Game Thread: Montreal at Ottawa Saturday September 30

[jerrym]

I will give the Als the edge in this one, but I wouldn't be surprised by an upset because of Ottawa's defence.

[jerrym]

Here is the injury list for the Redblacks vs. Als game.

https://www.cfl.ca/2023/09/26/redbla...-sit-out-tues/

[AngeloV]

I think the Als win and probably on a late RedBlacks mistake, but the Redblacks are getting some healthy bodies back, so I might be wrong on this one.

[Will]

The Redblacks are terrible.

[Mocha]

The Redblacks are terrible.

It feels like every June I think to myself "this will be the year the Redblacks bounce back to at least be around the .500 mark." Not this year. The East in general is trending up, so . . . maybe next year?

[jerrym]

The final 32-15 score flattered Ottawa as they were never really in the game and trailed 22-0 after three quarters.

[paulwoods13]

It would totally suck to be a RedBlacks fan. They had such a great first four years, then four horrendous years in a row.

[OV Argo]

A lot of disgruntled / sick of the garbage Ottawa fans - I hear from at games, on the bus home and on call-in post game radio.

Might cost them some attendance for next season.

They need to fire the GM and coaching staff IMO. I had hopes for Bob Dyce doing well, but ... and if he he was in on the hiring of those 2 dullards Jones & Miles - another classic CFL GOB recycle job - then he needs to get lost too.

Still think Crum was a very good find at QB who could become a solid CFL starter if not star with some proper offensive coaching and play-calling; and that young RB Williams has really impressed late this season; a couple of 1st overall draft picks have played on the O-line; and they have some solid receivers so adding one more good newcomer could make for a very good corps. Some building blocks on O.

D has holes galore though and needs upgrades at all 3 units IMO.

[Will]

It would totally suck to be a RedBlacks fan. They had such a great first four years, then four horrendous years in a row.

The Argos were 4-14 and the Redblacks were 3-15 in 2019. Since that time, the Argos have gone 32-14 and the Redblacks have gone 11-35.

[AngeloV]

The Argos were 4-14 and the Redblacks were 3-15 in 2019. Since that time, the Argos have gone 32-14 and the Redblacks have gone 11-35.

At least the Redblacks have been competitive this year. Their average margin of losses going into yesterday were averaging less than 6 points. Considering they are on their #3 QB and a raw rookie at that who still makes a lot of rooking mistakes, I think they have been good. And as i have mentioned before, late game coaching decisions by Bobby D has cost them 3 wins IMO. They sure were more competitive in Toronto than most teams have been this year.

[ArgoGabe22]

How bout that onside punt on 2nd down. I think the rule should be the ball must pass the first down marker for it to become a 1st down if recovered by the punter

[AngeloV]

How bout that onside punt on 2nd down. I think the rule should be the ball must pass the first down marker for it to become a 1st down if recovered by the punter

It's a stupid rule as is. It should have to go past the first down marker, or at the very least, make it like an onside kickoff, where the kicking team can't be the first to touch the ball until it has travelled 10 yards from where it is kicked.

CFL and Argo historian from twitter, Bygone Boatmen and I chatted about this yesterday, and he went into the Football Canada rule book, where the ball does have to go past the first down marker for it to be considered a new set of downs.

The @FootballCanada rulebook very sensibly requires a ball punted across the LOS to travel the required distance for a first down before recovery by an onside player can produce a first down. The same clause should be added to the CFL rulebook. Tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/9M5RMa7VUr

— Bygone Boatmen | with Prof. James Fraser (@BygoneBoatmen) October 1, 2023

[ArgoRavi]

At least the Redblacks have been competitive this year. Their average margin of losses going into yesterday were averaging less than 6 points. Considering they are on their #3 QB and a raw rookie at that who still makes a lot of rooking mistakes, I think they have been good. And as i have mentioned before, late game coaching decisions by Bobby D has cost them 3 wins IMO. They sure were more competitive in Toronto than most teams have been this year.

I agree that the Redblacks are better than they have been over the previous three seasons even though their record doesn't really indicate it. I think that some of the pieces are in place in Ottawa including two promising young QBs in Crum and Kyrie Adams, an improved o-line (even though they were bad on Saturday), and a decent d-line. The areas of concern that need to be addressed are the receiving corps and defensive secondary but if they can improve those two areas, they can be a playoff team next year.

Further, I would give both Dyce and Shawn Burke next year to see their plan through. I know that Ottawa fans are losing patience but blowing things up yet again is unnecessary IMO.

[gilthethrill]

How bout that onside punt on 2nd down. I think the rule should be the ball must pass the first down marker for it to become a 1st down if recovered by the punter

I absolutely hate that rule.

[jerrym]

At least the Redblacks have been competitive this year. Their average margin of losses going into yesterday were averaging less than 6 points.

You are right AV. They remind me of the startup Redblacks who didn't know how to finish games. The question for next year is will the take the next step and mature into a team that grabs those possible wins. Crum shows promise, and he may well do so, although he has to learn when to slide in order to survive long-term. On the other hand, Crum may end up being one of quite a few who never get to the next level, thinking that some limited success in what you are already doing means you don't have to change much.

HC Bob Dyce, IMO, has cost Ottawa several possible wins and its time to change HCs. Furthermore, if he is still there next year and Ottawa does not start winning immediately, I'm afraid the boos will become deafening. That may not be fair, but that is the nature of fandom everywhere.

[AngeloV]

Further, I would give both Dyce and Shawn Burke next year to see their plan through. I know that Ottawa fans are losing patience but blowing things up yet again is unnecessary IMO.

I agree with you on this point. You can't just keep changing coaching staffs. Continuity is important. Dyce made some bad in game decisions this year, but he isn't stupid.

[paulwoods13]

I absolutely hate that rule.

I'm torn. I generally like the crazy quirks of Cdn football, but being able to get a first down simply by advancing the ball across the line of scrimmage seems too quirky. A team that needed 18 yards for a first down got one by advancing the ball one yard.

[OV Argo]

I'm torn. I generally like the crazy quirks of Cdn football, but being able to get a first down simply by advancing the ball across the line of scrimmage seems too quirky. A team that needed 18 yards for a first down got one by advancing the ball one yard.

For that trick play by Antwi to work, the guy who's about to dribble kick the ball has to be alone, with nobody around him for 20 yards or so (which was the case with that brain-dead Ottawa DC defence); and he has to execute a controlled dribble kick and make sure it crosses the LOS, and then recover it (not as easy as it looks IMO); a prepared and aggressive D should be all over this play and make the coward calling that play pay by recovering the ball - a turn-over and a huge loss of yards and field position. Love to see the Als try this again in a play-off game; and they did nothing with that trick play 1st down anyways and had to punt the ball away soon after.


71 GC game - Argo punt returner Harry Aboffs had a ball go off his foot and out of bounds (looked accidental maybe to me but the refs ruled it a kick) = ball went back to the Stamps; very costly play in a low-scoring game where the Argos maintaining possession there could have possibly led to a GC win.

[AngeloV]

I'm torn. I generally like the crazy quirks of Cdn football, but being able to get a first down simply by advancing the ball across the line of scrimmage seems too quirky. A team that needed 18 yards for a first down got one by advancing the ball one yard.

My problem with it is that in theory you give a team that just had a huge negative play a get out of jail free card. Why not make the kickoff rule the same then? Dribble it 1 yard and recover.

[Mocha]

I'm torn. I generally like the crazy quirks of Cdn football, but being able to get a first down simply by advancing the ball across the line of scrimmage seems too quirky. A team that needed 18 yards for a first down got one by advancing the ball one yard.

I'm torn as well.

On the one hand, it's not an exciting, super-athletic play for a first down on 2nd and long. On the other hand, it's not as easy to execute as it looks, and it represents the offense taking advantage of what the defense has given them. Another positive is that now defenses will be less likely to keep so many players deep in 2nd and long situations, which should open up more room for big-play conversions.

I wouldn't be in a rush to change the rule, but I'm curious to see how teams adopt and adapt to it now having been used successfully.