Thurs Aug 25 - BC Lions @ Ottawa Redblacks

[R.J]

🦁 Big matchup!

Your #BCLions depth chart for tonight's tilt in the nation's capital👇 👇 👇 pic.twitter.com/x4uESwo7jM

— BC Lions (@BCLions) August 25, 2016

ICYMI: @Trev_Harris gets the start at quarterback tonight vs BC. #RNation #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/XA2owE9ySC

— Ottawa REDBLACKS (@REDBLACKS) August 25, 2016

[AngeloV]

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Especially the result. RedBlacks have now lost 4 of their last 5.

[R.J]

Stupid Blackreds keep screwing up my pick em lol.

I figured this game would be close, and that it could go either way. BC's looking good, but Jennings seems to struggle going through his reads at times. Not sure what's been up with Ottawa's defence as of late, and tbh their offence has looked really predictable the last few games. I don't think it's a Harris vs. Burris thing, I think Elizondo is reverting back to what we saw with him here in Toronto.

[AngeloV]

Stupid Blackreds keep screwing up my pick em lol.

I figured this game would be close, and that it could go either way. BC's looking good, but Jennings seems to struggle going through his reads at times. Not sure what's been up with Ottawa's defence as of late, and tbh their offence has looked really predictable the last few games. I don't think it's a Harris vs. Burris thing, I think Elizondo is reverting back to what we saw with him here in Toronto.

Harris completed 4 passes which travelled more than 10 yards down field. His numbers look great, but he only put up 2 TD's. Sooner of later the many WR screen passes are going to catch up with them. BC did a great job of knifing through the blocks last night, putting them in 2nd and long a lot, which resulted in a lot of what Ricky Ray gets criticized for..check downs, which are a good thing, because it means he isn't forcing the ball into coverage.

I do believe Harris is a good QB however. I just get pissed at the overreactions of his success so far. I don't think he's done anything all that special.

[KCargosfan]

Harris completed 4 passes which travelled more than 10 yards down field. His numbers look great, but he only put up 2 TD's. Sooner of later the many WR screen passes are going to catch up with them. BC did a great job of knifing through the blocks last night, putting them in 2nd and long a lot, which resulted in a lot of what Ricky Ray gets criticized for..check downs, which are a good thing, because it means he isn't forcing the ball into coverage.

I do believe Harris is a good QB however. I just get pissed at the overreactions of his success so far. I don't think he's done anything all that special.

No doubt. Some people are acting like we didn't offer Doug Flutie a big enough contract in regards to Harris. Let's see the guy win a playoff game before we anoint him some huge loss.

[OV Argo]

Harris completed 4 passes which travelled more than 10 yards down field. His numbers look great, but he only put up 2 TD's. Sooner of later the many WR screen passes are going to catch up with them. BC did a great job of knifing through the blocks last night, putting them in 2nd and long a lot, which resulted in a lot of what Ricky Ray gets criticized for..check downs, which are a good thing, because it means he isn't forcing the ball into coverage.

I do believe Harris is a good QB however. I just get pissed at the overreactions of his success so far. I don't think he's done anything all that special.

??? - Harris' QB completion % - best in the league by far = nothing special at all ???


And Ottawa's wimpy D-backfield (hurt by injury problems, yes, but all teams have to deal with this issue) has cost them 2 games in a row; can't cover / can't tackle.

[AngeloV]

??? - Harris' QB completion % - best in the league by far = nothing special at all ???


And Ottawa's wimpy D-backfield (hurt by injury problems, yes, but all teams have to deal with this issue) has cost them 2 games in a row; can't cover / can't tackle.

I guess you missed the part where I said I believe Harris is a good QB.

IMO, It's nothing special because 70% of his completions are are screen passes. They have been putting the ball into the endzone, considerably less over the last few games, including the last couple he started and finished, including the Argos and last night where Ottawa's offence scored only 2 TD's in each game. Teams are catching up to Elizondo.

Not even going to get into the D backfield with you. I think Ron pretty well covered it in another post.

[OV Argo]

I guess you missed the part where I said I believe Harris is a good QB.

IMO, It's nothing special because 70% of his completions are are screen passes. They have been putting the ball into the endzone, considerably less over the last few games, including the last couple he started and finished, including the Argos and last night where Ottawa's offence scored only 2 TD's in each game. Teams are catching up to Elizond

Not even going to get into the D backfield with you. I think Ron pretty well covered it in another post.

All the league leading QB stats that Harris has (shown on the TV graphic of the telecast last game) are meaningless or nothing special.

Your pick & choose meaning of football stats, at your discretion, for what suits your pre-conceived notions, is truly laughable; stat x means nothing cause you say so, but stat y means everything if it shows one of your fave guys (or Argo coaches) is brilliant. Hilarious stuff.

[AngeloV]

Your pick & choose meaning of football stats,

Pot, MEET kettle.

[OV Argo]

Pot, MEET kettle.

Ma & Pa Kettle ?

QB is on pace to smash the all-time CFL QB completion % mark, and it's nothing special I suppose? - love all those deep throw "screen" passes.

[AngeloV]

Derek Taylor has done some work to back up my argument about Harris' success this year.

The Details

Each week The Rouge gets a statistical take from SportsCentre anchor and renowned numbers geek Derek Taylor.

11

Trevor Harris’ plays with 20+ yards after the catch. The new Redblacks starter throws the shortest passes in the league this season, so you would expect him to have high YAC yards. But I would expect some regression in the number of huge YAC plays. Bo-Levi Mitchell has 10 of them in more than twice as many attempts.

[Argo]

Derek Taylor has done some work to back up my argument about Harris' success this year.

Matt Dunigan commented that throwing for 340 yards [or some value north of 300, I may have forgotten the number] is the new normal, particularly since running the football is a lost art.

I see that Harris, with not much but quite sufficient time, did not march down the field and win the game. Great QBs manage this feat often enough.
I consider Harris a work in progress, and we'll get to see how he does this time since he's been named the starter.

Speaking of our former QBs, Collaros really impresses me. I had better stop typing now.

[AngeloV]

Matt Dunigan commented that throwing for 340 yards [or some value north of 300, I may have forgotten the number] is the new normal, particularly since running the football is a lost art.

I see that Harris, with not much but quite sufficient time, did not march down the field and win the game. Great QBs manage this feat often enough.
I consider Harris a work in progress, and we'll get to see how he does this time since he's been named the starter.

Speaking of our former QBs, Collaros really impresses me. I had better stop typing now.

Collaros is a great QB. I don't know if Hamilton as a whole is as good as they were last year before Collaros was hurt. Having said that, last night's game should not have even been close. This illegal contact review BS needs to stop. Add to the fact that Anthony Parker ran a pattern at the wrong depth which would have been a first down (that's right OV, depths are every bit as important as catching and running with the ball) and Messam with a bone headed play allowing himself to go out of bounds, kept Hamilton somewhat alive late.

[Argo57]

Collaros is a great QB. I don't know if Hamilton as a whole is as good as they were last year before Collaros was hurt. Having said that, last night's game should not have even been close. This illegal contact review BS needs to stop. Add to the fact that Anthony Parker ran a pattern at the wrong depth which would have been a first down (that's right OV, depths are every bit as important as catching and running with the ball) and Messam with a bone headed play allowing himself to go out of bounds, kept Hamilton somewhat alive late.

I agree with you Angelo, the illegal contact reviews are a farce, Collaros wasn't even looking at that side of the field but the call is reversed??
Hopefully the Grey Cup isn't decided on a similar play, would be a complete embarrassment for the league.
Calgary's clock management was horrendous in the last few minutes of the game, 2 and outs consisting of incomplete passes and as you mentioned Messam going out of bounds to stop the clock.
Messam looked really slow last night especially trying to bounce to the outside, certainly not a prototypical CFL running back by any stretch.

[OV Argo]

I agree with you Angelo, the illegal contact reviews are a farce, Collaros wasn't even looking at that side of the field but the call is reversed??
Hopefully the Grey Cup isn't decided on a similar play, would be a complete embarrassment for the league.
Calgary's clock management was horrendous in the last few minutes of the game, 2 and outs consisting of incomplete passes and as you mentioned Messam going out of bounds to stop the clock.
Messam looked really slow last night especially trying to bounce to the outside, certainly not a prototypical CFL running back by any stretch.

"Really slow" - I didn't see that, and pure speed or lots of quickness is not really part of his RB game anyways; Messam has good speed for a big back (now going at around 260 range = biggest back in the CFL by a mile and bigger than most NFL RBs by a lot too), but he still has some good feet & moves (hurdled a tackler again last night) for such a big tailback. Messam has IMO found his groove now - uses power and size to get inside yards but still has the skills to break some longer gainers. I thought he looked lost or too tentative when he came back to the CFL after his NFL try-out - with the Als - tackled in the hole easily for short gains and wasn't exploding for big gains. Got it going as a Rider and the Stamps were IMO lucky to get him with Cornish out of the picture.

No - he is not the prototypical little CFL tailback, but - he is 2nd in the league in rushing and has the best yards/carry mark in the league. And the Stamps can mix in a smaller, different look import back for a change of pace (Harrison or Finch).

[Argo57]

"Really slow" - I didn't see that, and pure speed or lots of quickness is not really part of his RB game anyways; Messam has good speed for a big back (now going at around 260 range = biggest back in the CFL by a mile and bigger than most NFL RBs by a lot too), but he still has some good feet & moves (hurdled a tackler again last night) for such a big tailback. Messam has IMO found his groove now - uses power and size to get inside yards but still has the skills to break some longer gainers. I thought he looked lost or too tentative when he came back to the CFL after his NFL try-out - with the Als - tackled in the hole easily for short gains and wasn't exploding for big gains. Got it going as a Rider and the Stamps were IMO lucky to get him with Cornish out of the picture.

No - he is not the prototypical little CFL tailback, but - he is 2nd in the league in rushing and has the best yards/carry mark in the league. And the Stamps can mix in a smaller, different look import back for a change of pace (Harrison or Finch).

North south he is a load, a couple of times he tried to bounce outside didn't have the speed to make it happen.