December 22, 2024
NEP9046800

The Calgary Stampeders defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday night in front of 22,386 people at McMahon Stadium by a score of 22-19. My thoughts about the game are below.

Dalton Schoen’s season-ending knee injury was a devastating setback for the Blue Bombers, but it also gave Zach Collaros and the rest of Winnipeg’s receiving corps a thrilling chance to perform. But for the majority of Saturday’s game, Collaros once again chose to zero down on one target rather than distribute the ball around.

Collaros completed the game with 12 pass attempts, seven of which were aimed toward Nic Demski, before departing the game at halftime due to an injury that was not reported. More on that in a bit. Other receivers in Ontario

The starting lineup’s Wilson, Josh Johnson, and Jeremy Murphy weren’t singled out at all.

After Kenny Lawler broke his arm, the seasoned quarterback gave Schoen a lot of attention, possibly to the offense’s detriment. During Winnipeg’s first three games, Collaros was responsible for two interceptions, both of which occurred when he targeted Schoen in double coverage. Even if Schoen is an excellent receiver, he has the same chance of being open against two defenders as any other receiver facing just one.

While it makes sense for a quarterback to concentrate on his most reliable receiver, there are benefits to spreading the field, particularly for receivers who aren’t being covered by the top defensive backs on the other team.

The offense appeared entirely different when Chris Streveler was involved.in charge during the second half. Despite lacking Collaros’ arm talent, the dual-threat passer utilized his entire receiving corps and made quicker judgments with the ball. The passing assault was significantly improved as a result of his five passes to Johnson, four to Wilson and Wolitarsky, and three to Demski.

At the beginning of overtime, Wilson received a short throw close to the sideline and made a spectacular move to elude a potential tackler, breaking the play for 19 yards. It was arguably the best offensive play of the game. Although he doesn’t appear to be a professional scout, he seems like the kind of player who should see the ball frequently.

Mike O’Shea, head coach, has frequently praised the caliber of receivers that Winnipeg’s personnel staff added over the previous off-season, so Collaros ought to be using the newcomers if he isn’t lying, which it doesn’t seem like he is. Throwing a touchdown pass is something that Streveler hasn’t done as much as his teammate through the first four weeks of the season, in part because of what he did.

 

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