Use this thread to discuss any aspect of the CFL that doesn’t directly relate to the Alouettes, including the performance of ex-Als on other teams.
One thing I find interesting about Adams and Harris, our departed quarterbacks, is how we didn’t or did cater to their strengths while they were here.
Adams became the starter in 2018 by forcing Khari Jones’s hand. When Pipkin and the rest were floundering, he came in, threw out the (crappy) playbook, and started improvising. And since we were winning, KJ had no choice but to keep him. In 2019, we were catering to Adams. However, in 2021, it felt like KJ tried to make Vernon more of a pocket-passer, and once Trevor Harris came, that was it.
Harris, by contrast, had everything tailored to his skill set. And I find it interesting that while mobile QBs are frequently forced to act like pocket-passers, pocket-passers are rarely forced to act like mobile QBs. Does anyone think Harris would have succeeded last year if AC had made him scramble out on the half roll from the read option or called designated running plays for him or asked him to go vertical a lot more? Of course not. He would have been killed. So why do coaches often try to force scrambling QBs into a statue mold?
It feels sometimes coaches can’t transcend their own player backgrounds. Both AC and KJ were pocket-passers first and foremost. And it seems like they are resistant to doing other things. What I appreciate about Maas is that, judging from the limited preseason action, he fully intends to cater to Fajardo’s strengths, rather than forcing him to be someone he’s not.
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Is it safe to comment here? 
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Not about the Alouettes. 
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Vernon Adams being a pocket passer is like Tom Brady being a scrambler.
Both are handcuffed from their strengths.
Always play to their strengths. Easier said than done from myself.
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I think there is something to the lack of respect for running QBs. Sometimes it is because they can’t read defences. And I haven’t always been convinced that Adams can. But I think he is paired with the right OC in BC. They for sure played to Harris’s strengths last year with the short passing game. Did they throw anything longer than 30 yards?
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They went over 30 yards very sparingly. And given Harris’s noodle arm, I understand why. He couldn’t hit open receivers in stride on deep routes very often.
On the subject of reading defenses, yeah, I feel like offensive coaches often get caught up with the platonic ideal of what a QB should be, rather than maximizing the talent they have. Isn’t the end goal to win games? Who cares how your QB wins as long as he finds a way, right?
Les Tiger Cats veulent ravir aux Alouettes le titre de l’équipe la plus indiscipliné du circuit.
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Un peu spécial car sur le site de la CFL, on ne peut plus voir le nombre de punitions.
So yeah, that BLM is the star QB of the east, isn’t he? 
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J’espère pour les Timinous qu’il sera meilleur qu’hier car il va leur coûter cher.
I hope nothing for the Cats. 
All offseason we’ve had to deal with pundits talking about BLM like he was going to take them to the Cup. So they’ve got him. Let’s see him do it, then. 
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Neuf fois sur dix BLM a des débuts de match très lent. Ce qu’on a vu hier n’était pas surprenant en soit et il y a fort à parier que les choses vont débloquer par la suite, d’autant plus qu’ils affrontaient ce qui pourrait être la meilleure équipe du circuit. Cependant, il a aussi commis plusieurs erreurs quant à ses tentatives de longues passes. Les Tiger Cats ont été très chanceux d’avoir des unités spéciales efficaces et surtout d’avoir pu marquer des points sur deux revirements consécutifs, parce que le pointage final n’était pas représentatif de la partie.
It is one game of course, but I wasn’t wowed by the vaunted Ti-Cats. BLM’s arm looks fine, but his timing/accuracy wasn’t good. That, of course, can/will improve, but not sure he is the saviour they thought they bought. And if they have OLine injuries like last night, they are in trouble.
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Yeah, he missed some wide-open Cats receivers and threw costly interceptions that were 100% on him. Having said that, I do think he’ll settle down and look better as he gets more comfortable with Condell’s offense. But that is definitely not the debut Cats fans wanted for BLM in Hamilton.
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No he was definitely poor last night. He hits a couple of those in the first half and it’s a different game. Reminded me of MBT and Banks never being able to connect last year.
To me they looked good in the opening 5 minutes up until Bo Levi’s pick, then the wheels completely came off the rest of the quarter. You’re playing the top team in the league in their barn and start falling down in the secondary, taking unnecessary penalties and turning the ball over in a short span of time, expect the game to get away from you.
It’s a typical Ticat start to the season. I think they’ll come around as well, but the first half of the season looks like they’re under construction again and some injuries starting to pile up.
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First game for BLM with the Cats. He hardly played in the pre season game.
His first game against the Bombers.
Will see how he fares as he plays a couple more games.
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BLM is a good QB (not the QB he was Pre-injury but good). I still think they are not what most people in here think they are. Oline is put together with gun tape and Bengay cream. They don’t know how to run the ball. I predict Orlando will be fired and replaced by the bum Milanovich by mid-season.
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BLM and Arbuckle looked very similar in their first games.
Both teams look similar.
It’s just one game but the Ticats, Redblacks look disorganized. But at least Ottawa was playing with their backup.
The Als were not that much better last night and they had their starting QB
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They should replace Orlando by Noel Thorpe, he would be a great HC for them 