After this winnable EDM loss, I've given up on winning the West. Yes, I had still had that crazy hope.
But the funny thing is, if we prove we can hang with the top 2 or 3 teams (basically MTL, EDM, SSK) then we still have the crazy hope of winning a SF, DF and making it to the cup. Because while we clearly can't find a way to win that many, we seem capable of keeping things close.
And close is all you need to get lucky on a playoff run. Remember OTT's GC win year?
What I want to see now is continued progression, kind of like MOS keeps saying. We need to be playing our best ball by week 21. Our D holding powerhouse EDM to 22 is indeed progression. Our O being unstoppable for 1.75 Q's straight to start this game is indeed progression. Who thought after the demoralizing BC loss to a noname QB that we'd be toe-to-toe with EDM until the last minute?
I think this is the new realistic, if optimistic, expectation.
Techno, how can you say that.? The defenders amd some of the receivers, are nice people. All they had to do was at some point...like Edmonton's game winning drive was play:football. They tried but when execution of a fundamental skill. Like tackling had to be done it could not.
Not sure tackling anyone in the open field is a doable skill. We tried and failed, allowing the bad guys @ first down. And the yards needed for the winning football. Thats the problem! We have employed boys who don't have the skills. Sad to say that idea of tackling doesn't seem to be one in which these poor so called,professionals showed our boys are not very good. Nice boys who just are not very good as professionals.
Just not competitive at a basic skill level such as tackling.
We're probably headed for 4th place and a crossover. If some things go our way.
We're right on the play-off line. At the end of the current gauntlet, we'll probably be out of a play-off spot.
Both Calgary and B.C. currently look better than us. I would be very surprised if we finish ahead of them in the end. Not impossible if we do, but in my opinion highly doubtful.
We will not make the playoffs this year and will be battling for a playoff spot next year when 8 teams make the playoffs. The slide begins now and this is not a quick fix. This is an aging team in need of some overhauls, there is nothing in the funnel to make these overhauls. The coaching is also very suspect now, the future does not look bright. I can see Wade Miller stepping in mid season next year and making some heads roll.
Probably 8-10 (small likelihood of finishing 9-9). and finish 4th or 5th in the west.
We win the banjo bowl, we beat Toronto at home and we win one of those games in October (Montreal or Edmonton could already being playing back ups).
I doubt we even make the playoffs. We will most likely finish 5th in the west. Only Ottawa is worse than us, maybe Hamilton with no Qb
I am thinking cross over. Possibly win the semi even. Total annihilation if we make it to Montreal for the east final.
Not being able to finish drives, making Sergio an allstar and a defense that crumbles on game winning drives... do we deserve any more than that?
MOS doesn't seem like the guy for the total rebuild that we need. But letting him go also seems unthinkable. It will take another year of mediocrity to change minds.
All this may mean nothing as the game changes completely with the new rules. Who can say what will become the winning formula?
My expectation is to win each week, so to finish 13-5. ;D
Realistically though we need wins bad if we are to get to 8-8 & make the cross over even. That one lastnight stings still right now.
Some very bang on reflections here, will be interesting if we can build on momentum from that 1st half or if the 2nd half of the game will be more telling on how our season plays out
The highs and lows are exciting but suck at the same time lol
We will likely be consistently inconsistent
I don't see us winning any of the next 3 games. Assuming the Lions and the Stamps win 1 of their next 3 (4 for the Lions), we'll be last in the West. I think that's where we end up.
Our offense is simply not talented enough to compete with most teams. Our defense struggles mightly at times. Our roster construction and use of the ratio is questionable. This team is in trouble.
Management and coaches need to admit reality. Rebuild needs to start now. Weakness in the secondary isn't limited to one or two players. Problem with the O starts with the QB. Sit Collaros (why risk further injury and further deterioration of his ability which has been obvious for past 3 seasons) and start rotating Brown Elgersma and Perkins. Let's see who can throw on target with some velocity and who has some escapability. Status quo is not an option.
Win the west?? Good one!! Not a chance.
It's going to be a dog fight between us, Calgary and BC and likely down to the last game of the season vs BC
We are improving, our first half last night we looked unstoppable, good to see we still have it. I expect us to work harder now to sustain that for a full game and we ll be where we need to be going into the playoffs.
I'll pose what I expect will be an unpopular opinion - the best thing that can happen to this team is to finish dead last in the west (I can't see Ottawa winning 5 games so we can't finish last in the league). It should force the powers that be to start the rebuild that should have happened after the second GC loss, but we kept rolling with the old guard and it landed us here.
It's now obvious Hogan wasn't the sole problem in the offense last year - we didn't get better. MOS is now more a part of the problem than the solution- whether he's simply unwilling to deal with what needs to be done or whether he's unable is now putting him in the crosshairs of change.
I honestly don't know if I could list 10 players that need to stick around, and doubt they would if this continues. Brady wants to play for a contender - we're seasons away from that. Vaval is going to get poached. Major is a bright spot this year and he'll be a Rider in a season or two.
The emotional attachment players need to retire. We all know who they are.
I suspect we'll be in the 2030s before this team is competitive again.
Quote from: BlueInCgy on August 22, 2026, 10:02:50 PMIt's now obvious Hogan wasn't the sole problem in the offense last year - we didn't get better. MOS is now more a part of the problem than the solution- whether he's simply unwilling to deal with what needs to be done or whether he's unable is now putting him in the crosshairs of change.
Give MOS a roster stacked with allstars, indeed hall of famers (Bighill, Jefferson, Bryant, A. Harris, Collaros), LaPo and Hall as his co-ordinators and he wins, a lot. For a rebuild though, I don't see him as the guy. He's 55 now and I am not sure he'll ever change his approach. When I hear that Jefferson is "dominant" and Zach is the best QB, he just sounds out of touch. Barring mind blowing changes in coaching and personnel we are gonna keep getting what we got the last couple of years.
Quote from: BlueInCgy on August 22, 2026, 10:02:50 PMI honestly don't know if I could list 10 players that need to stick around, and doubt they would if this continues. Brady wants to play for a contender - we're seasons away from that. Vaval is going to get poached. Major is a bright spot this year and he'll be a Rider in a season or two.
Well, Brady can bite me because he's locked up until FA29, right? Same with Major, FA29 if we up in the FA28 option year. Same with Broxton (2Y?) and Ceresna (2Y?).
All these guys said in pressers they came here because they were sick of losing.
So we have a window where we still hold all these disgruntled quality players... gonna have to get back to winning before THEIR next FAs come up or we're going to be left with no one, and a 2012-2015 style full rebuild.
Quote from: dd on August 22, 2026, 04:02:33 PMWin the west?? Good one!! Not a chance.
It's going to be a dog fight between us, Calgary and BC and likely down to the last game of the season vs BC
Well, had we won the un-loseable gimme vs no-QB BC, and this totally winnable just-need-some-first-downs vs West-top EDM, then we'd be almost #1 in the W! The W is just that tight.
But now, ya, 1st is hopeless, even if SSK continues to lose. But making the playoffs should be totally doable.
The nice thing about CGY and BC is, while they are playing better than us, they are about as inconsistent as us. No rhyme or reason when they win or lose.
I'm telling y'all, if we keep improving every week (and we are!) and keep every game close (even against top teams) then we should have enough juice to pull off some funky surprises come post-season.
Quote from: Waffler on August 22, 2026, 10:42:48 PMGive MOS a roster stacked with allstars, indeed hall of famers (Bighill, Jefferson, Bryant, A. Harris, Collaros), LaPo and Hall as his co-ordinators and he wins, a lot.
I'm not excusing O'Shea's shortcomings as a head coach, but this statement above could be applied to many a head coach over the years, here and elsewhere.
IMHO, this organization's window has all but closed with its current iteration; it's a shame another championship or two wasn't realized, especially last year being at home and all.
I'm not sure if that means a rebuild is the next step but it's becoming painfully clear that piecemeal changes over the last couple years aren't the answer.
My concern is that fact that O'Shea just re-upped through 2028.
Quote from: Tecno on August 23, 2026, 03:02:55 AMWell, Brady can bite me because he's locked up until FA29, right? Same with Major, FA29 if we up in the FA28 option year. Same with Broxton (2Y?) and Ceresna (2Y?).
All these guys said in pressers they came here because they were sick of losing.
So we have a window where we still hold all these disgruntled quality players... gonna have to get back to winning before THEIR next FAs come up or we're going to be left with no one, and a 2012-2015 style full rebuild.
Williams would only be under contract for 2 seasons on an ELC. He could get extended in the off season but he may also try his hand getting another NFL try.
I think we made a big mistake giving Oliveria his new expensive contract. Scheduled to earn $300K in 2027. I get that he's a home town Canadian but that's just a bad decision IMO.
The cost of every big contract is that there is less elsewhere on the roster.
I don't think our problem is salary cap space. I think I the problem lies in recruitment and drafting.