BigBlue

Why Jeopardize Our Most Important Assets ? When a team loses its starting quarterback, home team walk-up traffic and television ratings are crushed; the weaknesses of the league are exposed. TSN loses a bit of money and a lot of interest; fans call us a bush league and public interest wanes. The most money spent by any team ALWAYS is on its most valuable asset, so what is the league’s brain trust thinking? Are they trying to please the players Association? Are they hoping to hit highlight reels of an athlete being destroyed? Are we trying to claim that our 100+ year history and heritage mandates we need to show grit? Our referees need to be instructed to protect our quarterbacks at all costs! EXPLICITY and in detail. Just a feather of too much force brings out the flag. Forget about referee’s discretion. Make it costly for them to miss a roughing call. Put the whole league on a mission to keep our starting quarterbacks upright. Go overboard making “roughing the passer” punitive. “When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the Referee should always call roughing the passer.” (NFL Policy) Our game will change, if we want it to. It’s a simple matter of will. There is no doubt what the but the NFL has done. We need to more than a match their actions. We have more at stake. THE CFL HAS TO ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT EXCEPTION ENFORCE THE QB PROTECTION RULES. REFEREES NEED TO BE FORCED TO COMPLY. What is the “hug rule”? “A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as “stuffing” a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact with the passer within the one-step limitation… When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player’s arms and not land on the passer with all or most of his body weight.” One more thing: “A player who initiates contact against a passer is responsible for avoiding an illegal act… pass rushers are responsible for being aware of the position of the ball in passing situations”. In other words, the onus must be on the defensive player to have the awareness required to avoid fouling the quarterback. So if the defensive pass rusher pulls up and “hugs the quarterback” instead of throwing him into the ground, there is no penalty; but following through yields a 25 yard penalty, a game misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension. Multiple infractions will carry even more harsh retribution. Real change will happen rapidly. For everyone’s information, here is a fairly comprehensive set of the NFL’s roughing the passer rules: https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-video-rulebook/roughing-the-passer/ ROUGHING THE PASSER Because the act of passing often puts the quarterback (or any other player attempting a pass) in a position where he is particularly vulnerable to injury, special rules against roughing the passer apply. The Referee has principal responsibility for enforcing these rules. Any physical acts against a player who is in a passing posture (i.e. before, during, or after a pass) which, in the Referee’s judgment, are unwarranted by the circumstances of the play will be called as fouls. The Referee will be guided by the following principles: Roughing will be called if, in the Referee’s judgment, a pass rusher clearly should have known that the ball had already left the passer’s hand before contact was made; pass rushers are responsible for being aware of the position of the ball in passing situations; the Referee will use the release of the ball from the passer’s hand as his guideline that the passer is now fully protected; once a pass has been released by a passer, a rushing defender may make direct contact with the passer only up through the rusher’s first step after such release (prior to second step hitting the ground); thereafter the rusher must be making an attempt to avoid contact and must not continue to “drive through” or otherwise forcibly contact the passer; incidental or inadvertent contact by a player who is easing up or being blocked into the passer will not be considered significant. A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as “stuffing” a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact with the passer within the one-step limitation provided for in (a) above. When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player’s arms and not land on the passer with all or most of his body weight. In covering the passer position, Referees will be particularly alert to fouls in which defenders impermissibly use the helmet and/or facemask to hit the passer, or use hands, arms, or other parts of the body to hit the passer forcibly in the head or neck area (see also the other unnecessary roughness rules covering these subjects). A defensive player must not use his helmet against a passer who is in a defenseless posture—for example, (1) forcibly hitting the passer’s head or neck area with the helmet or facemask, even if the initial contact of the defender’s helmet or facemask is lower than the passer’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the passer by encircling or grasping him; or (2) lowering the head and making forcible contact with any part of the helmet against any part of the passer’s body. This rule does not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or non-crown parts of the helmet in the course of a conventional tackle on a passer. A rushing defender is prohibited from forcibly hitting in the knee area or below a passer who has one or both feet on the ground, even if the initial contact is above the knee. It is not a foul if the defender is blocked (or fouled) into the passer and has no opportunity to avoid him. Notes A defender cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being contacted by another player. It is not a foul if the defender swipes or grabs a passer in the knee area or below in an attempt to tackle him, provided he does not make forcible contact with the helmet, shoulder, chest, or forearm. A passer who is standing still or fading backward after the ball has left his hand is obviously out of the play and must not be unnecessarily contacted by an opponent through the end of the down or until the passer becomes a blocker, or a runner, or, in the event of a change of possession during the down, until he assumes a distinctly defensive position. However, at any time after the change of possession, it is a foul if: an opponent forcibly hits the quarterback’s head or neck area with his helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder if an opponent lowers his head and makes forcible contact with any part of his helmet against any part of the passer’s body. This provision does not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or the helmet in the course of a conventional block. When the passer goes outside the pocket area and either continues moving with the ball (without attempting to advance the ball as a runner) or throws while on the run, he loses the protection of the one-step rule provided for in (a) above, and the protection against a low hit provided for in (e) above, but he remains covered by all the other special protections afforded to a passer in the pocket (b, c, d, and f), as well as the regular unnecessary roughness rules applicable to all player positions. If the passer stops behind the line and clearly establishes a passing posture, he will then be covered by all of the special protections for passers. The Referee must blow the play dead as soon as the passer is clearly in the grasp and control of any tackler behind the line, and the passer’s safety is in jeopardy. Note: A player who initiates contact against a passer is responsible for avoiding an illegal act. This includes illegal contact that may occur during the process of attempting to dislodge the ball. A standard of strict liability applies for any contact against a passer, irrespective of any acts by the passer, such as ducking his head or curling up his body in anticipation of contact. Penalty: For Roughing the Passer: Loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down; disqualification if flagrant. Notes When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the Referee should always call roughing the passer. See 8-6-1-c–d for personal fouls prior to completion or interception.

"Dru will likely look for the biggest possible deal " how can you read his mind? know his intentions? Brown has said in public he loves being mentored by zc ... that is very big

One thing this site is not is gracious in victory... humility actually works and I believe MOS and his teams are just that ... bullying might be sweet in the short run but its a world that brings out the worst in everyone ... I like MOS ' s approach and that's how he gets the best out of his buy-ins.

I am sticking to my opinion that "resting" can cause rust and over confidence just like it did to Toronto this year.

My memory does suck, its crazy. Then I was thinking of another year.

Toronto's loss reminds me very much of the 2001 Blue Bomber western final loss ... we dominated the whole season and "decided" to rest the stars AND Glenn Suiter Rod Black style kept our most important players out to keep them from getting injured ... Well we came out flat as a pancake and could not shake the rust off ... no Grey Cup appearance for the most deserving players ... assk Milt Steagall for details: "Offensively, Winnipeg topped the circuit with 509 points. The defense proved to be a force, as the Blue Bombers surrendered 383 points, lowest in the league. Khari Jones led the charge, throwing for 4,545 yards. Milt Stegall caught 81 balls for 1,214 yards. Charles Roberts rushed for a team-high 620 yards, while Eric Blount also buoyed the ground attack. Juran Bolden picked off 6 opponent throws. Doug Brown blasted opposing passers 7 times." https://www.statscrew.com/football/roster/t-CFLWPG/y-2001#google_vignette I believe when a team has that big a lead for 1st place, on every "nothing game", all the starters need to play at least the first half, if not the whole game ... the secondary players only come in when victory looks likely (see Tom Brady). Last year it cost us a Cup when ZC hurt his wheels but we were still VERY close. A little more intensity earlier in the game and it would not have been close. I do not expect a relaxed attitude this time... the whole team has something to prove ... and yes talent overcomes luck ... just like yesterdays Hail Mary TD

I expect the CONTROLLED method was the key to the whole game ... it was the KEY mindset that was the difference maker ... AND it will be the same strategy for Cody Fajaro ... rinse and repeat no need for hero plays

I have been sorta Keepin' Tabs on 3DN ... all year ... there is a definite attitude there ... even when the Blue were in their glory after a great game, 3DN would focus on the loser and analyze what went wrong ... they just would NOt give it up for the Bombers

I expect MOS & Ritchie's decisions on Biggie's replacement will be best ... they keep inserting players that they are familiar with & likewise their team mates .... lesser players are more because of greater harmony ... it might why MOS has stuck with Jackson ... he has knowledge of where ZC will be ... a newbie at the FB position might not as much ... and we don't know what effect Jackson's indominable spirit might spread to the people beside him ... he might be the least talented player on the field but it is just possible that Michael O'Shea might know what he is doing ... maybe its NOT a blind spot

The footing seemed ok but probably not the best Although VA got around ok his ankle was still a factor ... psychologically or physically or both ... I do not know Was he planting his feet well for his longer passes? More importantly he has been like a greased pig all year driving Ds crazy ... we saw none of that yesterday, not once did get away for a real running gain... our D is good but not that good for a totally healthy Adams ... did he even squeeze out of the pocket once? Its sorta a little like ZC in last year's cup ... just not at peak performance because of the wheels

So Kelly will win ... maybe they will have to revise their methods I expect they probably sub Rose for Biggie but maybe they add a Yankee receiver When was the last the Blue had 10 sacks in a game?

To his credit Suiter called both Holms & Kowlo all stars... he should know about DBs

they won't after losing GC last year when they could have won

I do not know when they vote on MOP bur Brady vs Kelly is not leaving much room for favoritism after today's two games

the big deal is footing ... will it be greasy or will the players be able to cut on a dime .... VA avoids the rush because of his nifty acceleration out of the pocket & he needs that perfect surface further throwing accuracy is highly related to being able to plant and shift weight for balance and throwing accuracy around zero feels like melt and freeze ... then it becomes who falls down the most ZC is probably better in greasy conditions luck is going to be a big factor MOS is a make-your-own-luck kind of leader .... character you say!

Brown loves ZC and the Blue ... he works out a deal as heir apparent ... its about the heart and about not being stupid for a little extra cash ... LT thinking will prevail

With teams over the salary cap, significantly, do the penalties have any sting? I heard we could lose draft picks but has anybody lost a draft pick? With their attendance, how does Toronto keep coming up with this amazing amount of talent? The coaches and back office don't seem to be impoverished either. So what gives, really?

COMPLACENCY I know our players are top drawer. I do not believe a single player is dogging it. That's notwithstanding the non-rotation on the D line. Of course players have to pace themselves. Everyone in the league does. So why are we seeing the letdowns? Our top people are all in. There is no give up in them. I am just seeing the cumulative effect of small "nicks". I would not be surprised if Collaros is not suffering from the same. I also believe he is trying to do too much. Could he relax a little better? I think so. They can't double-team the whole receiving core. We have to see the lacks in their unbalanced schemes. And we can just adjust and play to that. You don't have to go into the dressing to make adjustments. We used to be amongst the best red zone defences. Now, it's different and I'm not sure how. Does Hall not have a different philosophy inside our own 25 yard line. Are we filling gaps? Are we hitting them with the unexpected? We picking the right moments to blitz? Used to be we just rolled up our sleeves down there, and six points turned into three. Are we lacking the intensity and imagination to get it done? I don't think we can just out-wrastle them. We have never done that kind of thing very well. There are so many little things that just aren't happening. We need a big play here and there. That puts new oxygen in the blood. We have way too many close games. The one thing I believe we have never done well is press home our advantage when we have it. We seem to resort to a Lapo-style defensive style when we have the lead. I personally would have been gratified if we had scored 20 points or more in the second half of the second Saskatchewan game. That's not pride. That is chest thumping confidence. It's been a long time since I've seen a 60 point game and it would've been the perfect prescription for what ails us. Football is not about gentlemen's rules. If we had scored 65 points in that game we would been singing at the top of our lungs: "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!" Then we would be taken more seriously. We would take ourselves more seriously!

LEADERSHIP there has been much discussion about the best head coaches of all time making personnel decisions with their aging all-stars perhaps the quickest road to high skill levels comes from having an excellent mentor… The mentor apprentice conducted by a true professional model teaches things that take years of experimenting for rookies and sophomores to learn what is vital to leadership is something called "succession planning"… It applies to football as much as it does to business in 2024 & 2025 we are going to have to make some decisions (gradually hopefully) on the following players Jeff Jeffcoat Adam Bighill Brandon Alexander Winston Rose Willie Jefferson Stanley Bryant Jamarius Hardrick Patrick Neufeld Zach Collaros that is nine players on the leeward side of their careers... Still all-stars but for how long? If we could do a couple this year heading into the playoffs, and three in spring Of 24 and the rest in the spring of 25, we have a decent shot at continuing to be champions I have been a devoted bomber fan since 1961. In that time I have seen several dynasties including the one we are in. Most of them made the same mistake in not planning to grow new all-stars. The years of drought that followed as management panicked were appalling. Turnarounds at that point where well-nigh impossible. What O'Shea built here with Walters has been amazing. However, O'Shea is a relatively young head coach. Like my first successful business I thought it would last forever, until it didn't. Somebody needs to give MOS some mentoring on renewal. As the posters have said above we could do that now by getting some of the taxi squad onto the field. We do not have to wait for next man up. Injured players are not great mentors. May the dynasty continue!

My point was simply that coaching & support sstaff should be taken out of the players salary cap AMEN !!!

:"The Coaches & Management Cap is a real negative. " it needs to change more than anything except maybe refereeing budget

BUDGET Mike said " There are simply adjustments that aren’t being made and something needs to be done about it. We need the staff to have a long, hard look at what happens within their offices because I see so many deficiencies that are coming directly from our coaching staff. There’s not much that they’re doing right now that I care for - the preparation, execution and player management is all leaving a ton to be desired and they’re smart enough to realize it. How are they going to address it? " One of the problems is Lawlers huge salary - - is it not somewheres around $200,000? With the league's new Chris Jones rules coaches and other support staff are included in the salary-cap. We could use additional help in the form of more positional coaches or better technical work in terms of film breakdown and other matters that the coaches are having to do themselves. They already worked night and day and having to do "your own typing" eventually wears them down. They can easily lose the ir sharpness over such tiny things. I do believe budget is a real issue for the Blue right now. It's kind of lopsided at the moment and we just don't have the usual behind the scenes people that we hired so readily in yesteryear. I don't know this; I am just noticing and making an educated guess. The league has to deal with its insane salary-cap on non-players. Will Miller step up?

thats very true ... I might as well be watching the radio

Budget I am guessing that we do not have a budget problem but it sure feels that we do, sometimes. I remember earlier in the season we were all clambering for the team to bring in another high-end defensive linemen or at least an experienced veteran. Ed Lemon was available for quite some time. But no moves. Was he too expensive or was it something about the next man up mentality? in the past Kyle Walters has come up with key trades and also brought in a few good players midseason. We have passed the NFL cutdown date. Yes a lot of things have changed so signing some of these cuts is harder. Nonetheless there are still plenty of them and it seems our scouting team is able to identify who we really want. Yes and I know it takes a while to fit in to a new playbook and learn what your teammates are doing. But at least we could have them ready for next man up. We brought in a new kick/punt returner. Would he be immediately ready? All that Parker did was catch the ball and go two or three steps forward. Almost any competent returner could do that. A newbie could be instructed to do that and to keep his powder dry for the first game or t wo. Special-teams was a difference maker yesterday. Do we have the will to make key personnel changes? Are we unwilling to experiment a little? It is our our budget too tight to do what needs to be done? Or is it pride: that we will not take a player from another organization because we “grow everything our own around here”? Is anyone vetoing what Mr. Walters is trying to do? Do we really have the will to be champion again? BTW for those who asked I use a large font because my eyesight has become so poor. I will font it down.

Leadership One of the hugest problems great leaders have is trying to duplicate past successes. If it worked then it will work even better now. Team culture it seems to me has been the biggest reason we have been such a wonderful team. Everybody has been sacrificing for each other. Everybody has been patiently waiting their “turn”. Roster changes were rare. It was when an injury occurred that you might finally get in. Stick to the season opener lineup and then play next man up. It really worked wonderfully. But is it still? The reason it’s so hard to duplicate success is the new situations are seldom the same as the past situations. A true leader will see what has shifted and deploys his army accordingly. The average leader just keeps pounding away at past solutions; he’s not coming up with new deployment schemes specific to his changing personnel. In that case people aren’t always playing to their strengths and are too often being asked to be a square peg in a round hole. From the beginning of the game yesterday I could tell something was just not right. I do not know what it was but I could feel it very strongly. Has it become “ho-hum, let’s go do it again!” Or is it something else? I am not questioning anybody’s attitude; it seems praiseworthy. I believe some kind of elephant has just shown up in the parlor… Who is in charge of the diagnosis?