GDT Tor at Ssk, Fri Oct 10, 8:00PM

[markf]

Doege head-turf hit before halftime -- once again showing why QBs should be wearing something to protect back-of-head-to-turf hits.  This shouldn't be rocket science.  This is basically the hit that takes Zach out 90% of the time.

I know nothing about concussions but I just read online, that helmets do not stop the movement inside the skull that causes concussions.

Anyway...There's something wrong with the concussion diagnosis procedure. Seeing Doege bang the back of his head on the ground, wincing, had to stop and kneel, and yet cleared on the sideline to play.

It's probably Good Enough to prevent lawsuits but possibly not much better than that.

Related, the Riders seem to be quite good at injuring quarterbacks.

[Blue In BC]

Boy, CFL/command/commish really want SSK to get to the cup this year.  And it makes sense: everyone not in WPG would hate to see us in another cup.

First, we get a spot change on a challenge and re-measure.  When's the last time we saw that?  I can't even recall the last time command granted a spot change on challenge, especially one that meant 1st down vs TOD.  And strangely, where the chain ended up seems to have changed between the measurements... did they change where the start of the chain was?  (Change where the dude pinched it.)  Very weird overall.

Then they pick up that last RTP flag when it clearly was a legit call -- not for head hit, but because it was late.  Hits like that after the ball is gone have often been called.  We'd call it ticky-tack, but no reason to pick up a called flag.  They basically just overrode the beat down the ref on the field that called it.

SSK fans will moan about the earlier command-stepping-in thing, but the above 2 were even more critical and more out of thin air.

Turnovers are reviewed automatically. This was potentially a turnover on downs so the " spot " would have been a necessary evaluation.

[BBRT]

The problem with SSK is they are playing with attitude like they are the best.  They aren't.  But they think they are.  That is almost as dangerous.  Morale and mindset is a third of the game.

2021 Bombers would waste this sad sack team.  This SSK team is probably the worst team to actually win the west in a long time.

If by some miracle they make it to the cup, Alexander/MTL will waste them.  If they don't win the WDF (hopefully at the hands of us) they'll fall back to earth real quick.

I'll hand it to Mace making these guys actually believe.  That's some first class coaching.  If Dickenson The Lesser was still the guy they'd be just as sucky as their missed-playoff years.  I guess taking the guys bowling every week isn't the preferred way to run a team.

Your prejudiced is really showing here. I am not a Rider Fan by any stretch but they are in fact the best team in the West and maybe overall. If you look at their talent levels across the board it is easy to understand why they are at the least, the best in the West. Whether that puts them in the Peg for the cup is yet to be seen. But give them their dues. They have a lot of talent across the board and have a good coach. Their recruiting in 2025 was far superior to what the Bombers accomplished.

[Jesse]

Your prejudiced is really showing here. I am not a Rider Fan by any stretch but they are in fact the best team in the West and maybe overall. If you look at their talent levels across the board it is easy to understand why they are at the least, the best in the West. Whether that puts them in the Peg for the cup is yet to be seen. But give them their dues. They have a lot of talent across the board and have a good coach. Their recruiting in 2025 was far superior to what the Bombers accomplished.

This feels like it was written by someone who looks at the standings but hasn't actually watched too many Rider games.

[J5V]

If you strapped 2 feather/foam small but thick pillows to the back of their helmets it would stop half the concussions.  But since that looks (and probably feels) silly, come up with a high-tech alternative that achieves the same effect.

I've always liked the idea of a dense, foam crumple-zone-type device that could be easily replaced once deployed. Snap in onto the back of the helmet and once it has done it's job throw it away and snap on a new one. Maybe combine it with an airbag-type device inside the helmet with a couple of small CO2 cartridges. C'mon Tecno, lets put our heads together and develop just such a device. We could make ... er, well maybe we wouldn't lose our shirts. LOL!

[J5V]

And how does anyone out-strongarm Oullette in a pile?  Dude is more jacked than Andrew Harris -- literally eats every meal at Popeyes, and I don't mean the chicken joint!

Fixed it for you and maybe now we understand the true influence Andrew Harris has had on A.J.'s Omelette.  

[J5V]

Related, the Riders seem to be quite good at injuring quarterbacks.

Thank you for confirming that. It's ALWAYS the Riders.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

If you strapped 2 feather/foam small but thick pillows to the back of their helmets it would stop half the concussions.  But since that looks (and probably feels) silly, come up with a high-tech alternative that achieves the same effect.  Some sort of high-tech super light and open "crash structure" sticking 6" out of the back of the helmet would probably do it.  Would look dumb, but would instantly fix this problem.

It's a simple issue of reducing the G-force the head absorbs.  You do that by spreading out the deceleration over a longer time period.  My idea would achieve that.  All this "gazoo" protection on the sides/top when half the time it's the turf to the back of the head, and gazoo doesn't help with it at all (didn't help Dru!).

As for D's being more careful: ya, this particular hit was quite excessive.  No need to drive to the turf to achieve the tackle/sack/hit.  But don't worry, Johston is on it... oh wait, no he's only worried about goal post location and getting rid of the 55YL that touched him in the "no feeling" place when he was 4.

It comes down to physics, you think the protective equipment industry hasn't poured millions of dollars into researching this issue?  A little more padding added to the back of the helmet isn't going to solve a physics problem, the Guardian Cap is an exercise in marketing and false appeasement, it does nothing to solve the problem.  Realistically they would need air bag technology on the outside of the helmet to neutralize the force of colliding with the turf, and there's no practical way to trigger it before impact.

Much simpler to change the rules on player contact that punish the use of excess force.  If Stewart Johnston wants to make games like last night more appealing to viewers, he'd institute rules that protect starting QB's more effectively. I believe the Argos were down to playing their #5 QB, who wants to watch that?  Any knowledgeable fan is going to check the roster prior to game-time and figure out it's over before it starts, and won't waste time watching a non-competitive football game.  If Chad Kelly was playing completely different scenario.

[Stats Junkie]

Argos only ran the ball once in the second half last night - a 1 yard run by QB3 Max Duggan on a QB draw.

Last night TSN refernced a tidbit from the CFL Game Notes:
Scoring Oddity: Saskatchewan scored 3 TDs in a 20-13 win over Ottawa but did not score a single kicking point - the first time in franchise history they've done so and won the game

Fact Check:
The Roughriders achieved this feat on October 5, 1946 in a 10-9 victory over the Calgary Stampeders. Regina also did it on November 9, 1929 in a 15-8 playoff win over the Calgary Tigers.
* In the CFL, regular season, playoff & Grey Cup records are all separate.

[dd]

I would like them to implement a new rule whereby if you get 2 RTP calls in a game, you're out. You're clearly targeting injuring the Qb, and we have to eliminate that from the game. So 2 strikes and you're out. I'd also like them to implement a Rough Play fould on anyone driving the Qb into the ground, especially backwards/defenseless into the ground. Aoutmatic game ejection for that BS hit.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Argos only ran the ball once in the second half last night - a 1 yard run by QB3 Max Duggan on a QB draw.

To think the Argos cut Ka'Deem Carey after pre-season, went through a slew of RB's and still have no running game to show.

[markf]

I would like them to implement a new rule whereby if you get 2 RTP calls in a game, you're out. You're clearly targeting injuring the Qb, and we have to eliminate that from the game. So 2 strikes and you're out. I'd also like them to implement a Rough Play fould on anyone driving the Qb into the ground, especially backwards/defenseless into the ground. Aoutmatic game ejection for that BS hit.

How about a team penalty? Two by the same team.... Throw out one of the two players that did the roughing.

[dd]

How about a team penalty? Two by the same team.... Throw out one of the two players that did the roughing.

I m thinking they'd do it like the OC penalty in amateur football, 2 OC's by the same player, that player is out of the game. Players didn't care about the 10 yard penalty before, much like the don't care about the 15 yd penalty for RTP, start throwing guys out for their second foul, I tell you , immediately the BS stuff stopped. Right now in amateur football, 3 UR's by one player and that players out. So you can grab a face mask, or horse collar or RTP, but the thrie one you're done.

To cut down on injuries to #1 Qb's, which have been far too many this year, and these are the guys drawing the fans into the seats, the league has got to start hitting players with RP on egregous head contact fouls, like the one last night, you're done after 1. You don't have to drill the Qb into the ground, so don't. If it's just a RTP foul, you get 2 chances, the second one you're out. Pretty simple. Keep the #1 Qbs healthy and playing if you want to draw more fans into the stadiums. Nobody wants to see a #2 playing vs a #3 Qb and that's what we've had too many times this year

[Tecno]

I would like them to implement a new rule whereby if you get 2 RTP calls in a game, you're out.

Ya, but that would trigger almost never.  Would have to work some other way.  And any DQ also has to come with a big 25Y penalty.  It has to hurt both the player AND the team in that game at that moment, so that teams start self-policing.

[Tecno]

It comes down to physics, you think the protective equipment industry hasn't poured millions of dollars into researching this issue?  A little more padding added to the back of the helmet isn't going to solve a physics problem, the Guardian Cap is an exercise in marketing and false appeasement, it does nothing to solve the problem.  Realistically they would need air bag technology on the outside of the helmet to neutralize the force of colliding with the turf, and there's no practical way to trigger it before impact.

Maybe the NFL-watchers can chime in... maybe the headback-to-turf concussion problem is more of a CFL thing?  If NFL QBs are smarter and move more or take more side-hits or whatever, then maybe "the industry" doesn't see the problem we have up here.  Trust me, there's no money in just servicing a CFL-only problem!

As for my suggestion, yes it would work because it is external padding that acts as crumple zones to slow the impact / spread it out.

To see that it would work, picture Zach being driven back and his head landing on 5 ultra-soft pillows instead of the turf.  Would that stop his concussion?  100%!  Now, strap those pillows to the back of his head, instead.  Is it identical?  Yes!  But 5 pillows is not conducive to movement, so take F1 crumple zone structures and apply that tech to make a 6" or so crumple structure to the back of the helmet.  Again, work out the math and you can make the effect identical to the pillows.

J5V is on the right track: make it a click-on throw-away device.  Easy peasy.