Amidst my looking forward to this game, I am thinking Higgins is hanging on a rope right now in Montreal, after what I saw on the sideline lately, he seems to be following the Tim Burke coaching model.  Maybe he had some passion for the game back a decade ago or so when he was in his better days, but not now he doesn't.  Not to mention what he's done with the whole coaching staff stuff has ruined his team's ability to produce on O.  Problems are way beyond Smith, Brink, Marsh, or Crompton for them.  Plus outside of some tough blitzing linebackers like Bowman and Hebert, I think the rest of their D isn't very good.  I think Willy will pick on Tisdale this next game and victimize him.  Bottom line though, I think a good game from us and another anemic offense show from them and Higgins will get sent packing.

Doubt it. Jim Popp is first and foremost why this team is in the shape it's in. Wettenhall a close second. Higgins is a decent, B level coach that just has nothing to work with. I don't doubt that he'll be the scapegoat at some point, albeit undeservingly, but I'd be surprised if it's after Friday.

This is all on Jim Popp. He put his team in this situation with his overwhelming desire to get an NFL job last off season. Higgins wasn't hired until mid February. but Popp had no say  in the hire. He fired Rick Worman during training camp.  He's brought in "consultants" & added them to the Als staff. What he really should have done was resign last winter but he chose to come back to the Als when his NFL job hunt was unsuccessful. Like Mr Perfect said at some point, he'll make Higgins the sacrificial lamb. At the same time, Higgins looks to be coaching scared which isn't like him at all thanks to Popp's interference. His failure to go for 2 late in the game confirmed that for me on Saturday.

Higgins is one of the worst coaches in the CFL today.

 

Not going for 2 points on Sunday to tie the game was one of the single most foolish things I have ever witnessed.

Beat them first.....

 

....and yes the Higg, is the patsy (eventually) in this year's goofy Montreal setup.  And he knows it.

Beat them first.....

 

....and yes the Higg, is the patsy (eventually) in this year's goofy Montreal setup.  And he knows it.

Is this Popp's chance to take the reins again?

 

Otherwise, who takes over?

Popp deserves blame for what has happened at QB, but that's a pretty damn good roster overall. Get a quarterback and they're winning 8-10 games.

 

The fact that they have only two receivers in the Top 40 for yards is embarrassing. Duron Carter averages less than a first down per reception. A couple guys have missed time, but the Argos have 5 receivers in the Top 40, and they've had more injuries at the position than anyone.

I voted no... barring a losing streak that puts them at 1-12 or 1-13 I think he stays the rest of the season..... they brought in all the new 'consultants' who are know coaches, I guess, so they'll give them some time to get it together...

 

Also, we should probably not just "assume" they will lose this week...

Higgins may well wear the horns for the terrible season the Als have had so far, but nobody can win with the quality of quarterbacks they have at present. That Brink is the best quarterback they have is all on Popp, but he is probably safe until at least the end of the year.

There's too much upheaval in Mont. right now to consider a firing. They will have truly thrown in the towel if Higgins is canned and with the way that division is playing, hey, they still have a shot....as embarrassingly as that might seem.

mfranc, on 19 Aug 2014 - 08:58 AM, said:

 

do or die, on 19 Aug 2014 - 08:57 AM, said:

Beat them first.....

 

....and yes the Higg, is the patsy (eventually) in this year's goofy Montreal setup.  And he knows it.

Is this Popp's chance to take the reins again?

 

Otherwise, who takes over?

 

 

Pretty sure that's what he wants.  Logically it would seem foolish to do this, but I can't be thinking the players or the fans are in a place where they respect the head coach or anyone in the organization right now, and the Als seem to be pulling a lot of extreme decisions out this year.

 

I mean hey, when we saw this with Greg Marshall in Saskatchewan, the Riders gave him the boot before Labor Day, don't see why the Als wouldn't do the same to Higgins.

Any time a bad team loses to a team they believe to be inferior to you, there's a good chance the coach gets axed.

I'd think it'd be more a case of a bad team not being able to take advantage when the opponent is down and winning.  I mean, there are always bad teams in the league, nobody debates this.  The problem for one of those bad teams is when their opponents are having an off-day, but they are playing so crappy they cannot even capitalize on that.  I mean, I seen teams out there that were bad before, but at least some of the more, only just bad teams because of being unlucky or having things just not go their way during the year will capitalize when their opponent is off their game.  Outstandingly bad teams like ours last year and Montreal's this year will have games right on their platter that are winnable that they cannot get up to win even when their opponent is trying to help them.  When that happens, there is most certainly a failure to coach and a failure to get your team to show up and action needs to be taken.

Man, I do not think I have ever seen a coach with as blank a look as that, even more so than Tim Burke.  Dare I say Higgins almost looked apathetic out there coaching or like he was wanting to head off to Cal Murphy land already or something.  Montreal seems to be trying a huge mix of old treads along with guys that are simply too young to get any consistency going in the coaching.  Seems to me they need some kind of medium in that department.  Higgins just seems to look disinterested right now.

The problem here is the owner hired him. Last I head, Wettenhall's ego was bigger than Popp's. Doubt very much he'll stand up now and say 'my bad' and allow Popp to fire him. He won't (Higgins) be back next year though. 

Higgins should go.

 

He's an absolutely horrible coach.

Higgins should go.

 

He's an absolutely horrible coach.

 

How so?  Shouldn't he be given a chance ?    He's nearly beat us twice and almost won last week...all with crap QB'ing

I'll take care as I say this as I don't want to offend older folks that might be on here, and I respect the elderly so don't get me wrong on this, but Higgins just looks like a grandpa out there coaching, and I don't necessarily mean that in a derogatory term, more that it seems like he's already making retirement plans.  Tbh, to add to what krunch said, I wouldn't even be surprised if he voluntarily resigned on his own by the time this season ended.  One thing is for sure, old Bob Sr had better get his head on straight and get some functionality back to his organization next year if he's gonna actually get a competent coaching staff in there.

 

Higgins should go.

 

He's an absolutely horrible coach.

 

How so?  Shouldn't he be given a chance ?    He's nearly beat us twice and almost won last week...all with crap QB'ing

 

 

Aside from the questionable challenges/non-challenges, there was that horrible 3rd down gamble with the QB handing the ball off to the RB 5 yards back on a 3rd and 1 1/2.

Really bad call and I'm pretty sure they stole that play from last year's playbook.

Popp can't fire the owners choice of Higgins but ....

 

if they hired the prestigious Garcia they would save face and give hope ... he couldn't do worse as a head coach than Dunnigan ...

 

and Garcia would give Popp a surrogate through whom he could run the team again

Popp can't fire the owners choice of Higgins but ....

 

Yes he can especially if it's the owner who tells him to do it. Wettenhall doesn't like to lose.

 

From Herb Zurkowsky's twitter feed:

 

Herb Zurkowsky @HerbZurkowsky1

It really doesn't look good for head coach Tom Higgins and the Als. Can't imagine owner Robert Wetenhall remaining patient much longer.

 

Herb Zurkowsky @HerbZurkowsky1

When Chris Schultz and @MiltStegallTSN rip Tom Higgins for not challenging a play, it doesn't look good. Higgins is on borrowed time.

 

 

 

Popp can't fire the owners choice of Higgins but ....

 

Yes he can especially if it's the owner who tells him to do it. Wettenhall doesn't like to lose.

 

From Herb Zurkowsky's twitter feed:

 

Herb Zurkowsky @HerbZurkowsky1

It really doesn't look good for head coach Tom Higgins and the Als. Can't imagine owner Robert Wetenhall remaining patient much longer.

 

Herb Zurkowsky @HerbZurkowsky1

When Chris Schultz and @MiltStegallTSN rip Tom Higgins for not challenging a play, it doesn't look good. Higgins is on borrowed time.

 

 

"

Yes he can especially if it's the owner who tells him to do it. Wettenhall doesn't like to lose."

 

Right Popp can't Wettenhall can .... especially if he is showing the fans he is being PROACTIVE

 

 

The Higgins hire is on Andrew Wetenhall (son) not Bob (Owner), either way I don't see Higgins lasting the season now, not only is the team losing and looking like complete crap, Higgins is looking more and more like an idiot with each week that passes.

 

I really can't believe I wanted him here.

Higgins has no quarterback so who's fault is that? All Popp wanted to do last off season was work in the NFL. He let the team down as far as I'm concerned. He didn't do much last of season. 

The Higgins hire is on Andrew Wetenhall (son) not Bob (Owner), either way I don't see Higgins lasting the season now, not only is the team losing and looking like complete crap, Higgins is looking more and more like an idiot with each week that passes.

 

I really can't believe I wanted him here.

Don't beat yourself up too badly- I would have been happy to see him signed as well. I thought he was a pretty good coach in his previous times, but he looks as lost now as Burke did in his last days. Higgins may be caught in a urinating contest between Popp and the owner(s) and with the dismal quarterbacking of the team, he may have figured out that he was boned no matter what.

I don't think there's any question Montreal's crappy situation is on the egomaniacs in the front office and owners box who run the show there, but the question is what will those guys do to try and fix things, and right now it's looking more like that answer is fire Higgins, even though much of this, other than firing Worman, may not be his fault.  But yeah, the media seems to have the biggest sway in this league, and right now fans in Montreal can't be standing for this and neither will the W's.  I may have been wrong about him being fired right after our game, because if he was, likely a press conference would be convening right now in Montreal with that announcement.  But short of a win or 2 happening over these next games, I'd say he's out if it doesn't.