Well, I don't know what to think about another Als-Riders meeting.
I frankly prefer them to the Stamps as I think the Stamps were the better team. BUT the Riders are thinking about last year's GC, and have only revenge on their mind. Trestman and Milanovich will have to pull a few rabbits out of their hats for this one!
Go Als go!!!
Either of those teams are great challenges.
Yep, not much to choose between either team. We've beaten Sask and lost to them as well. We've had our way with their secondary and they've had their way with ours. I am actually not expecting us to win next week -- we're not the same team we were last season and there are too many questions in different areas of our game. But it's certainly wonderful to make it back to the big game in a year in which supposedly the sky was falling in for us. :lol:
I think the key will be to get an early jump on them to instill some doubt in the back minds that they still can't beat us when it matters
It's also Saskatchewan's 100th anniversary this year and, trust me, we want this one BADLY! :cowboy:
Well, The Riders will certainly be focused on revenging that embarrassing loss - that's for sure!
But good news, Als, I've got a few good ones for you.
Focus #1 -
Last year, you played solid, focused, disciplined football for one quarter. Let's shoot for 4 quarters this year.
Focus #2 -
While individuals never confirmed these, there were rumours all season about people leaving the franchise either due to age, free agency, or trade. It may well be that several of the players who got you where you are won't be back next season. Therefore, in honour, tribute, and loyalty to them, you need to play like the champs you are!
Focus # 3 -
Over the last decade or so, you have played excellent, exciting football and have drawn thousands of new fans to the CFL, particularly in Montreal. Along with the Riders, it's the only franchise that regularly sells out each home game. You are now a de facto dynasty in the CFL and have the GC appearances to prove it. Now, you need to take the next step and bring home another one!
Go Als go!!!!
One thing this season showed,the Als, Riders and Stamps could all look like world beaters one week, and full diapers the next.
I kind of expect the Riders to win this because they are rolling on 2 huge emotional wins right now, and seem to have some destiny about them.
Plus they probably need this to get past last years final.
If I was a betting man, I would guess the Riders will probably go in as 3 point favorites.
It would be nice to see the Als go in as underdogs. It seems like a long time since that has been the case.
Rider fans are hilarious. Saying we got lucky coming off a bye week and played a crappy team. We have been on a bye week this passed 6 weeks ever since we clinched 1st. We've lost games that nobody cared about. We won the game we needed to win and we won it in statement fashion. Im sure if we lose sunday we will have lost in fighting fashion. Like Diamond Ferri said: I want to go the Edmonton and make something special!
PS: This win will be for Tony Proudfoot
I don't pay attention to Rider fans. Just the fact the Als have to play two consecutive Grey cups in Alberta in stands full of Rider fans should keep their mouth shut. This should never happen but the league did this to make sure the 100th. Grey Cup was in Toronto. So we get phucked but that's ok. The als winning two consecutive Grey Cups out West will shut them all up for good.
We need to torpedo Durant (clean hits, mind you, no head or knee shots) and make him very wary of staying in the pocket that extra second to deliver the deep ball. To me, you take care of the Ridders' attack by playing disciplined, controlled football on the pass rush, taking good pursuit angles to the quarterback and not getting out of your gaps. The rush ends have to keep contain on Durant and the linemen have to generate consistent pressure up the middle. An effective four-man pass rush lets us do all kinds of things in coverage, besides augmenting our ability to stop Cates on draws, swing passes, and screens. Blitz timing has to be good and most importantly, we can't let Saskatchewan convert second and longs into first downs; those are absolutely back-breakers. So that means limiting Durant's ground game AND avoiding controllable penalties (roughing the passer, unnecessary roughness, offsides). There is no way the Riders should be converting on 2nd and 8 or longer with any degree of regularity.
Sorry but 2 out of 8 GC appearance is not a dynasty, it's a travesty. 
Sorry could not resist. 5 cup wins in a row is a dynasty.
From a fan who's team has a total of :lol: 3yes 3 Grey Cups for its entire history and also the only team to lose five consecutive times at the big game. Come to think of it Montreal has 2 wins in seven games. The eight has yet to be played.
Mon ami,
Les Alouettes se sont rendus à la Coupe Grey 8 fois dans les derniers 10 ans, corssover ou pas. Quelle équipe peut dire mieux?
Les Alouettes ont gagné la Coupe Grey 2 fois dans les derniers 10 ans. Quelle équipe peut dire mieux?
Les Alouettes ont maintenu un haut niveau de compétition malgré le nombre très élevé de mauvaises positions au
repêchage. Quelle équipe peut dire mieux?
Les Alouettes en sont à 3 présences consécutives à la Coupe Grey. Quelle équipe peut dire mieux?
Les Alouettes ont une fiche de 39-15 au cours des 3 dernières années. Quelle équipe peut dire mieux?
DONC, si les Alouettes sont des travestis, que sont toutes les autres équipes de la LCF? Des sphincters sub-coloniques bien entraînés? Je ne le pense pas, mais à partir du moment où on met une étiquette péjorative sur les Alouettes des 10 dernières années, toutes les autres équipes se trouvent encore plus diminuées.
Mets-ça dans ta pipe et penses-y comme il faut, mon ami.
Post of the day. :lol:
Well played, sir. 
You gotta love a guy who sincerely believes he has the right to hand out awards and rate people's opinions
Especially someone who's so consistently wrong on so many counts
Considering he's pushing 5,000 articulations...from competent to out and out rubbish...it's quite an accomplishment.
In that light, the Alouettes Grey Cup record certainly pales as an under achievement....
Or as and accomplishment of "dynastic" proportions.
Still...a record of 2/7 simply cannot stand in any light as a "dynasty"
Quoting won/lost records and appearances is an argument quickly dispatched by the reality of a less than competitive East....
The one factor that would eradicate that simple truth would be a winning Grey Cup tally.
Beating the Best in the West would certainly have erased all doubts
But for the most part that didn't happen
You could make a strong case for the Alouettes being an Eastern Dynasty over the last decade...
Anything more is hubris...plain and simple.
On to the game:
The Riders are a big-play team...and our defence has a tendency of giving up the big play.
What are we going to do?
Durant is indeed the key.
The Alouettes used Chip Cox to spy Durant for most of the game (week 6).
As a result, the Alouettes pulled off a squeaker (30-26)
Cox was simply brilliant...intercepting Durant twice...getting in his face all game and winning Defensive Player of the Week.
It's no coincidence that Cox won the award two weeks later against Steven Jyles...a similar type quarterback...with Cox fulfilling much the same role.
It's been pretty obvious the last few weeks. Durant uses his mobility to fire himself (and his team) up.
If Chip Cox and the rest of the defensive front 7 can contain Durant...pressure him into making those patented mistakes...the Alouettes will definitely be on the right track.
On the other side of the ball...the Alouettes need to get Cobourne involved. Despite last week's effort against calgary, the Riders have proven very vulnerable to the run. Moreover....I doubt they're prepared for a healthy and highly motivated Avon Cobourne. Our O-line/run blocking has significantly improved since the Riders last faced us...and while the Rider defence will be prepared for the passing game...I'm convinced we can run against them.
But to set up the run Calvillo's going to have to move the ball through the air. I'm sure that even AC "idolaters" have Grey Cup doubts in their heart of hearts. Stopping Durant won't mean much if Calvillo goes into another funk.
Hopefully AC will put the past behind him and come out "slinging"
...and we can have another great parade!!!
!!!Go Als Go!!!
La seule chose que j'ai dite, c'est que si on dit des Alouettes qu'ils sont des travestis avec le dossier qu'ils ont depuis 10 ans, les autres équipes sont n'importe quoi sauf mieux.
Je n'ai pas prétendu que les Alouettes sont ce qu'on a appelé une dynastie en parlant des grandes équipes qui se sont acheté des championnats quand on pouvait se les acheter, comme les Canadiens avec Maurice Richard, Jean Béliveau et Guy Lafleur, les Islanders avec Bossy, les Oilers avec Gretzky, ou comme les Eskimos avec Tom Wilkinson et Warren Moon, ou comme les Yankees ou les Lakers ont pu le faire.
Peut-être y avez-vous vu un sous-entendu, mais il n'y en avait pas.
Il me semble que c'est là se livrer au même exercice... 
If you can find one instance where I've handed out an "award" like "Best Post Of The Day"
Which to me could probably stand as Most Arrogant Statement of the Decade
(there...I did it)
You might have some kind of a point
with your offhanded winking innuendo...
You don't however
So this is exactly as much time as I'll ever devote to such childishness.
Je crois donc comprendre que votre premir commentaire était destiné au commentateur de mon message et non à moi. Ceci explique cela. Je vous remercie de la précision, et vous souhaite une très belle journée! 8)