voodoochylde

Three phases to a football game: offense, defense and special teams. If, as a team, you've given up a TD in overtime it means you've ceded the entire length of the field. You want a chance to win? Go play defense and get the ball back. Hell, hold the other team to a field goal and get the ball back. Don't expect a shot if you completely **** the bed at the most inopportune time. The Packers had a chance to get off the field. They had Seattle 3rd and 7 .. a favourable down and distance .. and a situation where GB had been dictating play most of the afternoon. Instead they gave up back to back 35 yard bombs for a score. The rule is fine as it is.

TRADE HIM! Seriously if we can get the Evan Gill rights from the Ticats for him. I will do that. Pruneau for Watson? Seriously though .. I'm a huge fan of Cory Watson .. love this play style .. it's just a shame that injuries are starting to become more and more prevelant .. but that's the thing with soft tissue injuries ..

Some Shamari Benton highlights ..

Agree. It's like taking one step backward for every step forward .. the idea is to build on and improve the base that's already there .. I'm not a DeJardins fan by any stretch but for the health of the league I want that Ottawa team to see success and I don't see this as helping the situation any.

Nothing says "commitment to winning" like trading away your most impactful player for a receiver who can't stay on the field .. Wonder if they'll extend him for a few more seasons at 200K per .. heh.

New England was just outside the bottom third in the league when it came to running the ball this season. Team average of 3.9 yards per carry isn't considered a "good run game" in any sense of term .. It is when you have four downs. No .. it really isn't .. 3.9 yards per carry is terrible in any circumstance.

This. I love both flavours of football (I grew up playing American ball) but I truly believe the one thing the NFL would benefit from is a 25 second clock (similar to what the NCAA used up to 2008). It would definitely help the tempo of some games.

New England was just outside the bottom third in the league when it came to running the ball this season. Team average of 3.9 yards per carry isn't considered a "good run game" in any sense of term ..

I think the more likely scenario would be 4 NIs on the offensive line with a couple solid guys in reserve ..

It's foolish and insane because he is one of our best DBs. He's better than Leggett, closer to Randle than you seem to think he is. Yeah He's one of the best players on the team. If we didn't have him you'd notice he was missing. Agree to disagree and without the name calling. I'll say this with respect to Washington .. he'd be a "better" player if he didn't take the number of stupid, selfish penalties that he does .. among league leaders in penalties taken and penalty yardage .. also relies on his athleticism a bit ot get him out of issues in coverage .. that said .. can't teach speed and he is playmaker .. but those highs also come with equally low lows .. teams still throw on him .. ball security issues .. penalties .. consistency ..

Curious to know what your thoughts on Greaves are .. when he was drafted, I thought "project" (and to an extent I still do) .. I see a guy with phyiscal tools who is still trying to put things together consistently ..

You shut your ***** mouth. As the #1 shameless Wild fanboi he is not easily replaced. No, Wild is awesome and I want him back somewhere on the field, but....the spot in the middle - I'd really like to see a more prototypical Barrin Simpson-type run stuffer in that spot. I've said it before .. I'll say it again (because I agree with the sentiment) .. I want an absolute thumper in the middle .. a guy with range and a guy who makes you think twice about running routes (or just plain running) inside .. find me an Elimimian .. a Bighill .. someone that has a dominating phyiscal presence.

Former teammates Willy and Picard are now here. The plot does thicken. Anyone know a Winnipeg girl who's willing to flirt with Heenan online for the next 2 months? Anyone willing to pretend to be a Winnipeg girl and is willing to flirt with Heenan online for the next 2 months? I thiink I can convince Logan007 to step up to the plate and take one for the team ..

Impact player for us .. but it's a well deserved opportunity for him .. hopefully he has a great deal of success down south.

Newman went down early .. as did Suber .. But I think the projected secondary was Randle, Washington, Leggett, Suber, Bucknor ...

Morley is soft and part of an offensive line that has been a huge problem the last number of years. The fact he played his best ball at center doesn't mean that he was particularly good .. it's just that that's where we were able to get the most out of him. Picard, even at this stage of his career, is an upgrade. He's physical. Nasty. He can still drive people off the ball. One of our biggest weaknesses last year was consistency in the run game. And a large part of the problem was the soft interior of our line. Is Picard the same guy he was 5 or 6 years ago? No. But, for a lineman, he's still got a few years of highly productive play in him .. he's also nowhere near as bad as many posters are making him out to be. He's an effective short term upgrade .. a bridge player .. that will allow us to overhaul the attitude and makeup of our offensive line.

I'm good. Thanks for looking out for me though.

No thank YOU for the laugh, if you actually think the CFL has been rigged for financial or other reasons. Reading Comp 101 my good friend .. I never suggested *I* thought that CFL games have been rigged .. fixed .. or otherwise unduly influenced. I was just pointing out that fans, the league over, have made the assertion at times. But what I think you're getting at is the 'Dean Blandino Incident' with him being on the Cowboy's Party Bus with Stephen Jones .. the perception of impropriety .. and how the league, the Cowboys, and Blandino himself have turned down any request for comment. Hey, if I was a fan of the Lions .. a member of that organization .. or involved with ANY team in the NFL and saw that .. I can't say I'd be too impressed .. I might be a bit pissed .. especially given how the use of replay is increasing and it's a centralized function .. when owner's invest 100s of millions of dollars a year on a team and fight for the slightest edge .. things like this erode confidence .. moreso when an overturned call can mean the difference between making the playoffs and a top 10 draft pick.

You're right. I won't be complaining about it any more. Some NFL fans think the game was rigged. I don't think we've ever had to wonder about that after a CFL game. First day back into the office after nearly three weeks off .. was kind of dragging .. needed a good laugh .. thanks for that. In all seriousness though CFL officiating is far and away more inconsistent than any NFL game. It's to the point that players don't know what to expect within an individual game; PI is called so inconsistently .. even the criteria for calling PI on review was "up for interpretation" from week to week .. game to game .. and IN a game itself .. .. and yes .. there have been countless threads .. countless cries that CFL games have been rigged. But let's be honest, any league .. any sport .. will have it's share of officiating gaffes. Until such time officiating a contest is no longer a "people driven process" .. it will be prone to human error. With respect to the Dallas / Detroit game yesterday .. it was a brutal pick up. I'm not sure if it's a case of these crews not working together normally and there isn't that intrinsic trust factor .. but that was PI plain and simple .. any time a receiver is coming back toward a ball, there's contact and a defender ISN'T attempting to play the ball .. it's always going to be called PI.

It's not true at all. Virginia McCaskey has been very hands off since the late 90s .. her son George is running things for the clan .. but it's true that she's "pissed off" about the decline of the Bears over the last number of years and pushed this change. The big problem right now is the lack of football knowledge at Hallas Hall .. Phillips is little better than a trained accountant and is just as culpable in the steady decline of the Bears as any of Emery, Trestman, Smith or Angelo .. hopefully the McCaskey's bring in some football people .. people with a bit of fire and passion .. people who can instill the notion that when a team plays Chicago .. they're going to have to go through hell ..

Not an inspiring choice .. safe .. unspectacular .. My preference would have been Benevides ..

They have solid Canadian talent on the offensive and defensive lines to build around, and some good young Americans on the defence. I still think they can win some games with Burris, if they can find some receivers and a solid running back. Those really are their biggest weaknesses. Wouldn't surprise me to see them make a jump to 6-12 or even 8-10 territory with some good work this offseason. Agreed. If their offense showed any kind of conistency or competence this season .. they'd have been in a lot more games .. their defense, under Nelson, performed well for the most part.

was the DC for Ditka they were at each other's throats for most f the season. Actually had to be physically separated during a game as they nearly came to blows .. was during their only loss of the 85 season.

Buddy Ryan was the defensive coordinator for the Bears between 78 and 85 .. created the 46 and was the guy behind the record setting 85 Bears defense .. Rex .. not sure if he wants to get involved with another coach killing quaterback .. for all the tools that Cutler has physically .. the guy is a petulant whiny puss .. actually .. reminds me a lot of Burris in that when he's on .. he can be great .. but when he's bad .. he's god awful ..

Merry Christmas all.