Blue Bomber's quarterback, Zach Collaros has been listed as a GTD (game time decision) for the Eastern Final vs Montreal.
This year I have extensively written how Collaros is better than Brown, but neither are good enough.
On October 19th I wrote the following,
"Collaros is not the answer
This is something else that I was saying before anyone else. While most other CFL writers, posters, etc, were saying that the Bombers need Collaros to win, I was saying that it does not matter. Before last game Collaros was ranked the 8th best quarterback in the CFL."
But there is another truth in sports and I wrote about that on October 25 saying, "There is a saying in sports that goes like this, 'They don't ask you how, they ask you how many.' And for the Bombers that number is 9 and 11 (which interestingly enough is 911, and the Bombers might be in an emergency situation)."
And so here we are heading into the Eastern Final without knowing who will be starting at quarterback for the Bombers.
Mike O'Shea Not Saying Anything
If you have listened to the Bomber's head coach, Mike O'Shea for any amount of time you know that getting information out of him is like pulling teeth at the best of times.
So it is no surprise that O'Shea is being tight lipped.
It's a decision still shrouded in mystery -- as of this writing, at least -- and who will officially take the first snap from centre for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Saturday's Eastern Final in Montreal will be unknown for a few more hours.
The Blue Bombers held a closed practice on Wednesday, meaning there were no eyeballs on the session to see if it was Zach Collaros or Dru Brown at the controls for the majority of the offensive period.
The club's injury report listed Collaros, who missed last week's Eastern Semi-Final with a rib injury, as 'limited.' Asked near the end of his media session if he would say who is starting against the Alouettes, head coach Mike O'Shea grinned.
"Why would I do that? Why would I share the roster? It's the time of year," he said. "I'm not going to share anything."
And when he was asked how Collaros was today, he kept grinning and added: "He looked good."
As annoying as that might be...I actually like it. And I do not think that this is just gamesmanship. I think Collaros legitimately is a game time decision as he missed a practice this week.
Earlier this year I wrote Here Is How The Bombers Should Handle Their QB Situation In The Playoffs. And I fundamentally still keep that same conviction! It is the right approach, no if's and's or but's!
How Winnipeg Could Screw This Up
We have seen this before from the Bombers. And we have actually seen this a number of years in a row a few seasons ago.
Mike O'Shea plays players who should not be playing because (in his own words), "I wanted to give them a chance to be great."
He said that about Dalton Schoen who should not have been on the Grey Cup roster. he said that about Adam Bighill who should have been sitting in the Grey Cup. And he said that about Zach Collaros when Collaros returned to the game in the Grey Cup in BC...wearing a glove on his throwing hand.
You know who else had something to say about the 2024 Grey Cup in BC that Toronto won? It was Toronto's head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. And do you remember what he said, "I knew we had won the Grey Cup when I saw Zach come back in with a glove on this throwing hand."
But Mike O'Shea wanted to give Collaros an opportunity to be great.
A Loyalty Problem
We do not know if this is Zach Collaros' last year. Mike O'Shea may know...but he would never tell us. Mike O'Shea may have an idea whether or not this is Collaros' last year. Or at very least, Mike O'Shea knows that this possibly could be Collaros' last year.
All of that is problematic if the Bombers put one player (Collaros) over the team. And as I have mentioned...they have done it before.
Sure, what a story! The Bombers go back to the Grey Cup (win or lose), Collaros takes them there and then he retires. Not a bad way to go out.
But here is another possibility...the Bombers keep Collaros in the game against Montreal and it is not coming together. Montreal beats Winnipeg because the Bombers failed to make an adjustment at quarterback. The Bombers lose, and that is how Collaros ends his career.
Which one do you see as more likely?
Who I Am Starting At Quarterback If I Am The Bombers
If he is healthy, or even able to play, I would start Collaros. But if he struggles it is going to be a short rope before I put in Brown. How short? Well that depends on the score and his completions and interceptions. But short enough that the game is still very much winnable.
However, even after that I would be telling Zach to stay warm. If Brown comes in and does not get it going in 3-4 series...I am putting Zach back in.
Is this conventional? No. Does it mean that you might have no flow at the quarterback position? Yes. Is this something that coaching are likely to do? No. But this is it folks. If the Bombers do not win they are done! Throw everything at this game.
If Collaros is going I am leaving him in. If Collaros gets pulled and Brown is in a groove I am leaving Brown in. This is not complicated. I am not randomly switching Collaors and Brown in and out. But I also am not being so stubborn that I am making a change when there is not enough time left to make a meaningful difference.
While Not Probable A Win Is Possible!
If you are the Bombers, and some of the younger playmakers on the team you have to be wondering, "Why can't we win? We just beat Toronto in a game where our offence did not get it going but our defence held us in their."
If you are a Blue Bomber fan you are probably skeptical or cautiously optimistic that the Bombers might beat Montreal.
But if you are a Bomber player, you have nothing to lose...you probably should not be in this game. And that mindset might just be enough for the Bombers to put out a good enough performance to topple the favored Montreal team.
In fact, the Bombers are trying to remind everyone of 1988 where a 0.500 Bombers team won the Grey Cup!
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EKXQGfMh9/
But in order to do that the Bombers are going to have to play a near perfect game and Montreal is going to have to make some mistakes.
On top of that, Winnipeg is going to have to get after and hit Montreal's quarterback, Davis Alexander. Winnipeg's defence is going to have to play blanket coverage and the Bombers' offense is going to need to put up 7's.
Can they do it again?
What do you think? Let me know wherever you are reading this.
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