Bomber LB's

[Blueforlife]

Your right to an opinion does not make the opinion valid. Whether an opinion is valuable or worth a dime depends on how you reached it.

And commeeee on. The bolded line is hilarious. Quite ironic.

Please avoid making this personal.  He had said something about me that wasn't true and has done so in the past.

If you read the post that you quoted, I said you were overly positive not always positive. You repeated that error AGAIN  Go figure.

Facts are you have routinely said things about me today and in the past that are not true, make posts personal and it's getting old.  Fact is you have routinely suggested I'm too positive, can't be critical of the Bombers and many times you suggested the Blue tinted glasses.  To suggest otherwise is another lie.  The truth shall set you free.

A easy way forward, talk about the Bombers not me.  State you opinion and facts.  Try to avoid telling things that are not true.

I value your opinion, knowledge and posts on here.  I don't value lies and when things are made personal.

Please let's move on.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

So, when a DB gets lots of tackles, that means he's playing great?  Or does it mean they are targeting him, and a DB that has fewer tackles, they are avoiding?

I'm not suggesting I have any proof or data, but maybe they are avoiding running at Gauthier...

Hey, at least that theory jives with the data. 

[Blue In BC]

So, when a DB gets lots of tackles, that means he's playing great?  Or does it mean they are targeting him, and a DB that has fewer tackles, they are avoiding?

I'm not suggesting I have any proof or data, but maybe they are avoiding running at Gauthier...

It may mean either of those is correct. A DB can be making a lot of tackles on players that are not his primary responsibility. Inside DHB for example can be the secondary ( not intended as a pun ) tackler due to middle of the field seeing a lot of activity. You'd have to watch a given game to figure some of that out and determine whether a given DT prevented a 1st down for example, or created a loss.

What you suggested about Gauthier could be true for him or others. However if you watch the games you see that his declining speed has become more of a factor. They are running around him or by him. This becomes more obvious when you see that his reps are being more limited as this season has progressed.

Bighill has 48 DT's this season. Do you think teams are running at him or running away from him? He's a run stopper that opponents have to game plan against. Compare that logic to Gauthier and you'll know the reality. Teams will run away from great tacklers with speed.

Even a blind man is going to knock down an opponent every now and then.

Jones continued to get more reps behind Bighill when Bighill was healthy. It was not Gauthier getting those reps any longer. Jones is now the 1st choice at MLB after Bighill's injury. That used to be Gauthier as the 1st choice.

Age has never been defeated.

[Jesse]

Look at the jump in ST when Miller retired...

There's no jump, it's just back at his usual pace.

And again - no one is arguing that's not a good special teamer. Just pointing out that through a combination of age, injury, and less opportunity, he's less effective as a rotational defensive piece than he used to be.

[Blue In BC]

Check stats for other MLB's

Awe: 134 DT's in 2023 18 games
    54 DT's in 2024 in 14 games

Bighill: 74 DT's in 2023 in 17 games
        48 DT's in 2024 in 10 games

Sankey:  31 DT's in 2023 in 6 games
        95 DT's in 2024 in 15 games


Now there is a lot to be said where on the field DT's are being made against overall impact to the game. What's clear is that they are sideline to sideline players and that they are play makers.

It's clear that a part time starter at MLB, or rotational /situational player isn't going to rack up anything proportional to those starters.

That said MLB's are run stopping players on a mission involved in initial and secondary tackling. Around most run plays etc etc. Teams will run away from those MLB's. In spite of that they rack up tackles every game.

Gauthier was the starting MLB in game 1 when Bighill was on 1 game IR. The Als didn't exactly rack up loads of yardage but Gauthier had zero stats. He may not have had the greatest number of reps, but that's pretty informative.

[TecnoGenius]

Well there you go, it's true!

If they are running a electrician business they should call themselves Blue Bombers Electrical and have the old lightning logo!

P.S. Gauthier's the one who MOS said barely spoke English when he arrived, right?  He could have a place coaching in MTL maybe: they place huge priority and bias on hiring Francophones.

[TecnoGenius]

Hey, at least that theory jives with the data. 

Gauthier's reps were very limited in the last game.  And not much more in the previous game.  At this point he's mostly for later-game sets.  We're rotating in the IMPs instead.  But Gauthier is hugely critical to the in-game injury scheme as he can play both MLB and WILL, and replace any nationality.

One thing I will say: he's not really ever the reason for a big bust, either run or pass.  I think he knows his assignments as well as anyone.

[J5V]

Gauthier's reps were very limited in the last game.  And not much more in the previous game.  At this point he's mostly for later-game sets.  We're rotating in the IMPs instead.  But Gauthier is hugely critical to the in-game injury scheme as he can play both MLB and WILL, and replace any nationality.

One thing I will say: he's not really ever the reason for a big bust, either run or pass.  I think he knows his assignments as well as anyone.

Yes, I get the impression that for Bomber players it's not necessarily the talent level or work ethic (although those are important considerations) but more a case of what's between the ears and I get the sense that Gauthier is one smart cookie and that he'll be successful in whatever endevor he ventures into.

[TecnoGenius]

Yes, I get the impression that for Bomber players it's not necessarily the talent level or work ethic (although those are important considerations) but more a case of what's between the ears and I get the sense that Gauthier is one smart cookie and that he'll be successful in whatever endevor he ventures into.

MOS values football IQ very highly.  And the ability to learn in film study, and take in what they're being coached on.  I think he also like "general" IQ, but you can't always have that.

I think he recognizes some players won't have all of the above, and so he leans on the cerebral players to direct the others.  That also would perfectly explain dressing the older / slower guys past the date many coaches/GMs would have cut them.

Everything's a trade-off, and Can Mafia has their own way of doing things.  We can't argue with them that it's not effective!  (Look at our record starting in 2019.)

[Jesse]

Gauthier's reps were very limited in the last game.  And not much more in the previous game.  At this point he's mostly for later-game sets.  We're rotating in the IMPs instead.  But Gauthier is hugely critical to the in-game injury scheme as he can play both MLB and WILL, and replace any nationality.

One thing I will say: he's not really ever the reason for a big bust, either run or pass.  I think he knows his assignments as well as anyone.

Which is why he's on the field, but if you know the assignment perfectly and still can't make the tackle...something is missing.

No one is comparing Gauthier to Bighill. We're comparing 2024 Gauthier to 2021 Gauthier and one of these things is not like the other.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Not only that Jesse, but the guy has never been a steady contributor on defensive, ever. He had one stretch of games in 2022 from August 26 to October 1 where we wracked up 23 tackles in five games and was pretty good. Before and after that? Please. In the pandemic season he had one game where he had 4 tackles. The rest of the season? 1, 2, or 0.

Again, not trying to disparage a longtime career Bomber. Great career. But if everyone's "a beast" no one is.

[GCn19]

Which is why he's on the field, but if you know the assignment perfectly and still can't make the tackle...something is missing.

No one is comparing Gauthier to Bighill. We're comparing 2024 Gauthier to 2021 Gauthier and one of these things is not like the other.

Not sure what all the hub bub about Gauthier is tbh. The guy is an in-game MIKE backup and career STer. He wasn't all that great at MIKE in 2021 either. He's a stop gap at best and a good teamer that carries the right passport and works on the cheap. Every team needs and carries guys like these and he fills his role on the club well.

[Blue In BC]

Not sure what all the hub bub about Gauthier is tbh. The guy is an in-game MIKE backup and career STer. He wasn't all that great at MIKE in 2021 either. He's a stop gap at best and a good teamer that carries the right passport and works on the cheap. Every team needs and carries guys like these and he fills his role on the club well.

When are you changing your handle to 24?

[Jesse]

Not sure what all the hub bub about Gauthier is tbh. The guy is an in-game MIKE backup and career STer. He wasn't all that great at MIKE in 2021 either. He's a stop gap at best and a good teamer that carries the right passport and works on the cheap. Every team needs and carries guys like these and he fills his role on the club well.

This is the problem with the over-the-board positive posters.

You find yourself arguing against players you like. No one wants to sit here and bash Gauthier; but then someone calls him a beast against run when he has 4 tackles and we end up in this discussion.