Guess you're not reading my posts. Talk about being locked in!
I said the 2nd pass was likely a McAdoo call. Should never have been tried. Stampeders were sitting back waiting for it. And it DID hurt us because it took points off the board. Would have been about a 35-40 yard field goal attempt. I don't know how you can disagree with that and dismiss it.
We're saying the same thing here. Initially I was under the impression you were blaming Reilly because you specifically cited the two Interceptions. The Mitchell interceptions were earned bad plays. Reilly had no culpability on the first int and none on the 2nd because the team should have opted for the FG. Jones being Jones. It could cost us huge making errors like that in the playoffs.
ONce again, I am not saying MItchell had a good game. Far from it. But the score and stats indicate the performances of the 2 QB's were not drastically different..
You have to go deeper than the stat line. Football is a momentum game. Establish something solid in the first half, which Reilly did in this huge game and it deflates the opposition and takes the crowd out of it. There was a pall of shock in the first half as Reilly is playing near perfect football and Mitchell is completely stinking the joint out.
Not stats may be similar as you say because Reilly by rights should have been in traction after the first half. The degree to which this Oline is allowing their injured starting QB to be decked is appaling. Really I'm amazed Reilly or any QB can survive this kind of abuse longterm. Count the time he's hit and Mitchell is hit. Its not even close.
Also consider that game management is more important than stats. You love that Jennings kid in BC. Looks like a gooder. But the cost of having somebody green like that in is on the last possession with the game on the line he flubs it. Throws an uncatchable second down pass deep in his own end, Leos have to kick from deep in their own end, and they've lost the game. Mike Reilly 9 times out of 10 in that situation would managed something better than that to at least get the club out of dire Field position. If he had to run the ball himself. Like Abootsky commented Reilly is just a winner. With the game on the line I want no other QB in the league in charge. He does enough to pull out results.
Funny how you said the other week that when Matt Nichols was getting hit, they were "love taps", but our QB is getting "pile driven." Talk about locked in
. Nichols is playing insprired right now. Theres more fight in him right now than typical, you know this. Yes, the Esks were hitting Nichols in the first half and Matt had no answer to that. Inexplicably we called off the dogs. Nichols has enough ability that if he's getting steamboats he can make something happen. But why do teams, especially teams that know him intimately, give him that kind of time. Put consistent pressure on Nichols and he isn't a pro QB. Period.
Next, Mike Reillys banged up body has played one hell of a lot more football games the last few seasons than Nichols. That takes a toll. Especially when you're playing for Olines as chronically poor as we have here.
Anyhow, time for bed for this cowboy.
I am very glad and relieved we won, and can now move on to a very much improved Lions team. Will be a tough task, and this team has a lot of work ahead of them.
Well, every football team always has a lot of work ahead of them. Right now every team in the country has more work to do than the Esks have done.
This is a great year to be an Esks fan. Thanks to Reilly coming back. Without him I wouldn't have a lot of hope in this season. But regardless about what occurs theres been major strides, and particularly getting the Stamps monkey right off our backs and the team, and Reilly deserve lots of credit.
