Official Game Day Thread - Ottawa at Winnipeg, August 14, 2025

TecnoGenius · August 16, 2025, 10:31:43 AM

In the last 3 mins, on the Hardy TD, Hardy does OPI full arm extension in order to get the separation he had on Nichols. I was wondering why Nichols was trailing so badly.

Right at the start of the route Nichols goes to jam Hardy, but Hardy eats it and hides a push off extension. It's a really coy plan, actually. Hard for the refs to see, and they're thinking it's just co-jamming. No way a DB can overcome that with a fast REC.

Could have challenged (had a TO and CH), and I think we win. TD goes away and it's 2nd & 18. You can see the jam clearly in the replay after the convert (and in the live shot, but it's not obvious).

TecnoGenius · August 16, 2025, 10:48:47 AM

On the Strev 2nd & 3 near the end.

1. It's not 3, it's 2.5

2. Strev gets exactly half the 2.5 due to the second effort. So 1.25 to go (or less). Proof:
a) I measured it on my computer PVR
b) The line judge coming from the top of the screen to mark the spot is running down the correct spot to begin with. But as he keeps running to the spot he is watching some post-whistle nonsense and his run turns into an angle.

3. This robs us of around half a yard, and puts us at the 49, when we should be at least at the 48.5.

4. Around the 48.5 we'd be under a yard to go and MOS would have gone for another sneak.

Bad spot, and the spot was clear (thanks to Strev's upright run). We could have challenged (had TO and CH) but didn't. EITS could have corrected automatically, especially since Dyce calls a TO after the play.

TecnoGenius · August 16, 2025, 10:51:21 AM

The Castillo missed FG was doing the "chipped wobble" thing again. It was all over the place, looking in, then out, then in, then finally out. Wind was pretty dead at that moment (flags dead, booth said it was dead).

What makes some of Castillo's kicks do this? The initial trajectory looked close, but well in.

Very odd.

And Sheahan is supposed to force Pimpleton back inside. He let him get outside. He had time to setup more outside but looked like he was going for the tackle. Bad mistake. At least Castillo forced him back in at the end, but no cover was left chasing.

TecnoGenius · August 16, 2025, 11:01:14 AM

Zach's huge bomb to Demski that was INTed with 37s left: it was a 60Y pass. That's well beyond Zach's prior max range, by around 10Y. His effective range was 45Y up till now, with maybe 50Y if a dude is wide open (low catch).

Nice to see Zach has found 10 more Y range. Not sure he can do it all the time, but it's a nice tool if we need it. PJ will be happy.

TecnoGenius · August 16, 2025, 11:06:19 AM

Zach's "scramble" with 15s left to get the 1st down and ~20Y... it was a called QB draw. @ PAS I thought it was a coverage scramble. But on TV it's clear they cleared out the already-vacated flat, as OTT was playing well off to keep us from a 25+ pass.

So yell about Hogan all you want, that was some pure Hogan magic. Perfect call, and hoggies made a nice big hole and held their DL back so Zach was clean.

Ducky · August 16, 2025, 03:41:32 PM

Quote from: TecnoGenius on August 16, 2025, 10:51:21 AMThe Castillo missed FG was doing the "chipped wobble" thing again. It was all over the place, looking in, then out, then in, then finally out. Wind was pretty dead at that moment (flags dead, booth said it was dead).

What makes some of Castillo's kicks do this? The initial trajectory looked close, but well in.

Very odd.

And Sheahan is supposed to force Pimpleton back inside. He let him get outside. He had time to setup more outside but looked like he was going for the tackle. Bad mistake. At least Castillo forced him back in at the end, but no cover was left chasing.

I was pretty pissed at the non-call on the glaring hold on Gauthier at Ottawa's 40 yard line. Guy was hugging him from behind AND spun Gauthier around.

TecnoGenius · August 16, 2025, 11:00:14 PM

Quote from: Ducky on August 16, 2025, 03:41:32 PMI was pretty pissed at the non-call on the glaring hold on Gauthier at Ottawa's 40 yard line. Guy was hugging him from behind AND spun Gauthier around.

I rechecked: ya, that's pretty bad. But worse, as the carrier goes by the guy that was holding Gauthier gives him a push in the numbers and he falls down. That's an IB every day of the week. Right at the point of attack. Strange the refs didn't see it. They were oddly on OTT's side all night.

There was also an IB on our #94 at the point of attack early in the return too. A coy "side arm" push in the numbers makes him fall down.

What a mess.

dd · **Today** at 02:34:30 AM

Quote from: TecnoGenius on August 16, 2025, 11:00:14 PMI rechecked: ya, that's pretty bad. But worse, as the carrier goes by the guy that was holding Gauthier gives him a push in the numbers and he falls down. That's an IB every day of the week. Right at the point of attack. Strange the refs didn't see it. They were oddly on OTT's side all night.

There was also an IB on our #94 at the point of attack early in the return too. A coy "side arm" push in the numbers makes him fall down.

What a mess.

That non-call showed just how clueless the officiating crew is. How on earth do you miss a hold and/or illegal block, when it happens at the point of attack on the ball carrier?? What are the looking at?? It's brutal officiating.

bunker · **Today** at 04:26:58 AM

Just re-watching the game and saw the first call against Allen in the endzone. Not only is it not PI (he barely brushed against the receiver and the ball was not catchable) but the endzone ref who was right there simply called it an incomplete pass. Then a flag is thrown into the screen after, I'm assuming from the line judge 15-20 yards away. Why would he try and make that call when the other ref is right there, 2 yards away, and did not make that call?

Also the no-yards penalty on Kelly was pretty cheap. He's five yards away, and if its not 5 yards, then its 4 feet 11 inches.

TecnoGenius · **Today** at 07:52:45 AM

I've never seen a team/QB call audibles as much as Dru/OTT. Crum was doing it a fair bit too. What's up with that?

Do they not understand the noise situation in WPG and SSK? You can't make most of your calls audibles at the line! Ya, it's mostly just "plan A" or "plan B" signals, but it's not easy with so much chaos.

TecnoGenius · **Today** at 08:09:54 AM

Quote from: bunker on Today at 04:26:58 AMJust re-watching the game and saw the first call against Allen in the endzone. Not only is it not PI (he barely brushed against the receiver and the ball was not catchable)

Also the no-yards penalty on Kelly was pretty cheap. He's five yards away, and if its not 5 yards, then its 4 feet 11 inches.

I finally spotted what the ref was flagging. It was earlier in the route, not what they show live. Allen puts his arm under Addison's arm and uses it as leverage to pull Addison back slightly to slow him down. That's why both guys end up with both arms in the air at the end. So there is something there. Is it enough? Ref's judgement, could go either way.

Never gonna win a challenge on that one, though!

As for "uncatchable": Addison would have to climb the tallest ladder of his life as it was very high/overthrown. I doubt he does it: he's good but not that good (anymore). Also no way command overrules based on this aspect.

Coaching hint to Allen: never ever do the arms up "I'm innocent" thing. ONLY guilty players do that. If you want to show you're innocent, put your arms straight out or out & down at 45 degrees. It shows you aren't interfering while NOT screaming "I'm guilty! Look at me!".

Another coaching hint: make them catch it. Giving it to them at the 1 is a 99% free TD. You never know how well/badly the ball was thrown, nor whether the REC will whiff (which they do probably 25%+ of the time on average).

As for the Kelly no yards... did that really happen? The CFL tracker play-by-play does not show any Kelly no yards penalty? Was the flag picked up?

TecnoGenius · **Today** at 08:45:46 AM

It's completely insane that with 0:53 left on the clock we got 2 series and OTT got 1. 3 series in 0:53. Yes, the includes 1 turnover, but it also includes a full deep punt!

Rider forum was going mental at how Dyce screwed up the clock management and how he could have killed it if he had a brain cell. Not sure about that (we had 1 timeout still), but it is possible. Why pass on 1st down? Maybe OTT wanted to win in regulation? We wanted to, why not them?

Let's keep in mind a rouge would have allowed either team to win!

That's the CFL for you!

Also, in this exact same situation Lapo as HC in OTT went for 2 on his PAT years ago. And won the game. He knew he would lose in OT because his team sucked. Dyce should have known with Crum he was going to lose. He should have went for 2. Gamble it all while you control the ball. Crum on a QB draw likely gets the 3Y.

TecnoGenius · **Today** at 08:49:42 AM

Buck would have never called that Zach QB draw (netting 15Y) to win the game. That happened only because of Hogan. 6 REC out to clear out everything. Hoggies part the seas as everyone is in pass-rush mode. Zach sees it all pre-snap to know it's plan A. QB draws were never in Buck's book. And he almost never ran RB draws either.

Hogan. Everyone appreciate this.