Return Game

[TecnoGenius]

Man you are really into the tinfoil on this one....

I'm really not.  Teams are trying to find "the line" when it comes to blocking for returns.  Since it's a moving target from season to season, game to game, ref crew to ref crew, they may need to push the envelope and take a IB/H to determine where that line is.

It's like car racing.  You want to take that corner absolutely as fast as you can without losing traction and careening into the barrier.  To find that line you sometimes have to push it so far you do crash, or at least get very darn close to losing control.

If, in general, refs have decided to let more holding go -- to be less "flaggy" -- then you need to play to that new line if you want to gain the advantage.  Finding that line all the time can result in more flags until the team dials it back a bit.

[TecnoGenius]

I would just like to see us run a draw when these teams are blitzing on us over and over again.

Yes!  I was screaming at no one in particular on Fri on certain passing plays (like 2nd & 6) where it would be ideal to call a delayed draw with Brady.  Or even one with Zach if the stars align and we get the flat vacated.

Of course, we didn't do a draw and we screw up the pass and it's kicking time... sigh.

Then later in the game TOR is in the same situation and they run a perfect delayed draw.

Yes, TOR didn't blitz much, they usually did 4 or a blockers-minus-one scheme, and they got home way too much.  Orimalade was never that good in SSK, I have no idea who spiked his wheaties that morning.

Lofton was getting beaten badly all night.  Whole OL stunk in 1st H and then again near the end.  That's what cost us the game: no OL, no Zach.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Yes!  I was screaming at no one in particular on Fri on certain passing plays (like 2nd & 6) where it would be ideal to call a delayed draw with Brady.  Or even one with Zach if the stars align and we get the flat vacated.

Of course, we didn't do a draw and we screw up the pass and it's kicking time... sigh.

Then later in the game TOR is in the same situation and they run a perfect delayed draw.

Yes, TOR didn't blitz much, they usually did 4 or a blockers-minus-one scheme, and they got home way too much.  Orimalade was never that good in SSK, I have no idea who spiked his wheaties that morning.

Lofton was getting beaten badly all night.  Whole OL stunk in 1st H and then again near the end.  That's what cost us the game: no OL, no Zach.

You're confusing Orimalade with someone else, he never played in Sask.  He's one of the great players the Stamps brought into the league but failed to protect from the Argos poaching in F.A..

[dd]

I'm really not.  Teams are trying to find "the line" when it comes to blocking for returns.  Since it's a moving target from season to season, game to game, ref crew to ref crew, they may need to push the envelope and take a IB/H to determine where that line is.

It's like car racing.  You want to take that corner absolutely as fast as you can without losing traction and careening into the barrier.  To find that line you sometimes have to push it so far you do crash, or at least get very darn close to losing control.

If, in general, refs have decided to let more holding go -- to be less "flaggy" -- then you need to play to that new line if you want to gain the advantage.  Finding that line all the time can result in more flags until the team dials it back a bit.

as an official for 36 years, I assure you there is no new 'line' to find, its the same 'line' every game. A block on the back , is a block on the back, a hold is a hold. Blocks on the back are easy to call, holding not so much. Everyone knows the technique is to grad the opponent under the armpits from the front and 'hold', the thing is from an officials stand point, is if the defender being held stands still, its impossible to call the hold as there is no tell tale sign of jersey pulling, and blockers are getting much much better at moving their feet to stay in front of their opponent even though they are trying to move left or right. So the difference from team to team is, some teams just have better blockers, er, players who hide the holding better, as everyone knows, there's holding on every return, the trick is you have to have enough evidence (cloth pulling, jerking of bodies), to call it.

[bwiser]

I think that finding a returner will be a priority in the off season. Its one area we really need an upgrade.