Higgins

Alouettes de Montréal
#1

I believe that Higgins is getting a bad rap here.
IMO anyone who has kept a team together through all the chaos that has been brought on by GM and ownership petulance, losses, no QB, distractions, fly-in no job descripted consultants that he molded into actual positions is doing lots right.

He is getting unfairly slagged for poor special team play but the outcomes clearly show how it’s the best it’s been in 4 years.

He’s had no time to really mold a team that he has had input into selecting. His late hiring was not is doing.

He’s being criticised for hiring and then firing an OC. Trestman did the same thing with an STC in his day. Went through countless coordinators. Popp singlehandedly blew the hiring of a WHOLE staff last year.

His decision making is roundly criticised. I get the feeling critics are only watching ALs games. EVERY coach, every week makes questionable calls. The worst decisions I've seen this year have been made by Chris Jones, Benevides and Austin. It’s a human game.

He is weathering a storm well. I hope he remains with the team.

#2

Popp was criticized last year for the Hawkins hiring. He was also criticized for his coaching abilities when he took over as HC.
He did not get a pass for last season.

As for Higgins. Correct he was brought in late into the game. Not his fault.
Think many have said he being brought in should be blamed on the owner.

As for questionable calls, he has had his share this season along with the coaches you have mentioned.

A coincidence that the team has shown some improvement since Garcia and Shonert have become involved in the coaching staff?! This was not due to Higgins bringing them in.

I for one do not wish to see Higgins on the sidelines next season.

#3

We have a game-changing player at KR (Rogers) and Whyte finally punting like a real punter but that’s supposed to be Higgins’s doing? Please. The parade of penalties and blown plays this year has been mind-boggling and he has zero excuse. He has the personnel, unlike his predecessors.

As for cycling through assistants, Trestman fired Richard Kent, an ST coordinator, once. That’s it. And it’s easier to bring in an ST coordinator in camp than it is to find an OC. Trestman didn’t “go through” countless coordinators. That’s blatant revisionist history. Tim Burke left for Winnipeg. Scott Milanovich left for Toronto and a promotion. Tibesar left for Purdue or wherever. Sure, we fired Reinebold, but that was the right decision. So let’s not even draw the comparison. Whatever his faults, and he did have them, Trestman won, and he was a detail-oriented, hands-on head coach. Higgins doesn’t seem to be actively involved in either the offense or the defense. And the unit he’s in charge of is a gong show (ST).

#4

A point of comparison is different than comparing the two. I'm not comparing the two.
Higgins has been criticized for firing an OC. Trestman fired a STC . Both in TC. Errors happen.
Regardless of how you define it the ST are better. There is no evidence that Montreal has more errors and penalties in ST than other teams. The outcomes are what needs to be measured.

I believe Higgins has done a great job of managing the very ugly hand that he was dealt. This team could have imploded at any time. And it takes a good manager to do that.

#5

The were just about imploding before Popp brought in Garcia and Shonert.
Higgins had nothing to do with that.

Smith was down right awful prior to getting injured; under Higgins and Dinwiddie. Smith was not that bad under Popp and Berry when he was on the field last season.
In fact, the offense was not as bad last season under Popp and Berry as it was under Higgins and Dinwiddie (prior to Garcia and Shonert).

Not a vote of confidence in Higgins as HC if you ask me.

#6

Yes without a doubt Higgins has managed very well the development of job descriptions and their inclusion for these two.

#7

Only reason that Popp had to bring in an additional 3 salaries is because Higgins hired his buddy Worman. Higgins wears that, good thing Popp has contacts and could bring in the hired help because Higgins sure wasn't able to.

#8

Perhaps. who knows.

But its important to remember the quote of Harry Truman- “It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit”

pretty much the most common refrain in a successful venture of any kind.

#9

But Higgins took a shot at Popp when he said there had not been a backup plan for post-Calvillo. He also threw Troy Smith under the bus when he said it was probably closer to the end than beginning for his starter role. And worse than that he publicly stated Larry Taylor`s career was probably over.

He`s a nice fatherly type, good with the press, a good manager in drawing up schedules and co-ordinating the assistants, seems to care about his players. But he does not come across as a motivator, doubt if players are going to go through walls for him. And he is not a strategist as Trestman (offense) or Matthews (defense) were. And those are the 2 key traits of a successful head coach.

#10

Without doubt, the Als are indeed functioning better since Popp, recognized the need to upgrade the team's coaching functioning then, brought in Garcia and Shonert who most definitely have upgraded this, as evidenced in recent games. At present, I do believe there has been an improvement in ST's since James Rodgers appeared on the scene. His abilities have provided the team with a P/K returner immensely better than those preceding him for several years. In addition, Whyte's productivity has improved. I would suspect that Whyte was active in a gym in the off season improving his strength and physical presence. Lets give Whyte some credit for this. Todate, he's actually had one STT and, I can count only one shank so far this season. Last season these were plentiful. With respect to P/K returns, Duron Carter has also demonstrated productively here. The drafting of Andrew Lue appears to have been a solid draft choice as, he is now leading the team in STT's. Any chance that Garcia and Shonert will remain for 2015? Higgins, to his credit, has accepted the evolution of the team during this season and, will likely retain his HC responsibility for the rest of the season.

#11

Bonnes observations. Il est vrai que ce n'est pas maintenant que les Alouettes semblent avoir trouvé le chemin de l'amélioration qu'il faudrait chasser Higgins. Mais en même temps, Higgins semble dépassé durant les parties. Dans le dernier match, lorsque la punition des Stampeders pour obstruction a été annulée pour le geste posé sur Carter, Higgins aurait pu lancer son mouchoir jaune pour soulever l'obstruction contre Johnson. Il ne l'a pas fait. Qu'il manque encore de ce genre de présence d'esprit à ce stade-ci de la saison laisse passablement songeur à son sujet.

#12

Ce n est pas la premiere fois que Higgins devrait lancer son mouchoir.

#13

Ideal...I never heard the context or the questions leading to his QB grooming or Larry Taylor responses. I've learned not to take as gospel the interpretations people make. No offense.
The comment of "closer to the end" you attribute to Higgins speaking of Smith. In fact it was about Chad Johnson if my memory serves me. He was responding to a question as to how long the receiver would remain as a starter. I thought it was fitting.

#14

The Popp QB grooming and Taylor comment were reported widely. If you choose not to believe what you read in the press that`s up to you.

As for the Johnson quote, which you are selectively choosing to believe, your memory is correct. Higgins did bring him up at the same time as Smith.

#15

Heres how Herb reported it. I guess here its open to interpretation:

“You have to be able to produce,? Higgins said. “We’re getting closer to the end than we are to the beginning, if we don’t start having better output. I don’t know how anybody looks good when, in the second half, you have two first downs. Who looks good on offence? We look anemic.

“We have to get rolling. Our offence needs to get first downs. We have to be better with our quarterback so we can showcase some talent with our receivers.?

#16

Ideal...you pointed to 3 negatives:

You erroneously attributed the quote to be about Smith. I corrected that to be about Johnson. Big difference.

Your interpretation that Higgins took a shot on Popp was one I cannot comment on. Never heard or read it. I didn't interpret Herbs tweet as a shot in any way at Popp. Just the truth. Not sure if you are referring to that tweet as an interpretation that it is a shot at Popp.

Your comment about Higgins saying Taylors injury as career threatening was one I did not read. Nor do I interpret that as anything other than Higgins' view. I cannot comment as I don't know what question was posed to him.

#17

Agreed. Another missed opportunity was Calgary's catch / fumble / recovery play? Even if not overturned it would have paused the Stamps at a time that they were getting momentum.

#18

Schonert was supposedly a finalist when Hawkins was hired, so it would not be illogical for him to return as HC, with Garcia as at least QB coach and maybe as OC; but I hope they do a proper search quickly after the season before making decisions.

#19

I posted the Higgins "closer to the end" quote in my previous post. It does not mention Johnson, I interpreted it to mean Smith, but I could be wrong.

As far as the other 2 widely reported Higgins quotes about Popp and Taylor, I hope you read somewhere that today is Tuesday and that the sun came up, otherwise I get the impression you won`t believe it.

#20

Ideal…maybe go over my response again.
I’ll try again.
I do not necessarily accept the interpretation that people on this site make about anyone’s comments. Very often when I do read or hear the actual comments, complete with context and questions posed, I find I have quite a different interpretation.

I have no doubt you heard something Higgins said about quarterbacking that made you interpret it as throwing Popp under the bus. I never interpreted anything he said as that. You mentioned Herbs tweet. I do not interpret that as throwing Popp under the bus in any way

I have no doubt you heard or read that Higgins said Taylor’s injury was career threatening. Unless I know the context of the question posed of him I have no interpretation of his comments. Not negative. Not positive. Only he thinks it was serious.