Official Game Day Thread - Toronto at Winnipeg - September 29, 2023

[Pete]

my takeaways for the game and what we have to do to beat Argos (at full strength) (also much of which applies to BC)
1. The short game was successful, saw more quick outs and using Wolitarski was smart
2. Pass protection wasn't good enough and we need fo fix this or Collaros won't make it to the playoffs
He's starting to rush throws, and getting hit more and more to make plays. We talk about Lawler not making plays or even Demski downfield, getting Zac more time solves this as well.
3. The layback defense won't be as much a factor against Kelly or even Bc as they like to go downfield more
4. Our interior rush has to improve, it's not too late to bring in someone, we have the option of another import with Kramdl starting.
5 Defensively we need to keep one lb on Oullette, he is a good runner, but extra effective on delay runs or tosses.
6 With Mcmanus and Oakfield in the run game will be less effective so we need to use BO on screens or short throws.
7. Replace Jackson with Mcrae, in the short game he's a threat while I didn't see Jackson make 1 play. Against TO or BC we need to utilize all of our roster

[Blue In BC]

my takeaways for the game and what we have to do to beat Argos (at full strength) (also much of which applies to BC)
1. The short game was successful, saw more quick outs and using Wolitarski was smart
2. Pass protection wasn't good enough and we need fo fix this or Collaros won't make it to the playoffs
He's starting to rush throws, and getting hit more and more to make plays. We talk about Lawler not making plays or even Demski downfield, getting Zac more time solves this as well.
3. The layback defense won't be as much a factor against Kelly or even Bc as they like to go downfield more
4. Our interior rush has to improve, it's not too late to bring in someone, we have the option of another import with Kramdl starting.
5 Defensively we need to keep one lb on Oullette, he is a good runner, but extra effective on delay runs or tosses.
6 With Mcmanus and Oakfield in the run game will be less effective so we need to use BO on screens or short throws.
7. Replace Jackson with Mcrae, in the short game he's a threat while I didn't see Jackson make 1 play. Against TO or BC we need to utilize all of our roster

Good points and I agree with most of your comments.

The short pass game is very effective but those short passes to the sideline have resulted in too many int's or pic 6s.  Need to be a bit more careful and not rush those throws.

I'd like to replace Jackson but I'm not sure if McCrae will be the best choice. Things are going to be in the air until we know if Houston can play next week.

What I think we've all seen is that our DL ( aside from rotation depth ) doesn't get enough pressure inside. Constantly losing contain on the outside partially as a result. I was hoping Hansen would improve the DL overall but it was a lot to ask after a year off against a top team.

To that end I'd hope we might add one of the DL from the PR for the next game and sit our import LB. Lions OL is not nearly as good as the Argos and neither is their run game. We need to be able to collapse the pocket.

1st place is up for grabs when we play the Lions so we need to show up for play 1. Avoid a couple of those big mistakes like the Oliveria fumble. Those are huge turning points.

[theaardvark]

I'm also hoping the brain trust has the long game in mind. If we're anticipating an Argos/Bombers GC, it'd be nice to see them throw some wrinkles in this game - trick plays; unique alignments (Willie at receiver again please?!).

So, first two returns are reverses.. was that OK?

[Blue In BC]

So, first two returns are reverses.. was that OK?

Yes it plants the seed. Holm may have gained another 20 yards if not for touching the sideline by a couple of inches.

[Waffler]

So, first two returns are reverses.. was that OK?

I saw them work on it in practice a number of weeks ago but I am forbidden from mentioning it here. Didn't work too well then either btw.  My theory is that they use it this week because Grant is back next week. I can hope can't i? I mean if not, they would save it for the MUST win of the year wouldn't they?

[KINGCHARLES]

Concerning to see Houston get injured and Parker was seen limping late in the game....
Forgot that we have some solid backup options that could be just as good to fill in. Desmond Lawrence and Abu Daramy Swaray are more than capable of playing and starting.

[theaardvark]

If Parker is nicked, I'd make Holm the returner for now...


If Houston is out, the ADS should be back in...

[Blue In BC]

If Parker is nicked, I'd make Holm the returner for now...


If Houston is out, the ADS should be back in...

I hope we don't lose either but even losing one creates issues both on the return game and depth in the secondary.

[northof30]

Yup

TSN is the worst!

[J5V]

TSN is the worst!

(Toronto Sports Network) I saw more of Kelly on the sidelines and doing stupid hand shakes than I did of Zach in the game. BTW, did you know that Toronto had wrapped up the East already? TSN must have said it 100 times just in case people didn't know.

[tlf]

(Toronto Sports Network) I saw more of Kelly on the sidelines and doing stupid hand shakes than I did of Zach in the game. BTW, did you know that Toronto had wrapped up the East already? TSN must have said it 100 times just in case people didn't know.

Imagine needing that much promotion for your team that you need to repeat it so often and annoy the rest of the country, and show someone who isn't even playing that game.  Sad. 

[Tiger]

TSN is the worst!

Yup

At least they did not ignore the game and just interview people like during the Hamilton game

[TecnoGenius]

3Q11:05 Pierce gets a IC flag.  But at the end of the play he's hitting Lawler, and no other defender around.  So Lawler must have been his guy and the IC must have been on Lawler, therefore shouldn't the IC flag have been a DPI?  DPI is upgraded to IC when the ball is thrown to the IC'd receiver.

I was wondering that at @IGF too.  I thought TSN should show what happened, but in typical TSN fashion they don't show the IC foul.

[TecnoGenius]

Another note: our ST was playing basically TOR's starting ST... there was no holding back on that front for them.  Leake and all the normal cover/blocking guys.  And we pretty much clobbered them.  We may have even won the net yards battle!!  Leake only got the one breakout.

Our blocking for Parker was much improved.  He had 2 breakouts, though one was called back for a phantom IB no one saw and no replay was ever shown.

Castillo was kicking off all the way to the 10 and we were getting guys down there by the time Leake made the 20 or so.  Even on one IB callback return Leake only got to the 30 or so.

Add Grant into our ST and I think we can go toe to toe with BC and TOR STs.  BC especially has just a meh returner.

TOR was overloading one side of every FG attempt and our guys stood firm and Boudreau had them doing much better than the shambles of a GC.  I'm not sure how some of those TOR looks were still legal, with the new this year rules.  I guess some guys must have been a yard back.  But we need to watch for TOR FG blocks as they are trying tricky block looks on every attempt.

I think we've turned the ST corner and can start to be more confident that we'll stop returners, as well as get more yards on our side.

[TecnoGenius]

Overall not entirely impressed with offensive play calling. Oliveria was a force almost on his own more than play calling helping him. He was a man on a mission.

Watch again.  Buck had the run playbook wide open.  We were throwing in a new jumbo set every other down.  Jackson in maybe 30% of the run plays, especially later.  Some sets with 2 TE OL.  If I'm having trouble keeping it all straight with all my advanced PVR stuff and pause and replay/slowmo, imagine those D's trying to figure it out in real-time??

We also did a lot of new short game stuff, and some old standbys we used earlier in the year really worked.  The only real short mistake was the ubiquitous quick curl left where the DE jumps and blocks like in the GC.  Thankfully we only did that once.  I want that play flushed from our book completely.  Won't work against Argos ever again.

And the one go post to Demski almost worked for a bust and a TD.  Just a little more air...

I think Buck goes mental on the playbook for the BC game.  I think it's more important than the WDF.  If we win we play wimpy, no run-game BC in the cold.  We lose and WDF will look like the 2016 "65 yard kick attempt" WSF loss in cushy warm BC Place.  It'll be easier to beat them now in BC Place than later with a packed house in WDF.  Not to mention... BC gets a final week bye, we will play 2 more games in earnest and have no bye if we need to waste time on a WSF.