Suggested Personnel Decisions

[Tecno]

Yes, our O-line is the weak spot but our defense is weaker than a 12 year old girl's team.

And yet we stymied MTL's O for most of the EDF game... and TOR's.  Did you see the look on Alexander's face?  He had no targets at all most snaps.  I'd love to see the all-24 on all EDF plays.  They must be glorious.

Somehow Younger/Hall & Mafia (and players) made good on the promise of the "Younger D" when it counted most.  Problem is the scheme doesn't seem capable of turnovers... which means the O has to play 100% clean -- which they didn't by fumbling twice.

[Waffler]

And yet we stymied MTL's O for most of the EDF game... and TOR's.  Did you see the look on Alexander's face?  He had no targets at all most snaps.  I'd love to see the all-24 on all EDF plays.  They must be glorious.

Somehow Younger/Hall & Mafia (and players) made good on the promise of the "Younger D" when it counted most.  Problem is the scheme doesn't seem capable of turnovers... which means the O has to play 100% clean -- which they didn't by fumbling twice.

MOST of the game is correct. We still could have won, or at least had a good chance, with a stop on their last scoring drive but couldn't. Sure we had lost momentum but MOS is always saying this team stays calm, never stops playing. Just win the next play. All season long same thing. We can't stop game winning drives. This time it wasn't even 3 down football. Do we believe the playoff defense or the one we had all year that broke down at crucial times?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

MOST of the game is correct. We still could have won, or at least had a good chance, with a stop on their last scoring drive but couldn't. Sure we had lost momentum but MOS is always saying this team stays calm, never stops playing. Just win the next play. All season long same thing. We can't stop game winning drives. This time it wasn't even 3 down football. Do we believe the playoff defense or the one we had all year that broke down at crucial times?

Yes the end result was a loss but the defence stopped a powerful Als offence time after time, while the Bomber offence too often failed to put points on the board. 

Derek Taylor usually compiles a list of drive results, they weren't as bad for this game compared to most games this season, but it really outlines how ineffective the offence was in most games. They had real difficulty outscoring opponents.

[Waffler]

Yes the end result was a loss but the defence stopped a powerful Als offence time after time, while the Bomber offence too often failed to put points on the board. 

Agree 100%. I just feel there is more than one thing wrong on the football team. Did we ever answer "what is our identity"? 

We need to be better in a lot of areas. I am afraid of us thinking the D is good enough and not look too deeply into it. As they say, if you ain't getting better, you are getting worse.

[Jesse]

MOST of the game is correct. We still could have won, or at least had a good chance, with a stop on their last scoring drive but couldn't. Sure we had lost momentum but MOS is always saying this team stays calm, never stops playing. Just win the next play. All season long same thing. We can't stop game winning drives. This time it wasn't even 3 down football. Do we believe the playoff defense or the one we had all year that broke down at crucial times?

As always, if the offence did its part, the defence wouldnt be in the position of giving up game winning drives.

We had the #1 rated pass defence. We had the #7 offence in a season where Ottawa couldnt win a game and Hamilton didn't have their QB for most of the season.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Agree 100%. I just feel there is more than one thing wrong on the football team. Did we ever answer "what is our identity"? 

We need to be better in a lot of areas. I am afraid of us thinking the D is good enough and not look too deeply into it. As they say, if you ain't getting better, you are getting worse.

What component of the D do you think needs improvement? Of course there are a few individuals that could be upgraded but overall, between the D-line, LB's and secondary I was pleased with their performance by the end of the year.

It can always be debated whether Younger's system worked as well as it could, but that too improved as the season progressed.

[Jesse]

What component of the D do you think needs improvement? Of course there are a few individuals that could be upgraded but overall, between the D-line, LB's and secondary I was pleased with their performance by the end of the year.

It can always be debated whether Younger's system worked as well as it could, but that too improved as the season progressed.

Historically bad interception rate, for one.

We send everyone into coverage and none of them are ever in position to make a play on the ball?

[Pete]

Historically bad interception rate, for one.

We send everyone into coverage and none of them are ever in position to make a play on the ball?

perfect example of this was last game when Kelly knocked down a pass with both hands and made no attempt to catch the ball allowing mtrl to kick a fg.
The other component of our d which has to improve is tackling. The opponents rushing yards against us was the highest in the league. Jones was decent as was Williams and maybe Kramdl but Nichols. Kelly and Moxey were pretty weak.

[dd]

perfect example of this was last game when Kelly knocked down a pass with both hands and made no attempt to catch the ball allowing mtrl to kick a fg.
The other component of our d which has to improve is tackling. The opponents rushing yards against us was the highest in the league. Jones was decent as was Williams and maybe Kramdl but Nichols. Kelly and Moxey were pretty weak.

Agreed, Nichols, Kelly and Moxie all need to be replaced. Kelly's 'knockdown' should have been a turnover/interception, but due to limited athletic ability, we're happy he even knocked it down. Weakest guy on our defense by far.

[Tecno]

Agreed, Nichols, Kelly and Moxie all need to be replaced. Kelly's 'knockdown' should have been a turnover/interception, but due to limited athletic ability, we're happy he even knocked it down. Weakest guy on our defense by far.

Well, to be fair to Younger, Kelly isn't really "on our D", he's just the backup that comes in for the max-coverage passing-down all-db look.

And to be fair to Kelly, that was one of his best plays all year.  Better than the whiff on the Snead TD at the end by someone not named Kelly!  I'm just happy Kelly was in the right place and actually got a disruption!  Baby steps you guys.

[Tecno]

Historically bad interception rate, for one.

We send everyone into coverage and none of them are ever in position to make a play on the ball?

Worse than that!  The coverage is almost always max-zone!!  Zone is, by definition, supposed to result in more INTs!  Yet we don't get any.  At all.  Ever.  AND we still give up the big plays and easy soft zone sits and wide outs.

So frustrating.  Maybe a lot of our guys lack athleticism to cut to the ball in time.

[Tecno]

What component of the D do you think needs improvement? Of course there are a few individuals that could be upgraded but overall, between the D-line, LB's and secondary I was pleased with their performance by the end of the year.

Watching the WDF I would say our DL.  If we could have the blanket coverage we do but get easy quick pressure on the QB with 4, we would be so much better overall.

Maybe just find a way to get that Carney guy.  What a wrecking ball.  We need to have the kind of pressure EDM gets with 4.  And we need to have the kind of sack rate EDM has with 5.  We can't hold a candle to that with even 5 and 6!  And in the EDM/BC game all of this was against Rourke -- one of the most mobile QBs in the league!!  Crazy stuff.

[Tecno]

Agree 100%. I just feel there is more than one thing wrong on the football team. Did we ever answer "what is our identity"? 

Well, I think we did on D.  Our identity is Max Blanket Coverage.

On O, we never achieved anything.  Besides "We Suck", I'd say our O identity is "Balance".  However, balanced at BAD is still bad.  I think the best thing for the O, other than a blowup, is to get incrementally better in all units.  Just a little better at REC (like 1-2 guys), OL (like 1-2 guys), FB/TE/6th, and maybe QB.  If we were just a little better overall I think we could tip the scales to respectability.

[Pete]

Well, to be fair to Younger, Kelly isn't really "on our D", he's just the backup that comes in for the max-coverage passing-down all-db look.

And to be fair to Kelly, that was one of his best plays all year.  Better than the whiff on the Snead TD at the end by someone not named Kelly!  I'm just happy Kelly was in the right place and actually got a disruption!  Baby steps you guys.

Kelly isn't a rookie, the dline applied pressure the qb threw a duck, and there wasn't even a thought of intercepting it. To be satisfied that he even was able to touch the ball is sad. Dbs have to be coached up to look for these opportunities. Edmonton obviously does with 27 interceptions made vs our 9.
It feels like our guys are coached to play the man vs the ball hence the lack of  interceptions and often the lost 50/50 balls. Our dbs really don't anticipate rather they react. You wonder how much our d looks at game films to analyze opponents plays choosing to play a certain way no matter the opponent

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Kelly isn't a rookie, the dline applied pressure the qb threw a duck, and there wasn't even a thought of intercepting it. To be satisfied that he even was able to touch the ball is sad. Dbs have to be coached up to look for these opportunities. Edmonton obviously does with 27 interceptions made vs our 9.
It feels like our guys are coached to play the man vs the ball hence the lack of  interceptions and often the lost 50/50 balls. Our dbs really don't anticipate rather they react. You wonder how much our d looks at game films to analyze opponents plays choosing to play a certain way no matter the opponent

First season starting for Kelly, he had some hiccups early on but I think he's going to be a staple at Safety for a few more years. He has the athleticism to be a great safety he just needs to put on more muscle and pickup the ability to read the offence from Kramdi and Holm.