Tracker

We need all the help we can get.

I suggest that comparing offenses and defences is not the best measures of how well the teams match up. I think rating the offenses against their opposing defences is probably better. So: Calgary offence against the Bomber defence- small edge to the Stamps, mostly due to Messam. Bomber offence vs Calgary defence- big edge to Calgary due in large part to the continuing turnover in the Bomber receiving corps. Special teams are a saw-off. It all seems to add up to a 10 point Calgary win.

Sure thing, Abe.

With all due respect to LaPolice, Nichols et al, it is going to be a lot easier to stay close to the Stamps by our defence throttling the Calgary offence rather that trying to play run-and-gun with them. We will need a low-scoring game. Say 17-12, with (a lot of) luck, in our favour.

Here's a blasphemous thought: No question that the team would be in way worse shape if not for Medlock, and if we had an average punter/kicker, we would probably finish the season something like 6&12 or 7&11. Would we still have all these warm, fuzzy feelings about Walters and/or O'Shea under those conditions or would we be warming up the bitumen?

Beating Calgary is not as essential as playing well and competing right down to the last whistle. Being routed would be very bad for the team after all the successes.

Much as I am a fan of #33, apart from the ratio thingie, I do not see us losing much at all, and to speak heresy, we may be even a tad better at the RB position.

Andrew Harris described as doubtful for Saturday's game.

That, and I do not think that many will equate Nichols with Mitchell behind center. I don't think we have seen the best of Nichols, but he still has to make his bones.

The two who stand out are the QB and receiver. Outlaw ought to be in the NFL- fluid runner, size and very confident hands- there's gotta be a fly in the ointment somewhere. MBT has the NFL size with quick decisions and very good control on his passes- seems to take a hellacious hit well, too. Likely a project QB, though.

Disagree- we were getting too many frivolous challenges. The rule is good the way it is now.

Chapdelaine is pretty smart with good experience but he is probably just a placeholder. Paging Mr. Trestman...

A team collapse with a series of blowout losses like we had the past two years. I don't see it happening, but weird things do happen.

Actually, only the Lions have Gore every game.

Before BC snagged Sinkfield, I would have thought the Lions and Bombers were almost evenly matched with an edge to the Blue, but now.....

This was unforgivable. Commit seppuku immediately to atone.

As an addendum: I would bet that its only 50-50 if Popp is still a GM by the end of next season.

But the Riders will still have to declare the money they spent on the taxi squad, so when you add all the costs together, that has to exceed $100,000 by a good bit.

If you concede the game against the Stamps, the fight for second place will likely come down to the Bomber-Lions game, so that leaves the Esks probably crossing over to the woeful East Division and may get an almost free ride into the Grey Cup. I like the Bomber chances against the Beastly Lions.

The key has to be Messam. If the Bombers take him away, it will come down to Mitchell's arm vs the Bomber secondary with the wild card of Mitchell's scrambling thrown in. We just cannot allow the Stamps to get a sizeable lead.

Can't disagree with you there. That was such a no-brainer phony challenge that only Stevie Wonder would have considered throwing that flag. Maas has to be under some pressure, so his fuse is probably getting a bit short.

Now those two big-ticket items are off the books, but before? Can you honestly tell me that all those taxi-squad players the Riders have been hiding, feeding, housing and paying are not going to count against the cap?

At this moment, I would take the Bombers over the Lions on the basis of the Bomber defence.

Esks had terrible field position pretty much the whole game, but from my point of view, Reilly's passing was off all game. I wonder if the beating he has been taking behind that poor 0-line is taking its toll on him.

Our defence measures up well except that I still see a vulnerability against the run and in Hall's soft pass-prevent schemes. Our offence will have to get untracked early as Calgary's defence is good enough to stop late-game rallies as the Bombers have managed to pull off lately. We have to stay close.