voodoochylde

The RedBlacks offensive line isn't particularly good and Dru is a known commodity. I fully expect the trio of WJ, Haba and Adams to be disruptive and make things hard for him. My big concern is the secondary - will we see improved chemistry / communication over last week because the Holm / Ford side struggled - Ford in particular (and don't get me wrong, I really like the kid).

A couple of thoughts: Unless they are worried about Wallace being poached off the PR or Eli is still too hurt to play more than a handful of snaps a game, then Wallace being the 7th lineman on the active roster makes absolutely zero sense. I'm not thrilled about the deletion of Woods from what was a largely effective unit last week. I'd feel more comfortable with a guy like Rosery backing up (hell starting over) Augustine vs. Chris-Ike. In an ideal world, we have a much more well rounded back step in to that role and Augustine simply rides the pine. I'm not too upset over Bighill's insertion. We have the horses there to make a change in game if he's labouring. The question is will we make the change? (the answer is likely no). Can I say I don't like Mitchell being on the roster, period? That opinion won't change until he does anything remotely productive offensively or on special teams.

Having family and friends in Calgary I appreciate the position you are all in but out of respect for Rich (and our wishes for the forum), let's not turn this into a policy / political discussion.

Then I look at a team like the Argos or Lions and envy their receiving depth .. they always seem to have someone new, each year, capable of stepping in and making an impact. I also think Buck isn't exactly an offensive mastermind (and is somewhat handicapped having cut his teeth under LaPo).

This camp and start to this year just feels like a giant cluster-**** so far.

Argos are an organization who are always looking for "the next one" .. it keeps the team competitive both on the field and from a salary cap perspective. I still think Oakman has a tonne of juice but the Boatmen have a deep defensive line.

Zach is our starter .. no doubt about it. But .... As I alluded to in the game day thread, you can't make Streveler just a gadget guy. He's an athlete and god yes, take advantage of that athleticism but he's needs to execute in passing situations as well - if for no other reason than to keep teams honest when he's on the field.

McInnis

I'm not willing to point the finger at Kyle, he brought in guys .. a lot of them .. some of whom looked really good. Last week was on the coaches - full stop. They needed to make evaluations quicker, allow people realistic chances to show what they have (or not have) and then get the team ready to play week one. And I completely agree with JBR on this, cutting Rosery was a mistake (based on the way our roster is made up).

The only solace that I take from this is that it's not how you start a season but how you finish it. I'd rather us limp out of the gate and be healthy down the home stretch. The thing that concerns me is the lack of drive and hunger. It's a team that looks "fat and lazy" right now.

Veterans.

Just a fun thread for people to give their completely subjective and superficial rankings of the teams so far. Montreal - in order to be the man you have to beat the man and, for this week at least, Montreal stays on top. Toronto - as much as it pains me to see these boys in blue getting it done, they did and did so against a quality opponent in BC BC - offense looking as potent as ever with VAJ making plays in and out of the pocket. Calgary - Offensive play calling keeping Maier in a safe place and they put up 32. Riders - earned a come from behind win against an Elks team that continues to find ways to lose. Hamilton - you can't convince me that the redneck Johnny Lawrence isn't cooked. Edmonton - Chris Jones just can't get out of his own way and help the team succeed Winnipeg - in a league where offense is king, the offense looked abysmal and disinterested. Ottawa - in the cellar by virtue of the fact they didn't play this week and I have nothing to judge them on.

I can honestly see them moving on from him after this year, especially if production doesn't match the salary. That said, it's not like the Bombers have brought in many receivers who look like they can take the step and be the next Lawler, Demski or Schoen (and it's not like they've given guys many chances to show they can be).

Came away shaking his hand on that last drive.

Dukes and the Argos offence looking infinitely better than what the Bombers trotted out Thursday. Happy for Bailey and Grant - both standup guys.

BOLO looks good out there.

I agree, wind wasn't much of a factor last night. I've seen that team, in worse conditions, perform much much better.

I'm going to simply say there's a lot of over-reaction going on but also some very valid and warranted concerns. I think Montreal, at least defensively, is one of those teams we don't match up well with. Noel Thorpe has done a pretty damn good job of making our "stars" look very pedestrian. That said, it didn't help that our starting offense didn't play a single rep in the preseason. That's on our coaching staff and, to a lesser extent, the players for not advocating for themselves. The organization has enjoyed so much success the last half decade that complacency may be setting in - I don't see the hunger or urgency any longer. Montreal on the other hand looks like they want it. That goes back to last year and their Grey Cup run. Three turds for this one: Zach Collaros - I'm not going to jump on the Zach is cooked bandwagon but last night was a continuation of what we've seen at various points over the last couple of years. In the game day thread I asked what QB will we see and sadly we got the guy who looks like a deer in headlights. Sergio Castillo - even recognizing that the chipped ball may have played a role in what happened last night, he's paid to do one job and do it well. I think he would recognize that wasn't his best effort. Mitchell - another guy I called out in the game day thread and a guy I've never been sold on. He sort of demonstrated why last night but will acknowledge that he's never been asked to return kicks in a game (up here) before last night. Even with some of the defensive struggles last night (which I think largely stems from guys not playing together a whole lot), they did enough to win the game had the offense showed up. I didn't think BA looked terrible, he's still a physical presence but he doesn't have the range he used to. WJ was invisible - still has to be accounted for but was hoping for more last night. The secondary, in general, will play better the more they play together and I sort of figured that chemistry and communication would be an issue early. Overall though, this side of the ball wasn't the issue. Three stars: Chris Streveler - guy played with more heart and emotion than anyone else on our offense - he's hungry, he still has the dawg in him, he still has a sense of urgency. Devin Adams - for a guy still playing his way into game shape, he was disruptive and made his presence felt. Terrell Bonds - got tested a few times and was solid, really happy with his addition to the backfield.

I thought Bonds had a tremendous game at corner. Interior of the offensive line was an issue, at least early in the game. Neufeld in particular struggled. We got late 2023 Zach tonight. Strevy played with more heart and emotion than anyone tonight.

I’m not going to beat a dead horse but this is fully on the coaching staff and their approach to this season.

Just dropped in to say this offensive performance is brought to you today by a coach’s hubris. What a **** show.

They are absolutely going to take advantage of Streveler's athleticism (and would be foolish not to) but I hope he's not reduced to running gimmick plays that become obvious and we have an opportunity, whether by design or necessity, to see his growth as a passer. This is more a thought in the context of the overall season and not necessarily specific to tonight's game.

Who smell better (and have better teeth) than the average Rider fan.

A couple of thoughts leading into this game: Special teams are going to be a bigger factor in tonight's game than we want them to be. I won't be surprised to see Mitchell double clutching a few balls or putting one on the ground - I don't have a lot of faith there. Maybe that sentiment is misplaced and I'll gladly eat crow if he turns out to be a dependable, not spectacular, return guy. Are we going to consistently lose the field position game this season? Let's hope Sheahan has sorted his **** out and that Miller has his guys assignment sound. Two edge guys on opposite sides of the ball need to make an impact. Can Haba be disciplined and disruptive on a consistent basis? Can Lofton hold up on the edge? On the topic of protection .. last year Zach got hurried / hit more than at any other point in his career with us. Are we going to see that continue and, if so, which Zach shows up? The guy who makes miracle plays and turns something into nothing or the guy who turned the ball over and left you wondering "what they hell were you thinking?" I wouldn't want any other starter in the CFL on my team but there were stretches in games and stretches of games where he looked largely ineffectual. I hope they don't turn Streveler into a gadget guy - he can be more than that. While Ford got limited play time while he was here last, he hasn't proven much (don't get me wrong, I love his ability and athleticism and thought it criminal he didn't get more playing time) and our other corner is a rookie as well. Will some of that inexperience and lack of continuity in the secondary be a weakness? What is the in-game communication and chemistry going to be like between Holm / Ford and Nichols / Bonds? Will BA look good .. will he be in a position (again) where he's doing "too much"? Gauthier is more than serviceable but he's not someone who is athletic enough, rangy enough to make a play if the interior of the defensive line doesn't hold up. I think it's going to be a close game tonight. I'm not discounting Montreal and their defense. Looking forward to some regular season football. Go Blue.

I don't think O'Shea is anti-American but he does put a lot of stock in his vets and the guys who have 'grown with the club'. This has always been one of O'Shea's best and worst traits. I'll reserve judgement on Schmekel until we see how he holds up and plays in the regular season. With that said, it appears he's taken a step .. which is good .. we desperately need someone out there pushing Thomas for a spot.