First and foremost, before we get into the game, we have to wish Bo Levi Mitchell a quick and full recovery. I do not care who it is, you never want to see a player go down like that!
And yet, in the midst of a crazy game, the Bombers found a way to win. Honestly, at the end of the season it does not matter how they do it, a win is a win. So, chalk another up in the win column and put the Bombers at 2-2.
While the standings do not ask how, the how should be examined. To say Collaros played well would be a gross overstatement. Lately, I have been criticized for being harsh on the Bombers. My response is this, “What do you want me to do? Pretend to be Tony the Tiger and just say, ‘They’re great.’”
No. I will not do that. When the Bombers, or some of their plays/players stink, I am going to call that out. On the contrary, when the Bombers do something great, I will highlight that. But in this last game Collaros was not great, not even close.
A big unknown is if Collaros would have improved had he stayed in the game. That is an impossible question to answer. We can use past performance to predict future performance, but there are so many variables that one can only speculate. So what do you think? Would Collaros have gotten the job done if he stayed in? What if Bo Levi Mitchell stayed in, and Collaros stayed in…do the Bombers win? You tell me.
What I do know for sure is that it was odd that Brown was not on the roster. I was going to write about that in my pre-game article but I did not want to jinx Collaros. The only reason the Bombers would have needed Brown on the roster was if Collaros got injured, and I did not want anyone blaming me for that.
Well, it seems like the Bombers did need Brown. Or at least he would have been helpful. Yes, Elgersma got the job done, and yes, he was better than Collaros, but it did take right to the end of the game. If Bo Levi Mitchell stays in the game which Bomber quarterback do you think has the best chance of beating him…assuming Collaros is out?
For me that is a really hard one. But I will say this, I believe that the Bombers believe that Brown offers that best chance. Why? Well, why else would they sign Brown? The Bombers need not look too far back in recent history to understand that having a seasoned backup quarterback is integral in winning games. Whether that is in the middle of a regular season game, starting a regular season game, or in the Grey Cup, a proven backup with CFL experience is a must!
So how did the Bombers pull off this win?
There were a few keys to this win. First, Castillo was near perfect. He missed one as his planting foot slipped, but he made two other critical field goals…one at the end of the game to seal the deal.
I do however have to ask this question, did anyone else notice that Castillo was wearing glasses. I have never seen him in glasses before. Does he usually wear contacts? Or did he sport the glasses because he missed a couple of kicks last game. If you find out why he was wearing glasses let me know.
Second, the Bombers did not shoot themselves in the foot. Costly turnovers, poor playcalling, and bad execution were not part of this game for the Bombers. What they did do was get back to their identity. When everyone knows that the Bombers are going to run the ball, they did so with great efficiency.
If the Bombers want to have a successful season, regardless of who they have in at quarterback that is what they have to do. Play clean football and clean playcalling; Castillo has to make his kicks…and the Bombers must continue to run the ball regardless of the score.
So while it was not pretty, and while it took to the end of the game, the Bombers won. And at the end of the game that is all that matters.
A Final Question
If Collaros is not able to play on Friday, who should the Bombers start at quarterback, and who do the Bombers start at quarterback? (That could be 2 separate questions/answers).
If the Bombers do not start Brown then something is up. And I would have to speculate that it is a health issue with Brown. The Bombers went out aggressively and got Brown. I do not believe that there is anything about Brown’s character or ability that is somehow now a surprise to the Bombers, keeping Brown on the sideline.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this. Catch all my articles here.