For those wanting to see a 2 RB formation

You may get your wish this week. Unfortunately, on the other team though:

[url=http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/08/20/whitaker-returns-against-ticats/]http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/0 ... st-ticats/[/url]

Don't read too much into that. We dressed two running backs against Hamilton last month. Anderson is taking Devine's spot returning kicks and handling a handful of plays from scrimmage. I doubt you will see double formations.

Why all the fuss about having a 2 back system? It seems to me that the CFL is not a running league it is a passing league and that the trend now is toward empty backfields and 6 receivers. Even the FB is used more as a TE than regular backfield play during any game. So why would a team decide to take away a receiver and put another back in the play? If one back an only get 3-4 yards on any given play what makes fans think that two backs would do any better? Do you think that all the American born players on the Defence aren't going to know what is going on with two backs instead of one? In my opinion, two backs is a dead idea in the CFL. It might have worked in 1956 but I doubt you will see it again.

Only time I could see it MAYBE being useful is on an ice and snow covered field. Winter ball… And when you think about it back then there weren’t 3 domes in the league and weather was more of a factor late in the seaons.

I agree that the two-back set is pretty much a dinosaur in this day and age.

I think people are confusing two-back sets with dressing two running backs. I don't believe anyone thinks a team will run an offense in the I-formation and that is certainly not what I have been calling for. What I want is the team to dress two running backs -- Chevon Walker and Avon Cobourne -- so that they are more dynamic offensively. The title and what some are talking about is misleading. I know I don't want a two-back set, but I do want two running backs in pads on game day.

I agree with you. Walker and Cobourne together in the same backfield isn’t what I want. I want both backs dressed for the same game and sharing time at the tailback position.

I think some people have suggested trying to get both of them in the backfield at the same time, stating that we did that a few times last year with Cobourne and either Thigpen or T Grant. I don't remember them doing that, but I can't say that they didn't. (Cobourne and Thigpen were definitely on the field together at times, but Thigpen was in as a receiver, not a second RB.) But I think you're right that most people have just suggested that they both dress, and switch off for one another for a change of pace and to keep them rested for the end of the game.

I don't see them dressing both at least until a few of our NI LBs come back from injury, if at all. With so little NI depth there at the moment, it's hard to justify using one of the DI spots for anything other than special teams.

Don’t be too sure.

I think by now, most Teams know we are last at stopping running plays. The STATS don’t lie.
If they send 2 RBs at us, they will shove it down our throats.
They will continue doing it, until we find a way to stop them.

So far, I don’t think we know how… or have the talent to do it.

:cowboy: :cowboy: :cowboy:

Yeah but according to some popular journalistic views and "non CFL" fans, running is non-existent and not important in the Canadian game. That's what I've heard over the years anyways for those sorts.

Isn't it called "the passing game" afterall, or "pass happy league" maybe more precise. :? So who cares if you can't stop the run? :? Does it matter if you can't stop the run and still have a championship type team?

I believe the fans screaming for a 2 back formation want to see Chevon Walker and Avon Cobourne in the backfield at the same time. My dad keeps chirping this in my ear every game. The theory is it creates mismatches that make it hard for defences to cover. I'm not a big fan of it, but people like the idea.

I don't get why Avon isn't at least dressed as the backup, but I'm sure it has to do with the ratio. Stevenson is a Canadian and he plays special teams, so he's the backup on gameday. Unfortunately, he's not as good a runner as Cobourne.

I love Walker, but I'd love to see Avon get his shot; and this week against the Als could be awesome. Let's go 22!

By sharing time do you mean 50/50 or bring Avon in on 2nd and short or what?
Walker is having a fantastic start to the season.
He has earned the right to start and has won the R/B position.
He has not put the ball on the ground and the people rewatching the games looking for his supposed missed blocks had yet to find any.
I am a fan of Avon, but right now I am a huge Walker Fan and we should keep him on the field and use him as much as possible.
Bring Avon in on 2nd or 3rd and 1 maybe, but play Walker for all other situations

I don’t think 50/50 is necessary, but maybe 75/25. Giving Walker a breather on say every fourth series would allow his legs to be fresher later in games. Calgary did something similar with Joffrey Reynolds and Jon Cornish the last couple of years. Reynolds would play two series, Cornish would play one. They’d rotate like that all game. I think something similar could be done here, expect I’d make it that Walker plays three series and Cobourne one. Having two fresher running backs at the the end of the game would make the team better, in my opinion.

Yeah, not a straight 50/50 split, but situational and to give Walker a breather.

I would like to see a 2 back set with Cobourne and Walker in the backfield. I'm a big fan of play action offence as it opens up the short pass. The majority of the time a linebacker will pick up the back out of the backfield and with Walker's speed he would blow by any LB in this league. Given the threat of 2 highly talented backs behind the QB opens up a lot of possibilities.

However, in order to run play action you need an effective running game but the O-line is not consistent enough at run blocking. Going play action is more of a grind it out type of offence, you are only picking up 5 or 6 yards at a time but it wears the defence down.
Play action works very well out the wishbone but we are not going to be seeing that anytime soon.

I like when the Cats run the single and especially the double TE set, they seem to have reasonable success out of that formation. It does tighten up everything inside but with proper play selection you can keep the defence on it's toes but it all comes down to the offence being able to make and sustain their blocks.

I think the biggest problem with doing this is the ratio, to dress two imports at RB means you need to take an import off someplace else and right now the Cats can't afford that.
If the Cats can find a couple more Canadian starters then running a 2 back set is possible but as it stands right now they can't.