As much as everyone complains about the high number of penalties this year - and rightfully so - I'd say that the other reason games are so bad is lack of starting quarterbacks.
Montreal vs Edmonton last night : backup vs backup.
Toronto vs Winnipeg tonight : backup vs backup.
We have backup QBs starting in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton.
Games look more like preseason than regular season with the combination of poor offensive play and a high number of flags.
These games are not enjoyable to watch, and getting through an entire game is like watching paint dry. Seeing as I don't regularly watch paint dry 4 times times week, I'm going to stick to highlights from now on.
Calling Trevor Harris a back-up is a bit insulting, at least in this context. He's statistically the best quarterback in the league. Rakeem Cato is probably still the best QB Montreal has, it's most likely the rest of the team that's the problem...
Nothing against Harris, but being the best QB in the league of backup quarterbacks is not as impressive as it would be if Reilly, Durant, Ray, Glenn and Willy were all healthy and playing.
If Harris was the only backup starting this season, quality wouldn’t take much of the hit but combined with all the others PLUS the flag show, and you have a pretty un entertaining season thus far.
In time new players have to step up. It can't be Durant, Glenn and Ray for much longer in any case. Yes its unfortunate Reilly and Willy are out as well.
I see your point, but in many cases, back ups have been about equal to the task or superior (Cato, IMO). Personally, I enjoyed getting to see Franklin and Lynch yesterday.
You are correct, Sir! CFL games this year have been tremendous, with many see-saw battles going down to the wire . Some of the backup QB's have played great and are the highest rated in the league. To complain about the quality of the games is really off-base. If some fans find CFL games boring or poorly played perhaps they would find baseball, MLS or NFL preseason more exciting. :roll:
In previous years, we probably averaged 1 dud game per week - 1 bomber game per week.
This year, there might be 1 good quality game per week if lucky.
Also, when there's a backup QB transitioning to starter, there might be one or two per season - not 5 all at once.
I understand that next year will be better, but I'm not afraid to admit that this is a rough year to be watching - reflected in low attendance and poor tv ratings.
All right, I admit I don't pay attention to TV ratings much, especially as a reflection of quality of play, but in terms of attendance, who are we referring to, and against what year? this question isn't to DG specifically, but anyone who refers to attendance woes.
Because my perception is that if attendance decreases somewhere while increasing elsewhere, it's a local phenomenon, not a national one. In other words, if BC has lost 10,000 fans per game in the last 10 years, then it's a BC problem. If it was a matter of game quality, you would think that decreases would be pretty much across the entire league, and that's not the case.
There have been more close games this season than last - I'll grant you that - so I've been more likely to be watching the last part of games to see who wins. But to me the quality of a fair number (too many) of them hasn't been that great (flags, mistakes, poor play - whatever) - so not very many games have hooked me in to watch them in their entirety. Quite a few have lost me by early in the second quarter with me just checking back in occasionally to see what the score was and if close halfway through the 4th quarter I watch to the end.
And then when I later read the game threads here and read about all the complaints of the poor play or flags that happened during the parts I did not watch - I'm kind of glad I skipped big chunks of those games.
The playing QB is a starter ,not a back up. And this is great to see we have back ups that can come in and play and do well. The QB future in this league looks good.
Of Harris, Cato, Brohm, Nichols and Smith, only Harris has a future in this league after this season....maybe Cato.
So, we're watching 3-4 guys who we won't remember in 2 years time. We won't remember these guys or this season.
So much for the "Power ratings"
The Esks defense is holding them in but they don't look like a 5 win team right now.
The Als are starting to skid and defenses figuring out Cato and their "O" line is pourous.
I was at the Ticat home opener and I saw nothing from the Argos and they looked pretty bad in beating the worst team in the league.
The Lions look inconsistent and will be blown out by the Ticats.
Riders and Bombers - no QB, no offense.
The Stampeders the only consistent team in the West and guaranteed first place finish
Ottawa looking consistent and looking like the second place team in the East, should be a good game tomorrow night but I think Calgary will take it at home.
Ticats worthy of 1st place overall.
No one forced you to read or contribute to this particular thread.
Take your comments elsewhere.
In all seriousness, though, no one is forced to watch the CFL, and as it's become a chore to watch and ratings have nose dived.
Just pointing out one reason why it has become a chore to watch and why it shouldn't last past this season...hopefully
Some agree, some don't. Some think there is no problem at all which is fine.
Does anyone really believe Toronto would have a better record if Ricky Ray were playing?
Does anyone really think that Crompton is better than Cato?
Does anyone think the Bombers would have a significantly better record if Willy had not been injured?
The Riders prepared for the injury to Durant by signing the winnning QB in the league, only to have him go down shortly afterwards. Yet in spite of this aberration, they are outscoring Calgary, B.C., Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal.
"Backup" QBs (actually, "second-string" QBs) are not the problem. Scoring is actually up after seven weeks (24.6 points per team per game, compared with 23.3 last season.) Average point spread has dropped from 14.3 points after seven weeks last year to 9.9 points this year, meaning on average the games have been a lot closer. 16 games have been decided by a touchdown or less, while only 8 have been decided by two or more touchdowns.
If anything, the quality of games has improved this year. Some teams are in trouble, QB-wise. Saskatchewan is still looking for a solution, and the Bombers don't appear to have anyone who can step in and replace Willy. Is this a new phenomenon? No. Every year teams scramble to find someone to replace their #1 guy. The difference is, this year, teams are finding them.
Reilly will be back for Edmonton soon to take over the top team in the West. And for those who still think Ricky Ray is something special, he'll be back too and move the top-rated QB in the league to the sideline. Lulay, Mitchell, Collaros and Burris are still rolling along. And Montreal probably has their #1 QB playing for them right now. Just because things aren't going well on the prairies doesn't mean the quality of play across the league is suffering.
I'm not arguing that Ricky Ray, Durant, Glenn, Crompton,Willy or Reilly would have effect on standings. I'm saying, whistle to whistle, the quality of play would be better and more enjoyable to watch with them on the field. there is a flow to the game that they bring that Nichols, Smith and Brohm do not.
I'm not sure what the prairies have to do with anything - I'm in London, Ontario, and an Argo/ticats/redblacks/alouettes fan.
I don't care if the riders are 0-7 or 7-0, as long as the games are entertaining.
Instead, games this season look like CIS quality...which is fine if I'm watching CIS, but not the CFL.
