Got to state that Steve Milton is by far the best sports writer that the Spec has. He has great insight into topics.
Today his column on the Cat's situation re: the offence is "bang-smack on".
Steve Milton is a great writer, and a perfect fit in the Sports section.
http://thespec.com/Sports/article/233689
Click the above link for Milton’s thoughts on the offense. Bang on, indeed!
Oski Wee Wee,
Steve has summarized basically everything people have been saying on this web site with a little more class. Bottom line its clear to everyone but the coach that Maas no longer has the arm strength to be an effective starting CFL QB. We simply are not winning football games with him as are starting Qb so how much worse could it be if Chang played!
Gotta agree with leo1
Maybe the Maas supporters who think its the rest of the team that is the problem will read this and re-consider. Its been said before on this forum many times. As usual, Steve Milton has nailed it.
Problem is....if Chang is not "ready" yet, what do we do to improve things at QB? And please don't say Maas needs more time.
Steve may have summarized basically everything
people have been saying on this web site, LEO1,
and it may be clear to you that Maas no longer has
the arm strength to be an effective starting CFL QB.
but I don’t believe you have POLLED EVERYONE
AND in his column Steve Milton definitely SAID
NOTHING ABOUT JASON’S ARM STRENGTH.
Steve did say this though…
Maas's throws,[in turn], were affected by the pressure from the defensive rush.There is always that kind of
inter-relationship in football.One part of the game impacts
heavily on the other,and the O line did not
have a great night.That hurried up everything else.
Then again, the line was often outnumbered
as the Eskimos dared the Cats to pass,rather than hand the ball to Jesse Lumsden.
I have said it before and will say it again. I have supported Maas from day 1. However it seems for whatever reason he cannot win as a starter. Cursed? Don't know! I do realize sadly enough that we are in a playoff race and we need to win. Give Timmy his first start let him go if he sputters bring Maas of the bench. He did it in Edmonton and was fantastic. Jason Maas is a team guy and an ultimate competitor. You know if Chang is struggling and the team is down Jason will lift them up. With him starting his emotion is to high at the beginning of the game and it leads to bad decisions and slow starts.
Just my thoughts.
Good article
I don’t think there are a large amount of people that would consider themselves “Maas Supporters” but more along the lines of people who have a little more patience and realize that the 2007 Ticats are essentially an expansion team in terms of the new staff and personnel and that we are only 7 games in to an 18 game first season.
And I am sure these same people are smart enough to trust the football operations staff and their choice of Charlie Taaffe and his extensive and successful football resume to build this team from the ground up.
Finally, as I am sure everyone knows, football is the ultimate team game where you are only as good as your weakest part. Now I am sure you think I am defending Jason Maas at this point and I most certainly am not, I would love better play at the quarterback position, but there are a lot more factors that go in to team success than having a quarterback who allegedly can’t throw the ball far enough.
But to get back on topic, Steve Milton is a great sports writer for the Spec and has a great ability to see things objectively and logically. It is a good article.
His last line from todays article: “Chevrier said that Eskimo defensive end Rahim Abdullah told him after Saturday’s game that he had hit Jason Maas harder than he’d ever hit a quarterback in his career, and ‘He not only came back but he played better. As if the hit woke him up. I told him that he was my hero.’”
Just some food for thought,
- paul
ps. This bye week isn’t good for a football junkie!
Great article as usual.
Maybe some of you don't like Maas, that's fine, but you can't question his toughness reading the last paragraph as.
"... Chevrier said that Eskimo defensive end Rahim Abdullah told him after Saturday's game that he had hit Jason Maas harder than he'd ever hit a quarterback in his career, and "He not only came back but he played better. As if the hit woke him up, I told him he was my hero."
Oops, sorry Paul, didn't read your post above. Oh well, worth repeating anyways.
Ha, it’s all good, I can get long winded sometimes, I don’t expect most people to read my rambling posts.
I love football, what can I say? (My girlfriend is a very tolerant person …)
- paul
Jason Maas is a tough competitor, there's no question about that. I think that's why he commands so much respect, despite his recent troubles at QB. However, until he can get the job done, I think it's time to spare his dignity and sit him for Chang. No professional coach should be hanging their stater out to dry like that.
I think Milton must read these threads because he's basically summarized two years worth of frustrations expressed by many Cats fans. There isn't much that I can disagree with.
Like many, I've been hoping to see Chang start a game when the team got off to yet another dismal 0-for start but if Taafe is not going to give him a shot (for whatever reason), I hope Desjardins can find someone (NFL castoff, a CFL benchwarmer, ex-NFL-Europe player, etc.) who can buy the team some time until Taafe thinks Chang is ready. They aren't Cup contenders yet but I think the team has enough pieces on offence to be competitive in most of their games but they need someone productive at QB to rally around. Taafe must be able to see by now that Maas is never going to take this team to the promised land--ever.
Does Bob Young read the Spectator?
An Argo-Cat fan
I think that the quarterback of a team is also one of the leaders of the team, and for what any reason, Mass has lost that respect.
Coach Taffe talks about learning to win, but without a respected leader how can a team learn this elusive skill?
This has nothing to do with Mass being able to take a hit or throw a long ball, it has to do with the rest of the team and their confidence in those leading them on the field.
If this is the case, would it be that damaging to start a different quarterback?
IMO, the quarterback change could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
However, this does not mean that Mass is finished as the starter. As he has done in the past, he might come into a game in relief of the starter and shoot the lights out and win back both the job and respect of the team.
In either case, I see this as a win-win situation.
PS:
I probably should have used the word "confidence" rather than "respect".
I think were all tired of talking about Maas but the truth is this discussion will not go away, until the quarterbacking issue is resolved. I like Maas.
I think he is a team player with a lot of heart and competitiveness. But honestly, hes had plenty of time to prove himself here and hasnt got it done.
I say, give Chang the start and lets see what this guy can do. If he fails bring back Maas. This season isnt lost. We still have 11 games. I realize Taaffe is trying to be patient. But at what point do you say enough is enough.
Milton said no such thing. What he seemed to be eluding to was questionable play calling and leaning on Lumsden too much. Steve Milton is a great sports writer, and never has he attacked players like the people who regularly post on this board.
Let's ease off on the "Milton is the greatest writer ever" talk. It's much easier to write one column a week instead of trying to write one everyday like good old Kenny Peters.
If you read between the lines, Steve Milton articulates in a very subtle way that Maas does not have the arm strength to make that long pass successful.
The "meat" of the article was that if Maas would have lead Bauman with the pass instead of having him come back and wait for it, he'd still be running.
It isn't hard to figure out what he's saying. :cowboy:
I agree. It's called 'reading between the lines' or 'sit Maas down'.
An Argo-Cat fan