How to play the final six games

[kellynjk]

Yeah sitting out Kelly in the games against Ottawa makes sense to me. But I would think they might want to play Kelly against Winnipeg, especially as they might be the team Toronto faces in the Grey Cup (fingers crossed) - to give Kelly additional experience playing against them.

[AngeloV]

I suspect that Kelly won't play the final game in Ottawa - MBT sat the regular season finale in both 2021 and 2022. Which other game does Kelly not play? I think it will either be next week's game in Winnipeg or the final home game against Ottawa. Dinwiddie may be thinking that Ottawa won't have anything to play for in either game that the Argos play against them so it may just be the Ottawa games that Kelly sits.

Listening to Dinwiddie post game, Sounds like he will sit 2 of the remaining games. Maybe both Ottawa games, in hopes of getting the east the western crossover game. You never know, Riders may finish 0-for the rest of the season like last year. Call in shows to their post game will be the most entertaining listening if that happens.

[paulwoods13]

The standings are almost locked in now, apart from first and second in the west. Chances of Hamilton finishing second are extremely low. Chances of Ottawa making the playoffs are low but not completely out of the question. Chances of Edmonton making the playoffs are almost nil, and Calgary is on life support.

All of this means that Argos likely have two meaningful (to the other teams) games left -- at Wpg and (probably) at Sask. I expect they will field close to a full lineup at Wpg; after that, they can start resting guys judiciously, at least at positions where there is decent depth. We don't have a ton of options on the practice roster, but BJ Byrd, Benjie Franklin, Emmanuel Falola and Braydon Noll could suit up at some point, and guys like Cassar, Hoyte, Edouard, Giffen and Mackellar could see playing time on O or D. And of course it is essential that Kelly's backups play. Sitting Kelly for two full games makes sense because they can give each guy a full week of No. 1 reps that way. But IMO Kelly should also sit out the second half of a game or two. I'd like to see most of the starters play the first half of the final game.

[ArgoRavi]

The standings are almost locked in now, apart from first and second in the west. Chances of Hamilton finishing second are extremely low. Chances of Ottawa making the playoffs are low but not completely out of the question. Chances of Edmonton making the playoffs are almost nil, and Calgary is on life support.

All of this means that Argos likely have two meaningful (to the other teams) games left -- at Wpg and (probably) at Sask. I expect they will field close to a full lineup at Wpg; after that, they can start resting guys judiciously, at least at positions where there is decent depth. We don't have a ton of options on the practice roster, but BJ Byrd, Benjie Franklin, Emmanuel Falola and Braydon Noll could suit up at some point, and guys like Cassar, Hoyte, Edouard, Giffen and Mackellar could see playing time on O or D. And of course it is essential that Kelly's backups play. Sitting Kelly for two full games makes sense because they can give each guy a full week of No. 1 reps that way. But IMO Kelly should also sit out the second half of a game or two. I'd like to see most of the starters play the first half of the final game.

Kelly still needs reps to continue to improve and develop. I am fine with him sitting two full games; it would depend on how the other three games go as to how much he should sit otherwise.

[paulwoods13]

It's now almost certain Mtl will finish second and Ham third. Tiger-Cats would have to go 2-0 or 1-0-1 while Mtl goes 0-2 for Ham to take second, and IMO there is zero chance of Mtl losing to Ott.

Our upcoming two games against Ott are both officially meaningless now, and the middle game will be meaningless if Sask somehow defeats Cal next Friday. It seems more likely that Cal will win that game, making the Sask game matter to the Roughriders and Stampeders.

Since we seem committed to playing most of our regulars at home, my guess is we will start with a mostly full lineup on Saturday (maybe giving Flo and Ouellette the day off), and sit Kelly and a few other regulars in the second half. I think Kelly will get reps in each remaining game, but only a series or two in the finale. It would be nice to get Pickett and Metchie a bye week, but I don't know if we'll see that. I would not mess with the o-line except maybe in the final game, and only if/when Kelly is not in there.

[Will]

As things stand now, the weather forecast for Saturday looks horrible with rain and winds gusting to 60 km/h. The Argos should keep a close eye on this throughout the week. I don't want to risk regulars in such weather.

[Rich]

It's now almost certain Mtl will finish second and Ham third.

Not quite yet. If the Cats beat the demoralized Lions and the Als fall to the hungry Elks this week, the two teams meet in the season finale to decide 2nd place. It’d be fun to watch them beat the crap out of each other two weeks in a row.

[bluto]

Not quite yet. If the Cats beat the demoralized Lions and the Als fall to the hungry Elks this week, the two teams meet in the season finale to decide 2nd place. It’d be fun to watch them beat the crap out of each other two weeks in a row.

Very much looking forward to their game on the 28th as an appetizer to our final game in Ottawa. Even if the standings aren't in doubt at that point any more, these are two teams that practice all of football's dark arts and they'll be trying every dirty trick imaginable in that last game before their playoff match the following week.
Get the popcorn out.

[Will]

A.J Ouellette is 42 yards away from 1,000 on the season. I'm sure there is desire to get him there.

[ArgoRavi]

Very much looking forward to their game on the 28th as an appetizer to our final game in Ottawa. Even if the standings aren't in doubt at that point any more, these are two teams that practice all of football's dark arts and they'll be trying every dirty trick imaginable in that last game before their playoff match the following week.
Get the popcorn out.

If that's a nothing game, both teams will try to play as many backups as they can and will go vanilla.

[OV Argo]

Argos have signed former Bomber receiver C. Agudosi - huge 6'6 target who flashed some talent there when he got to play - wonder why they cut him ?

[bluto]

If that's a nothing game, both teams will try to play as many backups as they can and will go vanilla.

We've had those nothing games against Montreal and Hamilton in the past. I don't remember if they were vanilla or not, likely they were.

But I do recall that they were edgy affairs.

[ArgoRavi]

Argos have signed former Bomber receiver C. Agudosi - huge 6'6 target who flashed some talent there when he got to play - wonder why they cut him ?

He lost his roster spot when Kenny Lawler returned. Someone on Twitter claims that they spoke to his mother when the Bombers visited Ottawa and she said that Agudosi was frustrated with his lack of playing time with the implication being that he asked for his release. Whether that's true or not, I don't know.

He could potentially be a useful player for the Argos, although possibly not until next year. I could see him getting into the final regular season game in Ottawa though.

[paulwoods13]

He could potentially be a useful player for the Argos, although possibly not until next year. I could see him getting into the final regular season game in Ottawa though.

We are down to just two proven INT receivers at the moment. I'd rather have Agudosi dress than Haydel, if for no other reason than his size. If and when Phillips gets healthy (and assuming Argos choose to continue dressing three INT receivers), then Agudosi becomes a next-year guy. But if Phillips doesn't get healthy, I see Agudosi becoming part of the active roster down the stretch.

[Will]

I am not starting Kelly on Saturday if the current weather forecast holds.

[ArgoRavi]

I am not starting Kelly on Saturday if the current weather forecast holds.

I will play devil's advocate and say that he should play on Saturday as these are the kinds of weather conditions he may face in the East Final and Grey Cup.

[Will]

I will play devil's advocate and say that he should play on Saturday as these are the kinds of weather conditions he may face in the East Final and Grey Cup.

I don't want a wet field to cause an injury in a meaningless game.

[bluto]

I am not starting Kelly on Saturday if the current weather forecast holds.

With you on this one.

I have just enough Irish blood in me to believe in Murphy's Law.

[paulwoods13]

Now that the season is over, we can see that the approach the team took was to give starters a week (or in some cases two weeks) off. Regulars who got some rest or an informal bye week over the final third of the season are: Williams, Oakman, Flo, Bede, Ouellette (2 games), Stiggers, McManis, Nicastro, Tate, Daniels, Coxie, Barlow and Hendrix.

In addition, Peters (3 games), Allen (2 games), Cage (3 games) and Phillips (6 games) sat down the stretch. And of course Kelly dressed for all 18 but sat for two games and parts of a couple more.

That is 18 regulars who were not required to go flat out for all 18 games. IMO this was sensible and impressive load/roster management, and it is to the team's credit that sitting a few regulars each week did not result in more than the single loss to Wpg.

[ArgoRavi]

Now that the season is over, we can see that the approach the team took was to give starters a week (or in some cases two weeks) off. Regulars who got some rest or an informal bye week over the final third of the season are: Williams, Oakman, Flo, Bede, Ouellette (2 games), Stiggers, McManis, Nicastro, Tate, Daniels, Coxie, Barlow and Hendrix.

In addition, Peters (3 games), Allen (2 games), Cage (3 games) and Phillips (6 games) sat down the stretch. And of course Kelly dressed for all 18 but sat for two games and parts of a couple more.

That is 18 regulars who were not required to go flat out for all 18 games. IMO this was sensible and impressive load/roster management, and it is to the team's credit that sitting a few regulars each week did not result in more than the single loss to Wpg.

Impressive indeed.

Back in 1989, I am pretty sure that Edmonton didn't rest a whole lot of people with roster size being so much smaller back then. To go 16-2 under the current conditions, where it's expected that you rest large numbers of players through a stretch like this, is even more impressive for the Argos IMO.