Well, far be it from me to post a gripe, but here I go! Today's Als-Esks game was essentially over after the 1st quarter, BUT while the D team played an otherwise excellent game, the DHs are taking too many stupid PIs. I know Trestman wants them to play aggressive footbal, but there is a big difference between aggressive and stupid defensive football. I saw waaaayyyy too much of the latter today. Against the Esks, it didn't matter that much on the scoreboard (thankfully!). However, against a contender, such stupid penalties will cost the Als. These penalties are instant field position and momentum changers.
I don't know what Burke & co. intend to do about this, but I would tend to bench certain DHs if they continue to play like that. Parker and Browne have been the biggest culprits, but there are others as well. The D coaching staff will have to instruct our DHs to use better technique.
While AC looked impressive today, there are still RZ problems. The Als had total domination against the Esks today, but I hope there are better O schemes to correct this aspect. Great O-line protection today!!
Can't really fault the D today as it was the offense that did its level best to lose the game with the missed RZ opportunities, turnovers, penalties, punts, and poor playcalling.
I am officially giving up on the offense, which scored a measly ONE TOUCHDOWN against the worst team in the league despite being handed excellent field position all day long. It was a pathetic performance in our own ballpark. A team with real Cup aspirations would have put its foot on Edmonton's throat and hung 50 points on their defense. Us? Five lousy second-half points.
I'm sick of the lack of discipline, the ass-hatted playcalls, and the absence of any commitment to the running game. And most of all, I'm sick of this football team's season-long inability to finish drives with touchdowns.
The defense and even special teams have turned a corner and are playing football at a higher level. Offense? Same old garbage from months ago.
Our offense runs out of steam and has been many times this year and I"m blaming this retarded practice regimen, it is costing the team 1 to 1.5 hours of practice time per and that is a huge disadvantage. I wish the playcalling in the redzone was a little more agressive and inspiring.
As far as our running game I think Cobourne and the line did a good job today in particular Woodruff, I think the stats are a little warped because of the fourth quarter play calling where the Als were just being polite.
The penalties I am not a fan of like the rest of you but the officiating on subjective type calls has been so inconsistant this year that you might as well “cheat”.
A well deserved win but with some question marks on offense.
Parker and Brown played a whale of a game today. I tell you what, I'm very pleased to see how Parker has elevated his game in the past few weeks. He's playing aggressively: challenging receivers, breaking on the ball for knockdowns or picks. If Estelle had better hands, he'd have had himself a pick-6 tonight (when is Strasser going to stop calling that wide-side out which everyone in the league can see coming? when every other team registers a pick-6 on that exact play?).
Ferri, what a game. Gotta love how he ploughed right through that tackle on the kick-return TD. So a WILL linebacker is able to do what our regular kick returner couldn't do all year long. Hmm. Not sure Maypray will be activated next week even if we don't have ratio issues....
You know...you kind of learn to live with the pass interference calls
Sort of like caribou in the Great White North learning to live with incessant insects...
Otherwise it'll drive you nuts and you end up running off a cliff
Ferri had a monster game
Parker is suddenly extremely motivated
Seemed to coincide with the arrival of Leroy Vann in town
Glad to see the new contract isn't going to be regretted anyways.
Leroy Vann will be our kick returner, spotted by Hawkins, if I heard right on TSN and CJAD
Once they work the ratios out
As far as the offense is concerned, they seemed to lose focus after it was obvious the Esks were doing the puppy roll. Hell I wanted to scratch their tummies myself. :lol:
Calvillo had a so so game...considering the circumstances....but that rust will slake off in no time.
I'd hoped to see Trestman breaking old habits...getting Calvillo out of there with 3 TD leads or more...
But God knows what kind of electro-shock will elicit that response.
The O-line was incredible...or the Eskimo rush was pathetic....take your pick
Either way...the free ride ends in Winnipeg
I agree with discipline that Parker and Brown played a super game yesterday. I have noticed a lot of pass interception calls in other non-Als games and I am wondering if there have been decisions made by the league somewhere to modify these calls as they are more noticable than in other years. Woodruff made a super block freeing Colbourne for his best run of the day. During the game I kept asking myself - is our defense that good or is the Esks offense so poor?
B-J has done us well-a sixth round draft choice. I noticed he still has a spell at OT. I don't mind the PI calls- it shows the defense is playing a press defense man to man. They have become mean m............, and I like our defense. Its the best I have seen in years. Our anxiety re the corner spot was not indicated. Dix is presently doing OK. The linebacking, safties and defensive backs are in a good zone. The way our offense has slipped we are going to need them. Calvillo seems not able to play a good complete game! I'm not sure if it is always his second quarter but he can't do a complete game. Sunday it was the second half that was horrid. During the Grey Cup Win it was his first half that strunk the joint out. Coach, there is a very obvious move for you to take which will rectify this impotence! Take it!!!!!~!
On a more positive note, we appear to have loads of Canadian talent on the line. JP Bekasiak has been a nice gift from the Tabbies. I believe this places the team in a good position to make a trade, should this ne necessary, at a future date. Again I think Popp and company have been very good at the draft. The only poor draft they had was the year Popp decided to coach! It means as a general rule one cannot coach and do a GM position also.
