Tracker

You might want to start working on your list of excuses as to why the Riders got trounced: injuries, lack of practice time, rabid hometown fans, etc, etc.

There is a saying that as we age, we tend to remember how good we were and forget why we quit. The quickness, stamina and bounceback just isn't there any more even though we can feel in the moment that we are as good as we were. When /if he gets into daily reps, Garcia will remember.

too bad about Kemp-hope its not too bad. Good news about Portis looking like a keeper- we may have the best set of backup QBs in the league. We still need to have a good running game, a breakaway receiver and a kick returner who inspires incontinence among the opposition tacklers.

We're going to run into a bad stretch sooner or later, so I'm guessing 10-8.

By all means, insert Watson with the understanding that if we get two consecutive quarters playing time out of him we're fortunate.

I said we were a well-coached 3-3 team... and that our QB has the 'it' factor. There's your two main differences. This is all true and not nearly as 'negative' as some posters want to make it out to be. Look at the roster - our talent level is very similar to last year... exception being the DBs and our kicker. And don't forget about the most important change we've had (apart from the coaching): the starting quarterback. Not only has he been very good, the team has responded to him,

Good news. We will need all of the hands on deck for this one.

Anyone know how well Durant has fared against an Etcheverry defence in the past?

Thursday will be an interesting game to watch. It ought to be a tough game for us to win, because, like it or not, Durant is still one of the two best QB's in the league and still has a pretty solid team around him, with the weakness being in the NI receivers. The game looks to be winnable for the Big Blue, but it ain't gonna be easy.

No quick fix for the Larks behind center.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Nichols in Montreal before year's end, but Lulay's future is still very much in doubt, and LeFevour looks better than Collaros.

Austin and Higgins are both int he same sort of situation- a good defence, questionable receivers and O-line but sub-par quarterbacking. Both have enough success on their resumes that they deserve some slack.

Woods is "okay" and won't embarrass us, but I've seen nothing so far to indicate that he has the combination of speed and instinct to be a Chad Owens or Gizmo Williams type returner.

If the Roughies lose tonight, the happiness will carry over even if we lose to them next Thursday. Go R&B's.

From my understanding, red zone production is a lot more difficult than in the rest of the field. The action takes place in a much more compressed area and therefore the defenders are a lot closer to each other with fewer gaps, so the passing has to be pinpoint and the routes perfect. The linebackers can use shorter drops and can still play close to the line, and the running game is tougher. The offense is still very much a work on progress with a lot of new and changing parts, so we ought to get a lot better with time and practice.

In fairness to Matthews, the meds for his illness are pretty heavy-duty and can make you act like a zombie.

Both Mallett and Harris broke tackles last night in critical situations for lots of extra yards. Grigsby caught the pass that won us the game in Hamilton, but I still maintain that we could benefit from a back who doesn't run east-west or collapse at the first touch.

No one loved Matthews when he was a head coach, but he got the job done. Austin has enough success that he's going to be given a lot of slack.

Its like watching two grannies slug it out with nerf bats.

There is a "law" cited by Buddhists: "Like calls to like", so it is possible that the coaches and players were both responsible along with the GM(s) for the whole magilla.

Undrafted walk on to bombers camp.. Unbelievable.. Some of the stories that guys create in this league are mind blowing.. Apparently Walters was watching Lirim for the past 18 months or so, and coaching him as to what to improve and how to do it. Good on Walters.

JJ is done, they just haven't pulled the sheet over his face yet.

The wins are great while they last, but reality will intrude-maybe this next game, but win or lose, this team is one we can believe in and be proud of.

I agree. just like when we played Edmonton both Reilly and White killed us on the ground. We need to stop both Lefevour and Gable from gaining yards and let Lefevour go through the air. Yup. If we keep LeFevour and Gable on their side of the line of scrimmage, we have the Tabbies by the short curlies. I don't think LeFevour's arm is as suspect as many think, but if the passing game is all they have, this just might be a stomping.

If the CFL wanted to really develop Canadian talent, all they would have to do is subsidize the coaching at the University level to attract better coaches. The CFL, of course, doesn't have the money and if even if they somehow did, the mania surrounding college football will never be the same in Canada as it is in the Excited States, and that is probably a good thing. Universities here should rightfully focus on academics instead of athletics as a preparation for pro sports.