Who would you start?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I don't think you ever gameplan around preparing a QB to start a playoff game with the intent of flip-flopping the moment they show they're not effective. This is why you don't see MOS or any competent coach do this. I think if you have that mindset, you're pretty much already showing defeat and not having confidence in your QB (however good or bad they might be at any given time) is a recipe for distaster.

I understand not wanting to give a player immunity from accountability but the time for that is passed - this is a do or die game and you've gotta make a decision and commit.

With that in mind, I don't know what the right answer is and tbh there's probably no right answer. I still think Zach can have a game good enough to win and make it through the whole 60 minutes. I also think Dru has the skills to ball despite his overthrows on Saturday which I think were the result of him playing overly excited and not cool enough.

But IMO you choose the one that gives you the best chance, show them you believe in them, give them the reps and preparation they need, and then just pray to whatever god you believe in.

Maybe I'd accept that philosophy a few years ago but it hasn't brought positive results in quite awhile.  O'Shea absorbs the worst losses without a shred of doubt in his game management, they were headed for Planet Doom when they punted the ball away to Grant with under 2 minutes to go and he wasn't bold enough to alter his plans in to avoid losing that game.  He just got incredibly lucky.

[blue_or_die]

Maybe I'd accept that philosophy a few years ago but it hasn't brought positive results in quite awhile.  O'Shea absorbs the worst losses without a shred of doubt in his game management, they were headed for Planet Doom when they punted the ball away to Grant with under 2 minutes to go and he wasn't brave enough to alter his plans in anyway to avoid losing that game.

Yeah. I'm not suggesting O'Shea is overly stubborn for good reason, I just don't think a short leash on a QB in a big game is the winning strategy.

[Sway]

Maybe I'd accept that philosophy a few years ago but it hasn't brought positive results in quite awhile.  O'Shea absorbs the worst losses without a shred of doubt in his game management, they were headed for Planet Doom when they punted the ball away to Grant with under 2 minutes to go and he wasn't bold enough to alter his plans in to avoid losing that game.  He just got incredibly lucky.

Yup. When they punted I thought the same thing, best case is 2 and out and a very deep field to March back with 35 seconds

But alas Osheas philosophy of hope the other team makes a mistake finally paid off.

Good play by Hallett to punch ball.  Dumb play by Grant going for unnecessary yards

Against MTL we need to take alot of chances ,   "trusting the process" won't be enough

[tlf]

We can question Oshea as much as we want, but honestly he has more Grey Cup rings and players and brass trusting him than we do us. KW has to get some players imo..specifically oline.

Those Coordinators, a different story for me. 

[bomb squad]

Yup. When they punted I thought the same thing, best case is 2 and out and a very deep field to March back with 35 seconds

But alas Osheas philosophy of hope the other team makes a mistake finally paid off.

Good play by Hallett to punch ball.  Dumb play by Grant going for unnecessary yards

Against MTL we need to take alot of chances ,  "trusting the process" won't be enough

The "best case" was a fumble by the other team, which they got. In any case, that wasn't the basis for the decision. Choice 1 was to kick and get a 2 and out from TO, which they got on the 2 previous possessions. If Grant would have made a conservative return, which he should have, there would have been about 1:35 on the clock, ball down at about the 40. They would have run 2 plays and kicked. That would have taken about 50 seconds max., leaving 45 seconds. With a half decent return, they're starting from their 45, with 45 seconds left, in 3 down territory. I doubt MOS was thinking that specifically in that moment, but it was his general thought process.

Choice 2 was to go for it on 3rd and 10 on their 24. If they didn't get it, it was not necessarily game over, as they could have 2 and outed them and held them for a field goal. They could have got the ball back with about 45 seconds again, maybe a little further back, but down 8.

Hopefully, my calculations are close enough. Notwithstanding the fumble, I like the choice he went with. 

[BlueInCgy]

Play them both

Dru in, Run Brady on 1st. Get 5 yards

Put Zach in on 2nd down  run Brady again

A plan like that, keep them guessing

Unless Zach is severely damaged i dont see how Oshea is gonna sit him again

Won't happen, but that's my instinct as well.  Only path to victory is to keep them guessing.

Would be fitting if we eliminated both TO and MTL on the way to a GC in a year we have no business being there.  Again, not going yo happen, but would be poetic.

[dd]

Yup. When they punted I thought the same thing, best case is 2 and out and a very deep field to March back with 35 seconds

But alas Osheas philosophy of hope the other team makes a mistake finally paid off.

Good play by Hallett to punch ball.  Dumb play by Grant going for unnecessary yards

Against MTL we need to take alot of chances ,  "trusting the process" won't be enough

It was an incredibly stupid play by Grant to twist and turn for what 2 extra yards. Take a knee and kill the clock the game is over, nope, we'll try and play hero and go to zero with a bullet!! Incredibly lucky is an understatement. We were lucky to get the turnover and then even luckier to have the Argos secondary play short and let Demski run by them, what the heck were they thinking??!!

Lucky doesn't begin to describe that one in a million turnaround. Ain't going to be like that in Montreal, butt whuppin coming up!!

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

The "best case" was a fumble by the other team, which they got. In any case, that wasn't the basis for the decision. Choice 1 was to kick and get a 2 and out from TO, which they got on the 2 previous possessions. If Grant would have made a conservative return, which he should have, there would have been about 1:35 on the clock, ball down at about the 40. They would have run 2 plays and kicked. That would have taken about 50 seconds max., leaving 45 seconds. With a half decent return, they're starting from their 45, with 45 seconds left, in 3 down territory. I doubt MOS was thinking that specifically in that moment, but it was his general thought process.

Choice 2 was to go for it on 3rd and 10 on their 24. If they didn't get it, it was not necessarily game over, as they could have 2 and outed them and held them for a field goal. They could have got the ball back with about 45 seconds again, maybe a little further back, but down 8.

Fajardo is the master of making those last minute drives work with out resorting to huge explosion plays, the fact he is always a running threat makes him hard to defend against when he's in desperation mode. 

[Pete]

It was an incredibly stupid play by Grant to twist and turn for what 2 extra yards. Take a knee and kill the clock the game is over, nope, we'll try and play hero and go to zero with a bullet!! Incredibly lucky is an understatement. We were lucky to get the turnover and then even luckier to have the Argos secondary play short and let Demski run by them, what the heck were they thinking??!!

Lucky doesn't begin to describe that one in a million turnaround. Ain't going to be like that in Montreal, butt whuppin coming up!!

To call it luck undermines Hallets effort, he went into that tackle with full intent to get the ball loose. Also Id rather give credit to Demski/brown for making the play.
Argos were lucky we didnt complete the two td passes to White and Singer for that matter

[Big Daddy]

To call it luck undermines Hallets effort, he went into that tackle with full intent to get the ball loose. Also Id rather give credit to Demski/brown for making the play.
Argos were lucky we didnt complete the two td passes to White and Singer for that matter

I agree with the latter half if what you said - luck doesn't just go one way, the Argos were lucky we didn't complete those two passes.  The previous week shows that.

The first point though - just from what I remember hearing, Hallet didn't go in thinking he's going to knock the ball loose, he actually said he wasn't thinking that (again, from what I remember).  So that may have been a bit of luck, or at least not fully credited to Hallet as full intention for the outcome.

[Tecno]

they were headed for Planet Doom when they punted the ball away to Grant with under 2 minutes to go and he wasn't bold enough to alter his plans in to avoid losing that game.  He just got incredibly lucky.

But it was the right call because the d was playing well, and no way dru converts 3rd and long with some contested curl at the marker.

Even if he does, there's no way they drive that other 70 yards. The sad truth is that dru and the o were wildly pathetic most of the game.

[Blue In BC]

I agree with the latter half if what you said - luck doesn't just go one way, the Argos were lucky we didn't complete those two passes.  The previous week shows that.

The first point though - just from what I remember hearing, Hallet didn't go in thinking he's going to knock the ball loose, he actually said he wasn't thinking that (again, from what I remember).  So that may have been a bit of luck, or at least not fully credited to Hallet as full intention for the outcome.

Sometimes luck is being at the right place at the right time that creates opportunity. Hallett knocked it loose and Hansen was right where he needed to be to recover the fumble.

We could comment on a dozen plays where things went our way or didn't. Same for Toronto.

The Fletcher strip and Reese TD. Great play by both but the ball bounced up for Reese to catch it and run. That doesn't always happen.

[LXTSN]

I would say that neither of these QB's will win us the game against MTL. We shouldn't be asking them to win the game.
 
We should be asking them to get the ball to their playmaking teammates for them to win us the game.
Keep it as simple as possible and don't take too many risks. Weather looks good on Saturday so we will need to throw. Let's limit those deep passes, drop it off to Wilson and Demski on the short crossing routes, and Olivera on the screens. Find White and Singer on those mid-range dig routes. Keep the ball away from Nield (especially on second down).

They are going to throw the deep ball, but we can't throw it at the rate Brown was last game. It's just not how we are going to win.

[blue_or_die]

It was an incredibly stupid play by Grant to twist and turn for what 2 extra yards. Take a knee and kill the clock the game is over, nope, we'll try and play hero and go to zero with a bullet!! Incredibly lucky is an understatement. We were lucky to get the turnover and then even luckier to have the Argos secondary play short and let Demski run by them, what the heck were they thinking??!!

Lucky doesn't begin to describe that one in a million turnaround. Ain't going to be like that in Montreal, butt whuppin coming up!!

Sorry man but I really hate this attitude. Sure we were "lucky" during certain moments of the game, but so were they? Others pointed out plays we should have made but didn't. I don't see anyone on here spouting off, "were they ever lucky we didn't lay a beating on them! Had everything just worked out our way, no way they stand a chance!". You can play the luck game down a rabbit hole: had Vaval busted through a block, he'd have taken it to the house on every punt and kick and the score would have been 70-0.

Executing better than the other team is the only way to win in sports. If a player on the other team takes a risk and we take advantage, that's not luck, we just executed better. That's football

[tlf]

What's that saying, you have to be lucky to be good and good to be lucky?

I'll take either as long as we get the W again.