Second and Short

While watching the game in the third quarter on Friday, I'm thinking to myself, "We're blowing this game because we can't convert on second and short, and the Argos can". Fortunately we come up with a huge turnover in the fourth quarter, and we find a way to get into the endzone, and then close it out (although that was a bit of a struggle).

All I can say is please let's come up with a better plan on second and short than either a hand-off with a single back or a quarterback sneek when it is less than a yard. When you gain 6 or more yards on first down (which we did a lot), it is supposed to open the playbook up, not shut it closed.

I would really prefer to see Glenn come under centre, and have two backs in the back field on these plays. It just sets up so many more options. When it's half a yard, let Porter sneak it, otherwise don't tip your hand to the defense, it just isn't working. Either have the second back follow the block of the first, or use one back as a decoy and hand it to the other.

So many other teams are more successful at this. Surely we can just use something that is successful for someone else.

What do you think would be the best play call for the current TiCats on second and 2?

A new OC?

Works for me.

I agree with both of you. Our OC calls leave something to be desired. With the talent we have we should be putting these teams away not struggling for every win. But I also blame Bellefeuille here for not making the adjustments needed to solve the short yardage problems...
I also agree that we should leave Glenn in for some, if not most, short yardage plays. And when it is 2nd and one we should be throwing 30-50 per cent of the time. That's what we do best.... so play to your strengths. Throw the ball a couple of times and the linebackers won't be teeing up on Cobb so often on short yardage.

On a related note, how did you feel about the way we tried to kill the clock at the end of the game. Single back set and run offtackle on first and second down.

I know it is important not to turn the ball over, but please play to win. Make a couple of first downs to finish the game, don't run predictably to create a two and out and let their special teams and offence get another crack at scoring a winning touchdown!

we in bc would be glad to trade oc's with you

Oh man that was frustrating. If we can't get it done on the ground, have faith in your QB and some of the best receivers in the CFL and throw a safe pass. We came to within one tackle (thanks Wilber) of losing that on the last play of the game because we could not get one first down at the end of the game.
We should at least be running two backs in the backfield to try and fool the defense a little.

Paul LaPolice would make a great OC in Hamilton after Winnipeg fires him. :smiley:

when it got to the end of the game, and we had to kill the clock, i already had the mind set that we need our D to step up when we go 2 and out here, its just so predictable what we are going to do, defences are having a field day when we have to run the ball

i say on second and shorts, if we are going to run the ball, throw fournier or brown infront of cobb as a lead blocker, or better yet hand one of the big boys the ball if its 3 yards or less, the CFL has forgotten the lost art of a fullback (excpetion to montreal and saskatchewan)

but these single back sets are NOT working time and time again but MB and MG are stuck on the idea of running cobb outta thre backfiel by himself, give cobb a big man infront of him to blow the hole open, its ridiculous

we need to fix this problem because we are ending to many good drives on 2nd and shorts, its quite frustrating as a fan

hopefully during the bye week the coaches adress this problem and can fix it for labour day

I agree fully, Montreal and Saskatchewan have the right idea, but why would we want to do anything like them, they both have terrible records (sarcasm). Toronto and Calgary have power backs in Boyd and Renolds who are essentially like full backs for these types of runs. Why we continue with a single smaller back on these plays is beyond me.

As a Ticat fan there are too many times we want to scream -"What in Gawd's name are our coaches thinking."
Yesterday's bonehead call on 3rd and 2 when 3 points were almost a sure thing was another.

Agreed. At the very least, if the Cats lack a capable big back for short yardage, USE THE FIELD AVAILABLE TO YOU!!!

The line of scrimmage runs 65 yards from sideline to sideline… The Cats, if lacking when lining up in obvious running formations should line up 4 or 5 wide with 2 or 1 backs respectively and get the defence to respect the short passes to the outside as an alternative to the run up the middle… It works on 1st and 10 to pick up 4-7 yards via pass or draw… I don’t see why it wouldn’t work on 2nd and short or near the goal line with 20 yard deep endzones to use.

Rob Murphy said the biggest difference in the Offence this year is not being predictable. I hope Gibson watches the TSN broadcast and takes that quote to heart.

on 2nd and 1 in the CFL the play should be nothing other than a sneak. If you dont get it, on 3rd and 1 the play should be nothing other than a sneak.

Period.

On another note, did anyone else think that with 7 seconds left in the game we should have handed off, given the ball to Thigpen, run all the way back to the endzone and run around to kill the clock? Worst case scenario is that he kills 5 seconds and we squib kick it to a linebacker after the safety. Punting the ball to their best player was the wrong call IMO.

I would have done what Calgary did to Winnipeg a few weeks ago. Let Glenn lineup in the shotgun and take the snap. Have a player standing about 15 yards behind that Glenn can throw to. Then let that player run around and waste the clock.

While watching the game, i said to punt it out of bounds and just let them attempt a hail mary. Better than kicking to Owens.

Also, id like to add that we only had 11 players on the field for the final punt.

I was wondering that myself. This is another one of those forgotten techniques that we used to see years ago. I don’t remember it ever not working. Seven seconds should be easy to run off given a wide-open backfield.

I remember seeing someone run off the field at the last second, just as the ball was snapped. I’m guessing that someone must have counted wrong, and told him to get off. Anyone hear an explanation from the team on this?

It was Thigpen that ran off the field… not sure what happened there but on the endzone view of the return its painfully obvious that we only had 11 on the field.

Reminds me of last years playoff game where the same thing happened in overtime.

That raises a few questions for me. Is Thigpen on our cover team? I hadn’t noticed him there before. If so, think they’ll ever have him run back around the punter for an onside recovery? And if not, why was he on the field at all? And who should have been on in his place? And who called him off?

As I said earlier, I’d like to hear an explanation from the team on this.

on the last punt i said same thing and i knew they were gonna do it,,just a stupid call,,,give up the safety or punt it out of bounds,,,the only thing that would have and almost beat us is owens returning the ball.