CFL Spotlight: The East could come down to a pair of ‘bad weather backs’

[Will]

https://www.tsn.ca/betting/video/cfl...ather-~2541993

Milt wants the Alouettes to win badly!

I'm still a tad concerned though as the Argos have given up yards on the ground over the past few weeks.

[AngeloV]

The way Milt openly goes against the Argos, you would think he personally holds Ryan Dinwiddie responsible for losing the 2007 Grey Cup. Or maybe the fact that Kevin Glenn broke his arm the previous week against the Argos. Either way, I think he carries a grudge.

[Tobin Rote]

https://www.tsn.ca/betting/video/cfl...ather-~2541993

Milt wants the Alouettes to win badly!

I'm still a tad concerned though as the Argos have given up yards on the ground over the past few weeks.

If that's truly the case... then he has no place on the TSN broadcasts.

[kellynjk]

Personally I think Milt is just calling it as he sees it, he's not anti-Argo or openly wants them to lose, for me he is simply stating the obvious. The Argos have been up and down all season and the fact is that No # 1 in the East is still up for grabs.

[AngeloV]

Personally I think Milt is just calling it as he sees it, he's not anti-Argo or openly wants them to lose, for me he is simply stating the obvious. The Argos have been up and down all season and the fact is that No # 1 in the East is still up for grabs.

That’s ridiculous. Up and down teams are not 10-6 and 6-1 over their last 7 games. They were up and down the first half of the season, but have only had 1 bad game since! And even that one was close into the 4th quarter.

[paulwoods13]

The Argos have been, and are, a team with a good-to-great defence, good downfield kick coverage, a weak kick-return game and an offence that is inconsistent but shows flashes of brilliance, sometimes when it matters most. There's no doubt in my mind they can play better than they have shown to date, and I expect they will do so in the coming weeks. They may never put together their "A" game for 60 minutes, but they don't necessarily need to do that to win.

[Will]

The Argos have been, and are, a team with a good-to-great defence, good downfield kick coverage, a weak kick-return game and an offence that is inconsistent but shows flashes of brilliance, sometimes when it matters most. There's no doubt in my mind they can play better than they have shown to date, and I expect they will do so in the coming weeks. They may never put together their "A" game for 60 minutes, but they don't necessarily need to do that to win.

No -- but it would be nice to not have a nail-biting game for once.

[kellynjk]

That’s ridiculous. Up and down teams are not 10-6 and 6-1 over their last 7 games. They were up and down the first half of the season, but have only had 1 bad game since! And even that one was close into the 4th quarter.

Well you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but the 10-6 record is a lot less impressive when you consider that it includes 3 wins against Hamilton and 2 wins against Ottawa ( the weakest teams in the East) and 2 wins against Saskatchewan and 1 against Edmonton 2 the weakest teams in the West! The defence has saved the Argos's ass in more games this season than I care to recall. I'm an Argo fan and have been so for decades, but I don't regard this year's team as particularly good or strong.

[paulwoods13]

Well you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but the 10-6 record is a lot less impressive when you consider that it includes 3 wins against Hamilton and 2 wins against Ottawa ( the weakest teams in the East) and 2 wins against Saskatchewan and 1 against Edmonton 2 the weakest teams in the West! The defence has saved the Argos's ass in more games this season than I care to recall. I'm an Argo fan and have been so for decades, but I don't regard this year's team as particularly good or strong.

Same could have been said in 2017, 2012 and 2004, IMO.

The record thing tells me they have beaten the teams they should have been expected to beat (except for one game against Ott; there was no way they should have been expected to beat Ham all four times). They also beat two "contending" teams and likely would have beaten the consensus Grey Cup champs if the coach had been brave enough to try a two-point convert. The road to the Grey Cup will include only decent teams (unless Sask somehow pulls off a miracle) so Argos have to play well to get there. But this team is absolutely capable of doing so IMO.

[kellynjk]

Same could have been said in 2017, 2012 and 2004, IMO.

The record thing tells me they have beaten the teams they should have been expected to beat (except for one game against Ott; there was no way they should have been expected to beat Ham all four times). They also beat two "contending" teams and likely would have beaten the consensus Grey Cup champs if the coach had been brave enough to try a two-point convert. The road to the Grey Cup will include only decent teams (unless Sask somehow pulls off a miracle) so Argos have to play well to get there. But this team is absolutely capable of doing so IMO.

You might be right about Argo teams of previous years, maybe one difference this season is that generally the Western teams seem so much stronger than any teams in the East this year. If the Argos manage to win the East, they might be really challenged by Winnipeg , BC or Calgary, especially if those teams play to the level they are capable of.

[ArgoRavi]

https://www.tsn.ca/betting/video/cfl...ather-~2541993

Milt wants the Alouettes to win badly!

I'm still a tad concerned though as the Argos have given up yards on the ground over the past few weeks.

The Argos have an excellent defence that is very well-coached. I firmly believe that if they feel they need to key on the run, they can successfully stop it but I don't think that was a huge priority over the past couple of games.

[gilthethrill]

Well you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but the 10-6 record is a lot less impressive when you consider that it includes 3 wins against Hamilton and 2 wins against Ottawa ( the weakest teams in the East) and 2 wins against Saskatchewan and 1 against Edmonton 2 the weakest teams in the West! The defence has saved the Argos's ass in more games this season than I care to recall. I'm an Argo fan and have been so for decades, but I don't regard this year's team as particularly good or strong.

If you take into consideration that the Argo schedule has been less than favourable, not to mention the amount of injuries this teams has endured, a 10-6 record is quite remarkable. Factor in the Argos had 1 less home game this season (the “home” game out East vs Saskatchewan was a farce) and recently played away from BMO for a month. They have been in 1st place all season and have shaken off adversity time and time again. One reason Hamilton and Ottawa have poor records is because of the Argos.
Not sure why you seem to think the defence “saving the Argos ass” is a bad thing. Good teams consist of 3 solid phases, Offence, Defence and Special Teams. They have all contributed when needed this season.

[Argo57]

You might be right about Argo teams of previous years, maybe one difference this season is that generally the Western teams seem so much stronger than any teams in the East this year. If the Argos manage to win the East, they might be really challenged by Winnipeg , BC or Calgary, especially if those teams play to the level they are capable of.

The west has generally been considered much stronger than the east for decades however eastern teams have won their fair share of Grey Cups.
Calgary was a huge favourite in both the 2016 and 2017 Grey Cup games and lost both.

[Will]

In the meantime, the weather in Montreal is supposed to be nice tomorrow. It's not a 'bad weather' game in the slightest.

[Will]

The Alouettes are 6-2 in their last 8 which you absolutely cannot discount, but have they truly looked better than the Argos in that time?

They did beat Winnipeg which is notable, but since then they've beat Hamilton by 1 and 7 points respectively, Edmonton by 7 and Ottawa by 4. They were impressive in beating BC I'll admit, but BC was also transitioning from the Rourke injury at that time. Seems to me like they have many tight wins in that span (not unlike the Argos) and both clubs have beaten BC.

[kellynjk]

If you take into consideration that the Argo schedule has been less than favourable, not to mention the amount of injuries this teams has endured, a 10-6 record is quite remarkable. Factor in the Argos had 1 less home game this season (the “home” game out East vs Saskatchewan was a farce) and recently played away from BMO for a month. They have been in 1st place all season and have shaken off adversity time and time again. One reason Hamilton and Ottawa have poor records is because of the Argos.
Not sure why you seem to think the defence “saving the Argos ass” is a bad thing. Good teams consist of 3 solid phases, Offence, Defence and Special Teams. They have all contributed when needed this season.

I think the defence is one of the highlights of this Argo team and I think you're right about the schedule. I know I'm not the only person who is sick of the Argos playing Hamilton and so many times in a row. I guess what I've found frustrating this season is the inconsistency of the Argos - you never know what team is going to show up. They can look good and they can look awful. And I generally have not been impressed with the Offence this season. But perhaps that is also due to some questionable coaching by Dinwiddie.

[kellynjk]

The west has generally been considered much stronger than the east for decades however eastern teams have won their fair share of Grey Cups.
Calgary was a huge favourite in both the 2016 and 2017 Grey Cup games and lost both.

Yes that's true, but when I watched the all-Western teams play against each other this season they have looked much stronger and more consistent than the Argos have or for matter any team in the East. But it's anyone's guess what will happen in the play-off and the Grey Cup. As you note lots of times the favourite teams have not prevailed.

[kellynjk]

The Alouettes are 6-2 in their last 8 which you absolutely cannot discount, but have they truly looked better than the Argos in that time?

They did beat Winnipeg which is notable, but since then they've beat Hamilton by 1 and 7 points respectively, Edmonton by 7 and Ottawa by 4. They were impressive in beating BC I'll admit, but BC was also transitioning from the Rourke injury at that time. Seems to me like they have many tight wins in that span (not unlike the Argos) and both clubs have beaten BC.

Yes I think that Montreal has looked much stronger in this last part of the season than the beginning. But you're right they probably haven't looked better than the Argos, but maybe just as good. These next two games between them will be interesting, not only because first place is on the line, but also because it might illustrate which team is really stronger and more consistent at this point.