Burn The Witches I: Post Game Vent Thread

Oh how I wish former super-poster Russ was here to give his take. He taught us to burn the witches after games like this. Let the venting begin.

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Gotta blame the Head Coach for this one.
The team looked completely under-prepared.
Absolutely ZERO answer for WPG's D-line (no run game, no quick-hitters, no screens).
No containment on Collaros.
DBs had to cover their receivers FAR too long. The fact that Collaros had to scramble on almost every play makes me think that they were doing a pretty good job on the primary routes.
Missing 3/5 of our starting O-line from last year certainly didn't help.
Too many veteran injuries (and many of them could be VERY long-term).
There is a reason for pre-season games - to find out what players can actually PLAY. Frankly, neither team was very good.

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And clock management (before the half and before the 3 minute warning) that would make June Jones look like Bill Belichick.

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Ouch. That’s low… but accurate.

Agree that coaching was big. Almost no counters to the pressure. Yet Winnipeg really looked ‘preseason’ as well.

Not a pretty game for sure but playing in hostile territory with a loud crowd was a tough assignment to begin with. Add in the fact that they were missing 4-5 starters on offense and 3 on defense (plus probably a special teamer or two) and they were handed the short end of the stick on the injury front. Losing three more players to injury during the game just made it worse. OL will probably take some time to gel with Ciraco now at starting at centre and a new LT. BBs pn the other hand had the crowd behind them and were missing two key starters on offense and a special teamer .
On a personal note, I was a bit ticked that because I had to reopen my account with a new email (old one got hacked and had to be dropped) and adjust my user name slightly I was considered a "new user" and could only make a few posts. Rather silly policy IMO. :roll_eyes: :frowning_face: :confounded:

We will recover from this. The offense will get better. I hope Dyan Wynn is not actually injured.
I predict by our third game we will have our mojo back.
It was still great to watch football tonight.
( I miss the game, I do not miss all the Commercials)

Defense looks ok biggest problem is Mark Washington can't put together a game plan to stop the run. Be it player selection or game plan he has had that problem since he was in BC.
O-line needs a lot of work guards missing the stunts. Tackles didn't look as bad but they had a lot of help from chip blocks. Some time together should help.

At least this game wasn't for the cup. Now all the prognosticators can stop saying Cats are unstoppable.
Like Milt Stegall said in the pre game lower your expectations there was no pre season.
And finally Glen Suitor and Rod Black make the most annoying combo in sports history.

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Defence is not that far off. I think they missed Laurent against the run game. Adeleke should help a bit. Db’s need to play together more - considering they had to hold coverage on some of Collaros’ scrambles in the first half they held up ok. Linebackers pretty quiet but thought Santos-Knox stepped up a bit in second half.

Offence was horrible. Nobody seemingly getting open. Oline needs more time together, not opening many holes but I don’t buy that Masoli was completely under siege. He had some time, plays seem to take forever to develop, no quick slants, no big physical slotback to lean on when needed. Tunnel vision to feed Banks and Acklin but maybe the other guys not getting open. Tucker will be ok I think if they get him involved. Masoli did get pressure for sure but was in happy feet mode and throwing off balance all game. He can be better.

Can’t rely on Addison and Posey for now so they need to figure out what they have in Marshall and Ungerer. Maybe involve Kalinic/Burt more in offence. I like STE but to me he is not built to run 15-20 times a game, good on screens and swing passes out in open space but not a guy who’s going to consistently get 4-5 yards running. Need a bigger body there at times.

Special teams was a wash between teams. Thought Ham got close to blocking a couple punts in second half.

Overall sloppy on both sides but maybe it’s the kick in the pants we need. Better to lose the first one than the last one :grinning:

Ugly game
Grey cup beating from the bombers 2.0
I have to blame Orlondo a bit for both games
Both our lines got beaten up like men vs boys
If a backup Canadian can run for 120 yards against us then we are in bad shape against the run . imagine what a healthy Andrew Harris would have done to us.
I felt our linebackers were invisible again
Poor game by big stars like speedyb, masoli, G. Davis.
I think we might need to trade for a veteran import OT like Derrick Dennis .
Both lines are not physical enough
Gibbon was outmatched and not physical enough. Still not a big fan of Howsare as he does nothing and is not physical .

I am concerned with Frankie Williams as he was badly outplayed by Lawlor and wAs trash talking him all Game

I am not a fan of Kalinic on offense but I am a fan of his on special teams .
When Kalinic was in at fullback the bombers knew if was a running play and STE did bot play well at all and I thought he was overated anyway. STE is not explosive or a tough runner who can break tackles and knock people over .
When Laurent and Van Zyl are back we may want to consider hard running import Wes Hill
Or Don Jackson .
STE and Masoli stunk the joint out tonite. To get 6 points in the first few minutes and zero points the rest of the way is inexcusable by these 2 guys and the OC and Orlondo.

Why they only passed to Tucker, Ungerer and Marshall once each is proposterous.

Too much reliance on Speedyb.
Newbies Knox, Stribling,Evans and Kelly all looked ok Especially the 2 rookies considering it was their first CFL game.
Wilson at DT didn’t do too well.

The worst player on the Ticats by far today was Mike Daly. My god can he ever fight off a blocker or make an open field tackle. I love the guy as a person but man katsantonis would have been a better option. The guy is always our of position, too slow, too weak and never makes a play he is painful to watch and has been for years.
I blame the coaching for starting him.
If I was Daly ID sleep in and miss watching the Game film.

Masoli looked like an old washed up over the hill veteran who has more than enough chances to make plays .
He threw a horrible screen pass to STE and another out of the backfield overthrow to STE. His interception to Jefferson was inexcusable and the pass to Banks where Banks got slaughtered and fumbled the ball was Masoli’s fault.
It looks like coach O has not learned much since being soundly out played, beaten in all aspects and punched in the mouth since the 2019 Grey cup massacre.
We need to inject someone into both lines that is physical. A Joel figueroa type OT …and maybe a veteran guard as Gibbon is not ready maybe move Okafor to guard when Van Zyl is back.

I will very happy to see Adeleke back please and Laurent and Van Zyl…this way we can go with 5 import receivers or an import back like Wes Hill or Don Jackson .
Brooks and Frey will be welcomed additions
I still see Mauldin or Bennett beating out Howsare , Burt over Kalinic, import back over STE, Okafor over Gibbon , Katsantonis over Daly and Frey over Knox.

Our offense was unwatchable .
We could not stop a 2knd string Canadian from running all over us …and we could not catch speedy Collaros and not force any turnovers .

All in all it falls on coach O as this was a duplicate of the 2019 Grey Cup …Men vs Boys on both lines …could bot generate the run game and could not stop theirs .

Masoli was running for his life all night. Daly couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat .
I am not even sure Posey or Addison could have helped today.

The solution is to get more physical players on the two lines …winnipegs online tends to push the running back forward a few yards per run .

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Where to even start?

O-Line manhandled in every way. Couldn't stop the rush and couldn't open holes for the running game.

D-Line and LBs were useless against the run. Bombers had so much space open up during running plays that at times it looked like our defence was playing with a couple of men short.

A few times the replay camera showed the vantage point from behind Masoli while he was scrambling and there were absolutely no open receivers for him to throw to. With such a relentless pass rush Condell should implement plays that don't take as long to develop. Screens, play action, hot reads, whatever. Same thing happened in the Grey Cup with Evans at the helm and 2 years later it still hasn't been fixed.

Tucker needs to make that long bomb catch late in the 4th quarter. Masoli hit him right in the numbers and great teams have clutch players that make those plays when they are most needed.

Rant over. :smiley:

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NO RUN GAME THATS YOUR PROBLEM GO ALS

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Hamilton better get a running game going. This season will drag into December.

Noticed that too. 41:16 and seven of those runs were Masoli running for his life. Winnipeg without their running back still committed to the run game 28:25

Say no more…

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I have to agree with most of the comments here
To me this look like a preseason game
The CFL made a mistake not having any preseason games
The first drive looked somewhat crisp
But again I question Orlando we're going for 2 so damn early
It killed momentum and the bombers stomp on us

I love our offensive lineman but let's be honest they didn't look ready for prime time
They couldn't handle the pass rush from Winnipeg
they gave a blueprint to every team in the league on how to beat Hamilton
The next two games are going to be Rocky Saskatchewan and Montreal will a paid attention

Yes injuries play a definite part in this game
But so did a lack of adjustment and vision by the coaching staff
Speedy didn't look so fast I think age has caught up to him
Helook frustrated and out of place
Jaelon Acklin was the only other receiver getting open
The running game look for very poor

To sum it up this team looked very unprepared
And we can only hope the game against Saskatchewan goes better

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The most disappointing thing to me was that it looked like a replay of GC 2019. You've had 20 months to come up with a way to counter Wpg's D line. Wtf have you been doing??!??!!?!!

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I am still shaking my head on the stupid unsportman call on Banks!

Hey ref
You are standing there with outstretch hands waiting to catch the ball and you flag Banks because it hit a Wpg player by accident?
You knew he was throwing it to you! Why else would you have your arms outstretched like that?

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To be hired as a CFL official, they have to agree to a labotomy.

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Its touching Stein is , presumably, honouring a promise(s) made to Masoli in the past.
But cant we all just get on with future now? Stein kept his word, Masoli cant cry betrayl. Wonderful. Turn the page on this guy, please.

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No kidding.