Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Edmonton, August 10, 2023

[pjrocksmb]

Great game by Dru Brown. Played smart and did things Collaros doesn't do. He worked the pocket and used Oliveira for screen passes . Seemed to know what to do with the ball. Collaros was running around backwards in circles losing yards

Just a completely different qb.  Dru looked a lot like Zach in his plays and moves, but he's a wildcard against other teams.

I wouldn't be assuming Dru takes over next week for a healthy Zach. 

We should all be proud of what he did.

Yup x3

[Tiger]

Just a completely different qb.  Dru looked a lot like Zach in his plays and moves, but he's a wildcard against other teams.

I wouldn't be assuming Dru takes over next week for a healthy Zach. 

I agree Zach is my starter but for an injury.

That said Dru is not an unknown commodity.

I have been thinking about the difference.  I think it is probably poor coaching and preparation combined with a good night by Brown.

[pjrocksmb]

I agree Zach is my starter but for an injury.

That said Dru is not an unknown commodity.

I have been thinking about the difference.  I think it is probably poor coaching and preparation combined with a good night by Brown.

Agree all well said

Brown's stock just skyrocketed
Coaching sucked early but adjusted well
Lights out DTDB

[Tiger]

Yup that crappy team had our number and then Dru and the D stepped up!

Good point

D did step it up

[pjrocksmb]

Good point

D did step it up

Hall adjusted plus players executing was key

[TecnoGenius]

It was a fun amount of banter.  Yes he will need to regroup   when you win like this even crow pot pie is good lol.  Thanks for the fun get everyone.  #1d hall is boss

Yup, an active GDT is awesome.  Ridersfans forum really excels in that regard; so I'm glad to see and pump up more activity here for our game.  Since I'm a game-rewatching guy, I like busy forums so I can go back and read along with the rewatches.

P.S. Ridersfans made it to 30 pages of posts for our GDT, maybe a new record for a non-SSK game.  I got to read maybe half of them realtime but the game got to fast & frenetic for me to keep up since I was concentrating on our forum here.

[TecnoGenius]

I think Dinwiddie had a big game once but maybe not off the bench, big yardage game, can't recall the tds.

Cfl had Brown with one pick, I can't recall the play?

I don't recall the Dinwiddie game, but there was a period I was not watching.  Ya, I bet you have to go way back to match Dru.

I'm nearly positive Dru had zero INTs.  Fantasy has him down as zero INTs.

[TecnoGenius]

You missed
An entertaining game ?. That we won

Yup, never turn off a CFL game, especially when it's your team or a good team is down big.  It's like when my dad left the MTL Miracle game with 6 mins on the clock.  Doh.

Entertainment value x100 cfl at its best

Yup, the game didn't turn into the Jim Barker lock for a win, but it's guaranteed the lock for game of the week.  Who'da thunk it!

This game is going to need its own moniker like we gave the MTL Miracle game... any suggestions?

The Dru Debutante Debut? 

Or The Dru Deliverance?   

[TecnoGenius]

Exactly.  My question is why the big difference with Dru out performing Zach tonight? Game plan? No pressure? Everyone stepped it up? Suggestions?

It's the same reason Crum came in and beat us.  Underestimating the backup and going to a soft / prevent D and O.  And they don't know what to expect from Dru.  He's started for us before, but mostly been mediocre, and I guarantee no one looked at film on him before this game.

The blanket D Zach saw disappeared when Dru came in.  That's a classic prevent-D change.  Think about it, you're up 22-0 and killing it out there, scoring 65y TDs every drive.  The MVP QB goes down and in steps a guy who never won a start before.  Of course you go prevent-everything because no way that "nobody QB" can put up 22 on you and your O not keep pace.  Right?  It's actually the smart play... until you lose.

I guarantee you that nobody saw this coming at halftime.  Nobody.  Not any fan base in any city anywhere, including here.  We were hoping, but no one was like "100% for sure we got this".  Well, maybe pj did, but I think pj would say we'll win when down by 50 at the half!  You can't fault an optimist.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

It's the same reason Crum came in and beat us.  Underestimating the backup and going to a soft / prevent D and O.  And they don't know what to expect from Dru.  He's started for us before, but mostly been mediocre, and I guarantee no one looked at film on him before this game.

The blanket D Zach saw disappeared when Dru came in.  That's a classic prevent-D change.  Think about it, you're up 22-0 and killing it out there, scoring 65y TDs every drive.  The MVP QB goes down and in steps a guy who never won a start before.  Of course you go prevent-everything because no way that "nobody QB" can put up 22 on you and your O not keep pace.  Right?  It's actually the smart play... until you lose.

I guarantee you that nobody saw this coming at halftime.  Nobody.  Not any fan base in any city anywhere, including here.  We were hoping, but no one was like "100% for sure we got this".  Well, maybe pj did, but I think pj would say we'll win when down by 50 at the half!  You can't fault an optimist.

...umm they most certainly did not go into a prevent style defense in the middle of the second quarter. Or really at any time in the game that you could tell on TV, anyway. Just false.

[Ducky]

You missed
An entertaining game ?. That we won

I watched it on record.

Great game by Brown.  Glad the team came back after a horrific start.

[theaardvark]

Brown had most of the playbook, and played like Zach 2.0.  He was dropping dimes Collaros style.  He started with not the usual cast, but ended with them.  Buck called a great game, adapting on the fly.  We have by far the best QB room in the league, and not because our #1 is the defending 2 time MOP.

Hall was facing a new QB, and had some early hiccups.  But the D settled in nicely, and finished off holding them to 7 points in the 3rd quarter and o in the 4th. 

Hanging the 22nd home L on Jones after he had a 22 point lead was really satisfying.  Totally apropos result.

[TecnoGenius]

...umm they most certainly did not go into a prevent style defense in the middle of the second quarter. Or really at any time in the game that you could tell on TV, anyway. Just false.

To be clear, by "prevent" I don't mean they sat 20 yards off every receiver trying to stop the hail mary.  What I mean is they went into conservative "play not to lose" mode, trying to preserve their lead and guessing Dru can't put up 22+.  It's actually the safe play, probably in "the book", and most teams will do it (including us, many times).  And they also went "prevent" on O: again switched to "conservative" plays.  (Someone else already pointed out the vast difference in pressure/blitzes brought against Zach vs Dru, to name one thing.)

Yes, part of it is our D waking up in the 2nd, and part is our O being world-beaters when we started getting TDs.  But part is the change in EDM.

I think EDM just didn't know what to do with such a huge lead and all the momentum.  That failure lies with the coaches and leadership.  In a strange way, it's a very hard place to be in, and even great teams fall victim to its deceptive treachery.

No doubt the game will require more rewatches to be sure about any of this.  But the above is my first impression, informed by watching many similar games in the CFL.

[TecnoGenius]

Hanging the 22nd home L on Jones after he had a 22 point lead was really satisfying.  Totally apropos result.

I hadn't noticed that.  Good catch.  Apropos is a very apropos word here.

[TecnoGenius]

We contained him fine
5 for 50

None issue handled internally without spy

3 pieces pie plus plate wings for defending your mistakes lol

I rewatched bits and I'll have to hand you back the spy crow piece.  Watch 4Q2:24... We did use a spy!  Maruo is the spy on this play.  Pretends to pass rush but hangs back and does nothing but shadow Ford.  He's not watching Brown (in blocking) at all.  Just Ford.

Ford does take off on the play and Maruo keeps up enough to force him out 2 yards short on 2nd down, leading to the Brown 2 yard failure to lose the game.  (Funny thing on that final play is a Ford keep likely gets the first down as only Willie is in contain (with no spy) and would already be too far inside.  That's quite the gamble by Hall/players.)

And this is after just rewatching 5 mins.  I have a feeling I'll find a fair bit of spy technique in the 2nd half on a rewatch.

I never guessed Maruo could be used as the spy.  I guess he's a pretty fast guy, and then it frees up Wilson to watch for Brown and passes in the flat.  That was a great move by Hall.

P.S. Good shed on the block on Walker to get Brown for a loss.