In this segment I do not pull any punches. You may not like or agree with everything I say, but I do not hold back!

So let us get right into it.

Truth Bomb #1: It Was Not Richie Hall’s Fault!

I know the “Fire Richie Hall” fan club may have had some new members sign up. Even those that previously let their membership expire were looking to renew their membership. I imagine some are waiting until after the bye-week to see if they will renew their membership.

However, there are only so many guys you can hide on defence when you have 5 starters out and you are playing 2^nd and 3^rd string players. I know the motto is “Next man up,” and you will never hear Coach O’Shea say that a player is not good enough. Instead he says that each player is on the team for a reason and that reason is that they believe each player gives them a chance to win.

So what does Richie Hall do? The only thing he really can do. The Bombers’ defence plays back off the line of scrimmage. They trying to keep everything in front of them. They are hoping that the other team cannot be perfect and will make a mistake which the Bombers’ defence will capitalize on, and that the Bombers will limit explosion plays.

When it works it looks great! When it does not work, it looks like the defence is soft.

Usually that strategy works for the Bombers. The problem was that Dane Evans was uncharacteristically good! He had a completion percentage of 78.1% and threw for 5 touchdowns!

So what adjustments do you want Richie Hall to make? There literally are not any other players to substitute in. Do you want him to send more pressure? The Bombers had zero sacks! Sure, he could have sent more pressure, but the way that Evans was playing he would have picked on Winnipeg’s secondary even more. The end result would have been even uglier!

Yet, if you ask Adam Bighill we will say it is just an issue of playing better fundamental football.

And while I believe they could have played better fundamental football, I am not buying that reason as the number one reason they lost.

Truth Bomb #2: Injuries Hurt The Bombers!

We should not dismiss the fact that at some point there is going to be a drop off in performance…and Winnipeg got to that point when they played in Hamilton.

I floated that idea around on Twitter and fans (some from Winnipeg and some from other teams) pointed out that Winnipeg has not faced the same amount of injuries as other teams. While that may be the case, anyone who does not credit some of the loss to the fact that the Bombers were playing multiple backups just is not on the same page as I am.

I hope I do not have to circle all the new guys!

If you think I have completely missed it, then explain why the Bombers are making an unusual number of transactions.

And do not expect that to be the end of signings! The Bombers are trying to set up for another Grey Cup win, and I bet they think they need some help. They do not have all their A+ players in!

Truth Bomb #3: Dane Evans Played His Best Game But Has Not Turned A Corner!

Can we please get away from a guy having 1 good game and pronouncing that he is everything the team hoped for when they signed him?

Yes Dane Evans had a great game against Winnipeg! I even said he could have got a game-ball.

Winnipeg did not play great, but Dane Evans played the most inspired game I have ever seen him play! He threw for 5 touchdowns and zero interceptions! On the season, before that game, he had thrown 10 touchdowns and 13 interceptions! A 2/1 ratio of touchdowns to turnovers is usually seen as a good starting point.

Against the Bombers Dane went 25/32 which equates a pass completion of 78.1% and amassed 327 yards!

I was going to say that I want to see Dane Evans play that way multiple times in a row before I say that Dane has turned a corner. However this week against Montreal I did not see the same Dane Evans. While the announcers and the panel were singing high praises for Dane I had to ask myself, “Are we watching the same game?”

It reminded me of when Lewis Ward went on a long streak of made field goals…but the reality was the team was protecting him and he was not trying long ones!

Yes, Dane moved the ball down the field against Montreal, and yes Dave did not have any interceptions…but he also had zero touchdowns!

Do not tell me Dane Evans has figured it out and turned the corner when he cannot throw a single touchdown against Montreal.

Do not tell me Dane has figured it out when he cannot follow up a 5 touchdown game with another big game. It is not like Dane Evans followed up his 5 touchdown game with a 3 touchdown game and I am being critical of that. He followed up his 5 touchdown game with a 0 touchdown game.

You can like Dane Evans, you can like his story of getting some help during the bye week, but you cannot possibly tell me with a straight face that he has figured it out.

What did I get right? What did you disagree with? Let me know in the comments.

Find all my articles here.

Written by a Bomber fan, for the Bomber fans.

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