Younger's defense

[Sir Blue and Gold]

If the football database stats are to be believed....our run defence is far and away the worst league wide...in fact the disparity is so high that after three weeks the next closet to us is Ott. and they have surrendered 105 less yards along the ground 463-358....

We give up an average of 154.3yrds a game along the ground, for context to show just how bad this is T.O which after three weeks has the best defence against the run based on stats has surrendered 177 yards in total in all three games...yes less than 23 yards given up in all three of there games more then we average per game.....

It's unquestionably terrible. You not only have to be bad executionally to hit those kind of numbers you also have to have the whole wrong mentality. Run defense is technical but it's also a culture/mindset challenge. We have both problems through three games. We are excellent at backing up at the snap and backing up some more after that, though.

[Blue In BC]

It's unquestionably terrible. You not only have to be bad executionally to hit those kind of numbers you also have to have the whole wrong mentality. Run defense is technical but it's also a culture/mindset challenge. We have both problems through three games. We are excellent at backing up and the snap and backing up some more after that, though.

Agreed. It's one thing to have that happen against Rankin but against rookie RB Rountree in Hamilton is less acceptable. He had 23 carries and BLM only attempted 24 passes for a 79% completion. We need to show an improvement this week.

[theaardvark]

"Wrapping up" instead of "blowing up" is something these DB/LB's have to embrace more.

Watching the last game for the first time, and too many times DB's flew past a ball carrier, sometimes barely deflecting thier path.

Kramdi got one good one.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Agreed. It's one thing to have that happen against Rankin but against rookie RB Rountree in Hamilton is less acceptable. He had 23 carries and BLM only attempted 24 passes for a 79% completion. We need to show an improvement this week.

Roundtree is a CFL rookie, but he kicked around the NFL circuit from 2021-24 not much playing but lots of practice I suppose, he dropped his playing weight over 30 lbs before he showed up in Hamilton this spring.

[Blue In BC]

Roundtree is a CFL rookie, but he kicked around the NFL circuit from 2021-24 not much playing but lots of practice I suppose, he dropped his playing weight over 30 lbs before he showed up in Hamilton this spring.

We get lots of import rookies like that but struggle in the CFL. I don't know if he's the next Rankin that succeeds or just one of many that see a quick exit.

Regardless, IMO it was a failure of our defence more than his skill set. I guess we'll see if we shut him down or how other teams do against him.

Lions held him to 62 yards on 18 carries and their defence didn't look very good overall. However, their front 7 looked better creating pressure on VA and limiting running game.

[Sway]

"Wrapping up" instead of "blowing up" is something these DB/LB's have to embrace more.

Watching the last game for the first time, and too many times DB's flew past a ball carrier, sometimes barely deflecting thier path.

Kramdi got one good one.

Kramdi at safety seems like a waste of his skills,  way better at the LB position.

I seen him multiple times doing the "blitz" where he runs to line of scrimmage and just stops and jumps around.

[dd]

Kramdi at safety seems like a waste of his skills,  way better at the LB position.

I seen him multiple times doing the "blitz" where he runs to line of scrimmage and just stops and jumps around.

He's absolutely useless out there...looks lost, has yet to break up a pass and is always late to make a tackle. He doesn't have the skill to be safety, put him back at SAM , simplify things for him and let him cover

[Blueforlife]

The point is that we've often had leads and the ball with little time left and still lost. It's a combination of often too conservative offence and being forced to punt.

That said, with the game on the line we seem prone to soft defence and allowing the opponent to score when we need to force them to punt.

The Elks game was a variant of that. Bad play selection on the deep route followed by soft defence. Elks completed a 2nd and 15 IIRC. 2nd and long is our weakness and we've seen it in other games.

You'll have to think back and refresh your memory even about the Grey Cup losses against back up QB's that ran around the edge to continue late scoring drives.

This was 2023 Grey Cup info as one example. Note in particular the 3rd and 5 conversation for 31 yards.

With the game on the line, Cody Fajardo and Tyson Philpot delivered the Montreal Alouettes a most unlikely Grey Cup title.

Fajardo's 19-yard touchdown pass to Philpot with 15 seconds remaining rallied Montreal to a thrilling 28-24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday in Hamilton. It earned the Alouettes their first CFL title since 2010 and followed an uncertain off-season that saw the franchise taken over by the league in February, then sold a month later to businessman Pierre Karl Peladeau.

Fajardo's toss capped a stellar seven-play, 83-yard march. It included a clutch 31-yard completion to Cole Spieker on third-and-five before a Tim Hortons Field sellout of 28,808 as Montreal ended its season with eight straight wins.

This was the 2022 Grey Cup loss. Note the 2nd and 15 conversion.


Smith wasn't Toronto's only unsung hero. Backup quarterback Chad Kelly engineered the five-play, 36-yard drive Ouellette capped. Kelly, the nephew of former NFL star Jim Kelly, replaced veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who suffered a dislocated right thumb.

Kelly delivered a crucial 20-yard run on second-and-15 to the Winnipeg 15-yard line that kept the drive going. The march was set up by Javon Leake's 44-yard punt return to the Bombers' 31 with 6:07 remaining.

It's just indications of finding ways to lose instead of win late in games. Ottawa and Crum winning comes to mind.

Check the 2025 Bomber games in the schedule that shows results. Look at the play by play in the August 9th against the Stamps where we lose on a late drive. final score 28-27. There were a few games like that last year.

The difference maker between good and great team, make some good points.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

He's absolutely useless out there...looks lost, has yet to break up a pass and is always late to make a tackle. He doesn't have the skill to be safety, put him back at SAM , simplify things for him and let him cover

Problem Griffin is the better SAM.

[Blue In BC]

Problem Griffin is the better SAM.

You still have to play your best Canadians where they play best. If that's not safety, then it's irrelevant that Griffin is better. That's the nature of the ratio.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

You still have to play your best Canadians where they play best. If that's not safety, then it's irrelevant that Griffin is better. That's the nature of the ratio.

Smith is beginning to assume a bigger role at WIL, he was also getting looks at Safety in the pre-season games.  They only need 2 of Lawson, Gatkuoth, Kramdi and Smith on the field at the same time.

[dd]

You still have to play your best Canadians where they play best. If that's not safety, then it's irrelevant that Griffin is better. That's the nature of the ratio.

Exactly. Bring in an import to play safety. I can't believe there's no one out there that got cut from an NFL team that wants to play football and play a very pivotable role in our defense.

[Blueforlife]

Maybe the biggest test of the season for a team that is on the ropes but time to strike like a snake in the grass

All about the OL imo.  If they can cook, O will feast.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I definitely don't like the idea of choosing our second best SAM just because they're Canadian.

The issue isn't that we need to move Kramdi back to SAM if he's lost the job. The issue is improving our safety play and if Kramdi isn't a fit there either then you cut or PR him or move him to specials.

Having said that, I'm not convinced the safety play is really that bad. I think it's an incredibly hard position in Younger's defense and no one has really had any success there really. Allen maybe flashed most but even his success was modest. Parker and Kramdi look the same. Alexander under Hall was the last good one we've had.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Exactly. Bring in an import to play safety. I can't believe there's no one out there that got cut from an NFL team that wants to play football and play a very pivotable role in our defense.

Allen is the man but we don't know how seriously he's injured.