The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been wildly successful this year! Not only have they broke all kinds of records and put up ridiculous statistics, which I mentioned in my previous article, they are 10-3 on the season!
Yet, Bomber fans have seen the Bombers unexplainably flounder at times this season. Their three loses this season come against Ottawa, BC, and Saskatchewan. Winnipeg’s lost to Ottawa occurred on July 15 and took the Redblacks needing overtime to secure the win. That win at the hands of rookie quarterback, Dustin Crum, should have never happened. Crum had his way with the Bombers running at will with the Bombers lacking an answer. You can give it to the Redbalcks that they have been close in a lot of games this year but they still are 3-9 with one of those 3 wins being against Winnipeg.
Later in the season the Bombers lost against BC, BC is a very good team, so it is not that the Bombers lost to BC that caused concern, rather how they lost! On June 22 BC came into Winnipeg and spanked them by a score of 30-6 at IG Field! That is not supposed to happen. The Bombers would have their revenge on August 30 when they put up a 50 Burger on BC and whipped them 50-14!
Winnipeg would later suffer their third loss at the Labour Day Classic. However, once again they would bounce back and smash Saskatchewan at the Banjo Bowl by a score of 51-6! That game would feature an impressive throw by Zach Collaros – one that in the past got him in trouble with a pick 6 but this time resulted in an Oliveira touchdown!
So which Winnipeg team will see against Hamilton?
Winnipeg Depth Chart
Maybe the biggest issue is that Jeffcoat is out of this game! Haba draws in for him and we will seee if Haba can bring some heat! Additionally. Grant is still not back. The Bombers’ return game has looked lacking at best. The Bombers also need to work on getting better at stopping the returns from their opponents; they are constantly loosing yards in that exchange.
Hamilton Depth Chart
Hamilton has a chance of winning this game; but it will take a combination of luck and talent. Hamilton will need to get after Bombers’ quarterback Zach Collaros, and will need to run the ball effectively to win. They will need to stop Winnipeg’s run game and blanket receivers, or hope the Bombers drop a lot of balls. A pick-6 or a return for a touchdown would go a long way towards a Hamilton win.
Questions
What type of effort will we see from the Bombers? Will it be an effort that has Collaros questioning their offence being “prolific,” or will it be an effort that steals away their opponent’s will to win?
Will Schoen continue his wild touchdown journey; as he already has 29 touchdowns – 16 in 2022 and 13 so far this year!
Predictions
I do not think that Hamilton will get a combination of good plays and good fortune to win the game. Dinking and dunking all game will not be good enough. I expect Hamilton knows that and will take some shots down field. I think Winnipeg wins the game, but I do not see a blow out coming. For the Bombers to blow out Hamilton it will take them generating turnovers.
Pound for pound Winnipeg’s quarterback is heads and tails above Hamilton’s.
A decisive win vs. Hamilton this weekend will put any Bomber doubters on silent mode! If it is a close win, or the Bombers lose the game expect the rumblings of ‘too old,’ and ‘not as good as they used to be’ to resurface.
What do you agree with? What do you disagree with? Let me know in the comments wherever you are reading this.
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