black, I want to offer a suggestion which I imagine won’t be overly popular in Cowtown: remove black altogether from the team’s colour scheme. With a team in the league literally named the “Redblacks,” it’s high time for the Stamps to leave red and black to Ottawa and embrace red and white.

I’d throw in some silver for good measure (the fairly recent 70’s throwbacks were absolutely stunning), which would give the Stampeders their own unique colour scheme. I don’t expect the club to make this change any time soon, but I’d love to see it.

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

3. B.C. Lions

The best part of these new uniforms is the helmets. I was never a fan of the logo Adidas put on the Leos’ helmets, so it’s great to see the familiar lion head and “BC” wordmark back in game action. The combination of the stripe on the helmet, outlined numbers on the jersey, and orange pants with classic striping give a retro-feel to these uniforms.

I have already stated that I don’t like mono-coloured uniforms, but I don’t mind the Lions orange jersey and pant combination at home. The addition of the black helmet and prominent black shoulder colouring break it up. The Lions are also the only team in the CFL to wear orange, so I’m all for the Lions embracing it as much as possible.

Photo courtesy Alex Lupul/AlexLupul.com

2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Simple, yet effective. The Ticats made only one substantial uniform tweak in 2019 — the very welcomed return of their yellow helmet stripe. These uniforms have fantastic sleeve striping, are very legible, and adding just about anything else would only be a downgrade.

With that said, there is one thing I would ask the Ticats to change — I’m not a fan of the mono-black the Ticats wore through the playoffs. I’d much rather see them in black jerseys and yellow pants, or at the very least throw a yellow stripe down the side of the pants to break it up. Overall these uniforms are deserving of a ranking near the top of the league.

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers

All is well in Bomberland. The team ended a 29-year championship drought and did it in the best uniforms in the CFL. Since the Winnipeg Football Club came to their senses and switched back to a royal blue colour scheme in 2016, their uniforms have been the best in the league.

Before anyone calls me out, I will admit to being a lifelong Bombers fan. While some readers may think this is a hometown bias, there simply is no denying the Bombers uniforms are glorious. If it helps appease any uneasy readers, I can confirm that at no point during the Bombers’ stint wearing navy blue (1997-2015) were their uniforms near the best in the league.

There you have it — the definitive “CFL Uniform Monitor” uniform ranking. Disagree with me? Sound off in the comments or let me know on Twitter: @CFLUniMonitor.

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Twenty-nine long years.

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always dreamt of the Blue Bombers ending their championship drought and winning the Grey Cup. I’ve thought constantly about seeing a Bomber player hoist the cup and imagined how sweet it would be to see blue and gold confetti rain down on a celebrating group of players. In my 31 years I’d never seen it.

My in-laws have told me about the club ending their 22-year drought in 1984: how my father-in-law had to stand in the corner of the living room the entire game and step outside into the crisp November air to cool off. How my mother-in-law sat motionless on the couch clutching a pillow so tight it could have burst. They’ve told me many times about the parade that year, and about how cathartic it was for the city.

For the first time in my life, I am part of a similar story.

My wife and I parked a ten-minute walk from the Forks in downtown Winnipeg. Almost immediately we were joined by a crowd of anxious fans hurrying to get a spot for the parade. We were still nowhere near the parade route, but we could feel the excitement.

Once we arrived at the Forks, I took some time to look around. What struck me was the shear volume of fans that attended. There were just so many people in every direction clad in blue and gold, many carrying signs or flags. Every person there was happy and engaging. People were hugging, chanting, singing, shouting, cheering, and crying tears of joy. 29 years of heartbreak and loss were washed away to cheers of “We got the cup! We got the cup!”.

As the players drove by, it was clear they were having just as much fun as the fans. I felt for the drivers of the trucks the players were standing on with the mob of fans they might have only had a foot of clearance on either side of their vehicles.

Finally, bringing up the rear of the parade was the Grey Cup. It almost looked out of place in the arms of Bomber players. For my entire life it’s always felt like the Bombers weren’t allowed to win the Grey Cup. It just never happened. To see it in a parade in downtown Winnipeg, clutched in the arms of a bare-chested Chris Streveler in a sea of 10,000 fans was surreal. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.

There might not be anyone who has enjoyed the celebration since Sunday more than Chris Streveler. The Bombers pivot has become a social media goldmine since the team clinched the title, and fans of the team are eating him up. Streveler’s on-field play has stuck a chord with Bomber fans all season, but his unbridled joy and excitement after the Grey Cup game has been infectious.

I can imagine that some CFL fans are tired of seeing Streveler’s mug on constant Twitter and Instagram posts, but I’d like to share a story that hasn’t been given any attention at all.

Following the parade on Tuesday, Streveler and other teammates were at the Bomber store meeting fans. A fan with mobility issues was particularly excited to meet Streveler and he proceeded to help her around the store. He was patient with her and asked her to pick out everything she wanted. When she was done, he took her to the till and paid for everything himself. “Do you mind if we cut?” he asked the fan at the front of the line. They let him go ahead. It’s not hard to see why Winnipeggers are in love with the guy.

My brother John made a good point on our Grey Cup recap episode of the Blue Bomber Talk podcast — this Grey Cup win marks the end of a dark period for professional sports in Winnipeg. The ‘90’s saw the Bombers last championship for 29 years, as well as the beloved Jets move to Phoenix. It took until 2011 for the Jets to fly home, and 2019 for the Bombers to end the drought. Including back-to-back championship seasons for the Goldeyes in 2016 and 2017, young sports fans in the province of Manitoba have a much different experience with their local teams than the one John and I grew up with.

Looking back on the last few days, I’m forced to wonder if this is what every championship feels like. Surely, this one must be a little extra-special given the 29 years that led up to it.

After watching every other CFL team win a title, I was finally able to see the Bombers hoist the Grey Cup and have blue and gold confetti litter the field. I’ve shed more than a couple tears staring at photos of Jake Thomas, Andrew Harris, and Adam Bighill swathed in confetti, and I bet I’m not alone. The best part of all of this is knowing that my story isn’t unique. There’s an entire fan base that feels the same as I do.

Enjoy this, Bomber fans. As we know, championships don’t come around that often. Given the parity that exists in the CFL, it might be a while before this happens again. For now, the drought is over, and for the next twelve months the Blue Bombers are reigning Grey Cup champions. Take it all in, and enjoy it.

The post Bombers parade: a sea of blue and gold (and a little Grey) appeared first on 3DownNation.

Below are my thoughts on the game.

Slow start, quick turnaround

The offence started out sluggish beginning the game with three two-and-outs. The ball hit the turf on a poor exchange between Matt Nichols and Andrew Harris and Harris later fumbled on the third offensive drive. Luckily, neither play resulted in a turnover.

Winston Rose’s pick-six off a Jon Jennings pass with just over six minutes left in the opening quarter provided a spark for the offence, which went on three-straight touchdown drives to effectively put the game away by the middle of the second quarter. A two-yard Chris Streveler run with 22 seconds left in the first half sealed the victory with 30 minutes of football still to come.

Nichols on target 

Matt Nichols broke a 38-year Blue Bomber franchise record by completing 19 consecutive passes in Friday’s game, good for fourth all-time in CFL history. He was simply outstanding in the game, showing fans across the nation why he’s been the best quarterback in the CFL so far this season.

Nichols began the game with four incompletions but would go on to miss only one subsequent attempt, finishing 25-of-30 passing for 295 and two touchdowns. The one remaining incompletion was an overthrow to Kenny Lawler in the middle of the second quarter, which was followed by a 54-yard touchdown pass on the next play.

Nichols sat out the Bomber’s last two drives giving Chris Streveler some time under centre. Had Nichols played those last two drives, the all-time completions record set by Jeremiah Masoli in 2016 (23) could have been within reach.

Easy breezy

Doug Brown summed up the first 20 minutes of the game perfectly — the Bombers really didn’t seem to have broken a sweat and were up by 20 points in the mid-second quarter.

It seems like the Blue & Gold have barely broken a sweat, and they’re already up by 20, in the second quarter

— Doug Brown (@DougBrown97) July 20, 2019

The Bombers have improved on what was already the CFL’s top scoring offence last season. Nichols is getting plenty of time in the pocket and is considerably more mobile than last year, giving his receivers ample time to get separation. We haven’t even factored in Andrew Harris and the run attack the Bombers can bring yet.

Simply put, the Bombers made a quick 21-0 lead look easy to attain. And that’s not something to take lightly.

Eight good quarters

The Bombers have played eight of their last 12 quarters of football against Ottawa, coming away with some spectacular stat lines including: outscoring the Redblacks 60-15; allowing a total of only 461 yards; and scoring eight touchdowns while holding Ottawa to zero.

It’s no secret that Ottawa isn’t playing amazing football right now, but even taking that into account those are some gaudy numbers.

Petermann hot off the bench

I was once again impressed with the play of backup Canadian receiver Daniel Petermann. After Nic Demski was injured on a first quarter running play, Petermann came in and caught all five passes tossed his way for a respectable 46 yards. He’s got great hands and is very effective after the catch — the Bombers’ third touchdown drive would have resulted in a field goal attempt had it not been for Petermann’s push to get a first down deep in Ottawa territory.

Jennings debut

Friday night marked Jonathan Jennings’ debut as starting QB for the Redblacks. It was a game Ottawa football fans will be trying hard to forget as Jennings finished just 6-of-15 passing for 45 yards in three quarters of play. For perspective, that’s nine yards less than the Nichols touchdown pass to Lawler. Jennings was replaced by third stringer William Arndt in the fourth quarter with the game well out of hand.

It seems the fall from grace hadn’t yet reached its end for Jennings after taking the CFL by storm in 2016 and throwing for a season total of 5,226 yards with the Lions. He never regained his form with B.C. and, frankly, looked terrible against Winnipeg.

In fairness to Jennings, his offensive line had a night to forget. Jennings was under pressure constantly at IG Field and was sacked three times. There are a lot of moving parts in Ottawa this season — it will be interesting to watch the play at QB and the offensive line moving forward.

Crockett left it all on the field (literally)

Friday night’s contest was a coming out party of sorts for Ottawa’s John Crockett, who finished the game with 15 carries for 88 yards, most of which came in the first half.

Crockett provided the Redblack’s only meaningful offensive output, but that wasn’t his only output during the game (pun intended).

Crockett “lost his lunch” on the field a number of times throughout the first half of the game, and it immediately made the rounds on social media. Hopefully his game is remembered for moving the ball in the first half of the game and not the extra-curriculars between plays.

No Biggie

Adam Bighill missed his third consecutive game on Friday night. While his lingering injury has never seemed serious, the Bombers have been hesitant bringing Bighill back to the starting lineup. He’s the reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the CFL and the club wants him fully healthy before getting him back into games.

With respect to the Ottawa Redblacks and Toronto Argonauts, the Bomber’s defence hasn’t been tested a whole lot during Bighill’s time on the bench. This coming Friday’s game in Hamilton will be a larger challenge for Richie Hall’s defence and it’s expected the club will want Bighill back in the lineup.

Pressure throughout

Unlike last week’s victory over the Toronto Argonauts, the Bombers were able to keep pressure on the Redblacks for a full 60 minutes. The Boatmen added loads of yardage on offence in the second half while keeping the Bombers’ offense in check last week. The game was well out-of-hand by that point, but there was much made by Winnipeg players this week about not letting their opponents back into a lopsided game. It was great to see the team practice what they preached and completely snuff out the Redblacks for the entire game.

Tribute to Chris Randle

It was nice to see the Winnipeg Football Club put up a tribute video honouring Chris Randle at Friday night’s game. Randle was one of the club’s top defensive leaders who played five years at boundary corner at a high level. Randle’s play dropped off a bit last year with the Bombers and those struggles have continued into this season with Ottawa. He was a healthy scratch in the contest Friday after losing his starting spot following last week’s matchup with the Alouettes.

It’s vitally important for a football club to bring in talented players, but it’s also important to know when it’s time to move on. Free agent signing Winston Rose — Randle’s replacement this season — has been spectacular, currently sitting second in the CFL with three interceptions.

Next up

The Bombers travel to Hamilton this Friday night to take on Jeremiah Masoli and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Hamilton is coming off a bye and is currently sitting in first place in the East with a 4-1 record. The contest has all the makings of a great football game — two first-place teams in their respective divisions squaring off — and will be a great test for the Blue Bombers to try and continue their winning ways.

Programming note: Pending international travel being on schedule, John will be back from his honeymoon shortly before the Bomber’s next game against Hamilton. Keep an eye on 3DownNation for his post-game thoughts next week.

On a personal note, I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to step in for my brother over the last two weeks and provide my thoughts on the games. If you’d like more from myself and John, please check out the Blue Bomber Talk Podcast where we elaborate on our thoughts after every Bomber game (unless one of us is on their honeymoon). We will return following next week’s game.

The post Bombers mop up Redblacks at IG Field (& 11 other thoughts) appeared first on 3DownNation.

Below are my thoughts on the game.

That was quick

Lucky Whitehead returned the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown, setting the Bombers up with an early lead. Whitehead was untouched on the return following blocks thrown up by John Rush and Derek Jones. It was a lead the Bombers would waste no time increasing.

Following a short opening drive by the Argos, Charles Nelson returned a Zach Medeiros punt to the five-yard line. The drive was capped off by an Andrew Harris touchdown reception just three minutes and 43 seconds into the game giving the Bombers a 14-0 lead. Long touchdown passes to Darvin Adams and Nic Demski (38 and 67 yards, respectively) made the score 28-0, and the Bombers didn’t look back en route to their first 4-0 start in 16 years.

Very special teams

It’s rare that special teams play can win a football game in as measurable a way as it did on Friday night. Along with Whitehead’s kickoff return touchdown, the Bombers special teams unit also accounted for four field goals and a total of 350 return yards while allowing only 150 yards by the Argo’s Chris Rainey. Justin Medlock’s punting was also fantastic, averaging 49.5 yards on six punts.

The main reason the Bombers beat the Eskimos two weeks ago while allowing Trevor Harris to throw for gobs of yardage was that their special teams unit took over the field position battle. It’s pleasantly surprising to see an even better performance just two weeks later.

Harris joins elite company

Andrew Harris became the 12th player in CFL history (and just the second Canadian) to rush for 8,000 career yards in Friday’s game. He passed the milestone in style on a 52-yard romp at the end of the second quarter to set up a Justin Medlock field goal.

Harris should be past his prime at age 32, but he continues to produce. The record for career rushing yards by a Canadian back is held by Normie Kwong with 9,022 yards. It will likely take Harris another full season to break that record, but if he’s able to stay healthy it’s a CFL record that is in reach for the Winnipeg native.

Game manager no more?

There seems to be more made of Matt Nichols “game manager” moniker this year than any other. His passing totals are good but not elite (he currently sits sixth in league passing with 855 yards through four games), but it’s his ability to throw touchdown passes that’s been extremely effective.

With an offseason to heal after a training camp injury last year, Nichols has better control over the long ball – his touchdown pass to Darvin Adams was about as perfectly thrown as possible – and he’s finding open receivers better than previous seasons. He leads the league in touchdown passes with 10 and has complimented that with only one interception. Perhaps it’s time to retire the “game manager” moniker.

Bighill out

Adam Bighill was ruled out for a second consecutive game on Friday night after tweaking something in practice a couple of weeks ago. I suspect he could have played against Toronto if needed, but between how well the Bomber’s defense played without him in Ottawa and the Argos poor record coming into the contest it’s no surprise that the team opted to give him another week to heal up. Speaking of injured players…

Walking wounded

Jeff Hecht, Anthony Gaitor, Jermarcus Hardrick, Jesse Briggs, and Matt Nichols all left the game at various points with injuries. Both Gaitor and Nichols returned to the game, with Gaitor recovering a fumble in the second half.

McLoed Bethel-Thompson was able to take advantage of the Bomber’s secondary in the second half (more on him in a moment) once Hecht and Gaitor were out of the game, but the biggest challenge for the Bombers was covering for the absence of Jermarcus Hardrick on the right side of the offensive line.

With Hardrick out, undrafted second-year man Cody Speller moved out to the vacant right tackle spot and 2019 fourth overall draft pick Drew Desjarlais drew in at left guard. Friday night was the first time Speller has played at tackle after being a career centre for the McMaster Marauders and the inexperience between himself and Desjarlais showed at times in the game. The Bombers will hope for Matt Nichols’ sake that the injury won’t sideline Hardrick for an extended period.

Walker breaks out

Through his first three games with the boatmen Derel Walker had a paltry seven catches and zero touchdowns. It seems that Toronto’s offence finally realized they had the CFL’s highest paid receiver to throw the ball to and they used him accordingly. It was clear that the game plan was to target Walker as often as possible, and second year pivot McLeod Bethel-Thompson relied heavily on the veteran receiver.

Walker had a breakout game in Winnipeg, setting a personal best for yards in a game with 188 on only nine receptions. Walker also added two touchdown and was the Argos lone bright spot in a game that had spilled beyond reach in the first quarter.

Third quarter blues

The Bombers offensive and defensive units were pretty flat for most of the second half, though I’m willing to give them a pass given that they had a commanding 37-6 lead through 30 minutes. McLeod Bethel-Thompson picked apart the Bomber’s secondary to throw for two touchdowns in the second half (he also threw for one in the second quarter), and accumulated a career-high 388 passing yards on the day.

Given time in the pocket, I was impressed with Bethel-Thompson’s arm strength and his ability to target open receivers down the field. Of course, this took place during garbage time, but hopefully Argo fans can hope to see more from their current starting quarterback.

“Bend but not break” defence

All good things must come to an end, and the Bombers couldn’t keep their opposition out of the endzone forever. McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s second quarter touchdown pass to Derel Walker just before the three minute warning ended the Bombers’ streak of 10 quarters without allowing a touchdown dating back to Lemar Durant’s grab in the third quarter of Week 1 game action in Vancouver — a whopping 41 consecutive possessions.

The streak was always going to end, but Bomber fans can take solace that it ended when the team had a 31-point lead in the game.

Still on a roll

The Bombers invite the 2-2 Ottawa Redblacks this Friday, July 19, and have a chance to move to 5-0 for the first time since 1960. The Bombers dispatched the Rouge et Noir in impressive fashion just a week and a half ago in Ottawa and will be looking to repeat that feat in front of their home crowd. These truly are exciting times in Bomberland.

Since starting the season with impressive wins against Calgary and Saskatchewan, the Redblacks have fallen to .500 after loses to the Bombers and Alouettes and now sit in third place in the East Division. Ottawa will be desperate to get back in the win column and it should make for an exciting game next week.

Programming note: With John still away on his honeymoon, I will be back with my thoughts following the Bombers Week 6 contest against the Ottawa Redblacks. John and I will not be recording The Blue Bomber Talk Podcast until he returns.

The post Dominant Bombers sink Boatmen (& 10 other thoughts) appeared first on 3DownNation.

Before diving into the changes – don’t worry, we’ll get there – I have a quick thought: what took so long?  I understand the team keeping everything status quo while in the midst of the Calvillo era – you don’t change your brand when you’ve got the best player in the game behind centre and are competing for a championship every year.  Look no further than the current New England Patriots, currently entrenched in the Brady/Belichick era, for an example of making no changes whatsoever when the team is successful: Tom Brady has worn essentially the same uniform for every start of his career from 2001 to the present.

But why wait until 2019? Calvillo retired in 2014, and his last full season was back in 2012.  The team has been mired at the bottom of the league’s standings since Calvillo’s departure and hasn’t yet been able to find a franchise QB.  The Adidas uniform rebrand in 2016 would have been the perfect time to make this change.  Better late than never, I suppose.

I have been very vocal about my distaste for the Alouettes uniforms and logo in the past, but I’m happy to say that overall, I’m very happy with the “new” Montreal Alouettes:

The Colours

The team was in desperate need of picking two colours and sticking with them- blue and red made the most sense.  The switch to a darker blue gives the team a more modern look, and looks great with the red.

The Logo

I love logos.  A logo should be distinct, interesting, and simple – something that could be drawn easily from memory with no artistic skill.  This new logo checks all those boxes for me.  It has a retro-feel to it, which is interesting in the middle of a decidedly modern rebrand, but I think it works well enough.  It’s simultaneously an Alouette in flight, but also a stylized “M” and “A”, and it looks good on merchandise.

The Uniform

The most important thing to nail with this rebrand was the uniform – it’s what the players wear to represent the team on the field.  The previous uniform was easily the worst in the league.  This new look rockets the Alouettes much, much higher on the league’s uniform standings.  It’s clean and modern, displays the colours and logo clearly, and the numbers and name bars are easily legible.  I don’t mind the monochromatic look of the uniform, but I’d love to see the team rotate the pant and jersey combination.  I tossed the new uniforms into photoshop for a quick peek at what that would look like:

Pretty slick, if you ask me.  I’d love to see the Als use all four of these uniform combinations over the course of 2019.

Overall, this is a major success for the Alouette’s head office: a completely new identity for a football team that really needs one.  The Calvillo era is long since over so it’s time for a new look and fresh start.

With the Alouettes relaunch, my biggest uniform-related issue in the CFL has been resolved.  I will now lend my voice to the next issues that need to be rectified: getting the Riders to switch to their retro uniforms full-time, convincing the Stamps to stop wearing black and embrace silver once again, and (likewise) get the Lions to minimize black in their colour scheme and focus on their current “away” orange and white look.

The post The Montreal Alouettes new look is fantastic – and long overdue appeared first on 3DownNation.