GCn20

He did that exact thing you are saying he can't do with us already. Of course, you need talent, EVERY coach who ever coached does. MOS is fantastic at rebuilding. It's maintaining where he and Walters both suck. MOS inherited a team in shambles and completely devoid of talent when he got here. He built a locker room that went on to win 2 GCs and appeared in 5 straight. To suggest he can't successfully navigate a rebuild is just re-writing history. He is EXACTLY the right coach for a rebuild.

I think our recruitment favors high ceiling to pro readiness. It's not a bad approach if you have time to develop, but sure hurts in a year like this where we need some pro ready recruits because several players have lost a step.

History also shows that we have not had much provided in the way of recruitment in the past several years. I agree Osh does not make lineup changes easily. When injury has forced us to play rookies/recruits/PR guys the results have not been good. We haven't had a guy come in and steal a job in quite some time. Therefore, I stand by my assessment that anyone thinking that we are going to change our season off the bench is going to be disappointed when it does happen. There are some tweaks on the current 53 we could make to be marginally better, but for the most part we need talent. We have some serious holes to fill in the starting lineup AND definitely in depth because without that we are at best a one and done club.

Lol. This a myth you guys keep perpetuating.

We do not have the pieces in house to contenders.

We are at point offensively we have to give it a try.

Lol that's rich coming from the guy who thinks stats alone tell the whole story. Its ok that you either dont understand what you are watching or simply aren't watching, so stats become your Bible on players...Just quit doubling and tripling down on it. Stats are just one useful tool when assessing a player but they are not even remotely the most important assessment tool. Not by a longshot. Advanced analytics might take you closer to the truth, but again they dont tell the whole story. One must watch and see what the stats aren't telling them. There are so many variables that can spoil or artificially inflate a stat line that are beyond that players control that must be factored in.

Again using stats without context. A throw 40 yards downfield is counted the same as a 20 yard toss though one is far more difficult to complete. While one OC might break at 17 yards in the intermediate zone the other's route tree call for 20 yards. Both are literally the same ball but one gets credit as a deep ball and one doesnt. Let's compare 35+ and see if the numbers still show Maier beating out Brown. Let's also eliminate garbage time completions of 20+, and no one had more than an 0-7 team, because defences are in prevent and are 20 yards deep off the snaps. Like I say stats without context are a fools game.

Height doesn't man anything unless you are very noticeably small. It's about a receivers ability to high point, concentrate and catch, and box out the defender that makes a good 50/50 guy. I'll take a 6-1 guy with a 36" vertical over a 6'4" guy with a 28 inch vertical for instance. Kenny Lawler, probably one the best 50/50 guys the league has seen over the past decade is of average height for instance. Body position, or rather the ability to be great at getting it, is probably the single biggest factor in 50/50 guys success. Some guys, like Lawler, are masters at gaining it even in the toughest coverage. Lewis made his bread and butter doing it as well.

Don't bring context into the conversation, we are only to look at the stats as they read in black and white. That's why surface stats mean nothing. If Lewis runs this stat line with Bo Levi it's very concerning, if he runs it with Maier one has to consider that as he isn't a great deep ball thrower. Brown has a poor deep ball stat line but like you say it's largely because we lack that 50/50 receiver. TBurgess would argue that his deep ball stats prove we shouldn't bother with a 50/50 guy, most others would correctly argue that proves we absolutely need one. Then again, TB asked why we would want a 50/50 guy.....was that a serious question?

Different sites interpret differently. The stat site I used probably includes end zone yardage, some do and some don't. Run Geno against any number of receivers and you will find similar catch rates on deep balls. It's considered a lower % play because it is a lower % play. If any receiver was catching a 50% rate on long balls he would be the target on every play. If he missed first down he would get second down and QBs would throw for a 1000 yards a game. Your own stats should tell you why. Pretty obvious our current group isn't exactly awesome at bringing them down.

Qbs have to provide a catchable ball even on a 50/50. That's on Maier not on Lewis. Go back and look at the 4 tosses to him that count as targets in the game against us. 2 were underthrown badly, one was caught by him 6 yards out of bounds in the end zone, and the other was a throw away in which he was the closest receiver. That's four of 17 missed targets. 6 others came in the first game of the season against Edmonton where Maier was quite literally just spraying balls all over the field to no particular receivers at all. Every receiver for Ottawa had a bad day. But you keep on being you and letting stat lines dictate what's happening instead of actually watching and gaining proper context.

Whether or not we sign Lewis, I would like to know that Walters is at least making a pitch to him. Hate to say it, but now is the time we have to go scrap heaping and start looking for useful pieces. No offense to any of our rookies or young guys but there is very little chance that many of them are ready to take on starter roles right now. We may have Smith, who could use more reps on D but on O we are devoid of depth, and our secondary as well. It's thin...it really is. Some guys may make major contributions in the future but I don't see too many that can take on starting roles and offer an upgrade. There are guys out there that can help us in the short term and we should be looking at a Dejon Allen, and Eugene Lewis for instance. The scrap heap will get larger as the season rolls on and Walters needs to be adding in guys at positions we need upgrade as they come available. Could they turn into busts? Sure....but we need to try something different because we have big holes on our roster. Thing is that whether he represents an upgrade or not, sometimes you just gotta shake things up and let your players know the roster isn't set in stone. Play badly your replacement might be the next guy we sign. Right now there isn't much nipping at the heels of many of our guys in house. So you gotta show everyone that your replacement may come from within, and if players don't feel threatened by the guy behind them, then it might come in a midseason signing. We don't have much depth at many positions and some guys are way too comfortable. Shake it up Walters. Right now the only position group with adequate depth is LBer. We are filthy rich with depth there...but everywhere else is devoid of depth.

They are running under 20% efficiency in the red zone. It's not just last game, the entire season has been an abomination. Main reason we beat them imo. Lewis said the plays are too complex and need to be simplified. Not an egregious statement but Dinwiddie has shown that any questioning of his decisions will be viewed as a "distraction".

Lewis criticized the offensive scheme and playcalling in the red zone. Wouldn't surprise me at all if Dinwiddie's super sized ego got bruised. Likely some of his team mates weren't happy with his words either. The truth hurts sometimes. I would wager that with Lewis's best before date behind him, Ottawa clearly playing for next year, and Lewis calling out his team mates that Dinwiddie just figured it's best to remove him from the equation now before other team mates start thinking they can put the truth to words. Same reason he got rid of Brown, Lewis was becoming a "distraction". Lewis can still play the game at a high level. He's not at his peak anymore but if his salary demands for the remainder of the season aren't outrageous he would be a nice stop gap for us.

This interview is the likely reason he was cut. Threw Dinwiddies O to the wolves. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/ottawa-1200/article/lewis-we-have-to-be-more-disciplined/

Another very real possibility is that Geno was one of the guys in Brown's corner before the trade. Wouldn't be the first veteran quietly ushered out the door for not supporting a questionable coaching move. We may see more in Ottawa yet. Nope only the stats line counts. We must assume these were all on target passes to a wide open Geno. BTW, just the game vs Winnipeg alone there were 4 errant passes thrown his way...and that was Maiers best game of the season.

Could also tell you his QB is struggling. If you bothered to look you would see that 15 of 17 missed catches were 20+ yards where Maier is throwing less than a 20% completion rate amongst all of his receivers. But if you'd rather assume and make up conclusions based on stat lines you are free to do so. Fans dont get paid to make decisions based on all the facts. Fact is that Lewis is a deep ball specialist that was playing with a QB that is a terrible deep ball passer.

If only stats told the whole story but they dont. With every stat line there is context that must go with it. Sometimes a poor stat line for a receiver tells a lot more about the overall roster/usage then it does about the receiver.

Our players know how to tackle just fine. You dont become a professional player without that fundamental. Its the commitment to doing so that needs improving. Guys trailing off while the play is still going, not giving themselves up to make the play, going for the hit instead of wrapping up...these are the issues. If our coach has to step in with Pop Warner skill development then our recruitment is absurdly bad. We need a giant dose of Bighill-like leadership on the field ASAP. Someone who is going to grab a guy by the face mask between plays and let them know what they did doesnt fly. These guys are not holding each other accountable on the field, or on the sidelines. After the game the HC and DC need to light them up..no doubt but during the game we need that leadership from players themselves. Not defending MOS but we have a massive hole in leadership within the dressing room imo. Someone, or a few guys, need to step up or Knute Rockne wont get these guys to win.

The players need to feel embarrassed by their play. Coaches and management being embarrassed wont do a damn thing if the players themselves aren't.

Its as obvious as could be that Lewis would help our offence. Let's see if Walters does his job. There is no rational reason why we wouldn't vigorously pursue him. History with Condell/Brown..check. Need by the Bombers..check. Tenured vet we could use as a naturalized IMP if we wanted..check. Its a no brainer. I could not foresee circumstance where our coaches would not welcome some receiver talent.

It is like a player squeezing his stick too hard and over skating the play. In football there are similar problems when players try too hard instead of allowing the play and their assignment dictate. Suggesting that this is nonsensical is not understanding what he was saying because every coach in the world will tell you that's a problem. Im not sure how you think that's a non answer?

Even if his new top end is 800 yards what is wrong with that? No one here is suggesting we sign him as a number one option.

Doesn't have the talent in its prime. Does that sound like a coaching deficiency?