Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Hamilton, September 16, 2023

[TecnoGenius]

Isn't our normal answer moving around Jefferson and sometimes fake his rush and drop into coverage? I don't recall any of that against Hamilton. We played pretty vanilla considering the youth they have at QB. Maybe because we didn't get the picks we were hoping for against Dolegala but instead gave up big plays?

We did adjust at halftime and Willie was making some batdown attempts in 2nd H.  Powell was waiting out his jump and then throwing.  Willie has to find ways to trick them.

But the normal Willie batdown is usually to the behind-LoS screen, or short SB curls; not the widest wide-outs.  The wide-outs are going to be higher throws, and give the QB more options to adjust the angle to go around Willie, because the WR can adjust his catch point.

It's a tough problem and a great scheme by our opponents.  There is a simple answer: have a DB right up on the wide out in man.  Then the QB won't throw there at all.  Of course that opens the middle field more to attack then.  So far Hall is hesitant to do it.

What I want to see is when we've lulled them into taking the wide out for 3 Q's without any resistance, then we find a way to get a DB to sprint into the frame for the INT.  Maybe BA or the likely-free HB (leaving his unused post coverage to BA) can sniff out the wideout play while Houston stays 15 yards back like always, and sprints into there while the QB is cocking his arm.  When you know for a fact there's a 60% chance of a play occurring a good DC should be able to take advantage for an INT.

[blue_gold_84]

Another slow, ugly start leads to another loss.

This team is baffling at times.

[GOLDMEMBER]

Another slow, ugly start leads to another loss.

This team is baffling at times.

totally agree.

Zach is the most confusing part. He kept throwing to the wrong team!

[TecnoGenius]

Zach is the most confusing part. He kept throwing to the wrong team!

Maybe The Caretaker still pays Zach under the table... 

Kidding!  Love Zach and I have full faith in him. 

[buckzumhoff]

Like to put in the backup if the starter can't move the ball. Why not make it harder for opposing defenses. At least try another qb to do something about the rush. Other teams like Hamilton have always had a good pass rush o line can only do so much. Other QBs run and get yardage

[Waffler]

Speaking of other QB's, we saw the limits of Zach's arm on our last offensive play. He really wound up and Demski broke to the outside JUST as the ball was released but he was clearly farther than Zach could throw. So if it ever comes down to a hail mary situation, Prukop should be the guy. He has a cannon although less accurate in normal situations than the other 2.

[TecnoGenius]

Like to put in the backup if the starter can't move the ball. Why not make it harder for opposing defenses. At least try another qb to do something about the rush. Other teams like Hamilton have always had a good pass rush o line can only do so much. Other QBs run and get yardage

Dru runs as much as Zach: almost never.  So no help there.  (I did like the one Zach run vs HAM!)

The problem in HAM was Zach was producing, and producing well!  We got all those TDs and FG-positioning due to Zach's deep explosions.  Zach was looking pretty good until he started INTing a lot.  It was when HAM went prevent-D (almost everyone deep) that we were fully neutered as we couldn't attack their weak DBs.  But we had basically a full quarter to then go back to our normal gameplan against just 4 DL and an empty flat.  It was precisely when they dropped everyone back that we should have gone to Brady and the creative run plays and the short game.  Plenty of time.  But nooooo, we had to force deep balls into prevent.

My point is, when do you pull Zach in that situation?  The 3 INTs were basically in quick succession.  I'm pretty sure Dru wouldn't have bailed us out, because the problem was upstairs in the booth, not between Zach's ears....

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Like to put in the backup if the starter can't move the ball. Why not make it harder for opposing defenses. At least try another qb to do something about the rush. Other teams like Hamilton have always had a good pass rush o line can only do so much. Other QBs run and get yardage

Check the depth chart, the Ti-Cats stacked their D-line 9 players deep, makes the job of suppressing the rush very difficult when they have that many fresh legs coming at you every down.