CFL: The CFL Thread: Part V

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

There is nothing more satisfying than Bo Levi’s face after he’s picked off

 

[Snakepit]

Field is terrible, they should just put skates on

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

The field is brutal. Both teams are slipping everywhere

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Every chance in the world for Ottawa to be leading this game. How in bloody hell can you allow that return. Brutal.

 

[c9777666]

The 2nd half has been Calgary's Grey Cup albatross, so if I'm Ottawa, I'm in good shape.

 

[bukwas]

Stamps are focused this year.

 

[c9777666]

Stamps are focused this year.

But I've seen this movie before- they've blown late leads in this spot.

 

[bukwas]

But I've seen this movie before- they've blown late leads in this spot.

Oh, me too. Too many times.

 

[c9777666]

Ottawa- more turnovers than the Steelers

EDIT- AND ANOTHER! Good lord, whoever this guy on Ottawa is, he is no Henry Burriss.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Third time was the charm.

 

[c9777666]

So much for the potential Ottawa Grey Cup dynasty

 

[c9777666]

There is nothing more satisfying than Bo Levi’s face after he’s picked off

Alas, the other guy had an even more frequent face after a pickoff

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Good game Calgary. The fans deserved it

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Pretty disappointing game. Calgary and Bo Levi were their mediocre Grey Cup selves. Ottawa simply gave the game away on special teams and with Harris' horrible display. Great effort from the Redblacks defense though. Feel bad for them, they deserved better.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Harris' performance tonight belongs right up there with Troy Westwood in 2001 and Kevin Glenn in 2012 levels bad.

So many poor throws.

 

[hoglund]

The game was mediocre because of the field conditions.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Yeah, I don't understand how the field conditions were so poor. Edmonton was told they were not getting any more Grey Cups until they got rid of the natural grass. Yet this turf is apparently just as bad. How is it that Edmonton's turf specifically has this problem? Is it not the same as all the other turf in the league? Ironic thing is, the CFL got extremely lucky with the weather. We've probably had 30 days this fall that were colder than yesterday, which was balmy by Edmonton in late November standards. The reality is, if the CFL doesn't want weather and field conditions to be a factor in playoff games, they need to start the season earlier and play the Grey Cup around Halloween.

 

[shmglsky]

Apparently it was because the turf was made for soccer, specifically the Women's World Cup, and not football. The article I read was unfortunately not more specific than that.

 

[irunthepeg]

So apparently Bo-Levi might try the NFL route??? Would finally potentially knock Calgary off as the top dog.

 

[c9777666]

Snowy weather didn’t hurt the field in the 1996 Grey Cup. Just saying.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Apparently they didn't cover the turf all week. The logos were especially slippery.

Stupid.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

So apparently Bo-Levi might try the NFL route??? Would finally potentially knock Calgary off as the top dog.

I hope it would...but honestly, I doubt it.

Calgary is by far the strongest organization in the CFL top to bottom right now, with the best GM and the best coaching staff. Their offensive line is always good, they always have playmakers at receiver, special teams are best in the CFL by a country mile, and their defense is the best in the league at point prevention (Sask's made up a lot of ground as a whole because they score so much themselves, but overall Calgary's was better).

Bo-Levi is a good QB, but he's a replaceable part to an extent. It's almost impossible to fail in that system surrounded by that many strong players and coaches. Calgary lost a bunch of good players this past off-season. Didn't matter, Hufnagel just found better ones to replace them. If the Stamps hadn't been hammered by injuries in September, they probably go 15-3 again this year. In my honest opinion, they could replace BLM with a Jonathon Jennings/James Franklin level QB and still go 12-6. The Stamps make BLM more than he makes them.

In spite of the game MVP award (god is the media every lazy with those selections), I didn't think Bo was particularly good yesterday. Barely moved the ball at all in the second half, threw two bad interceptions in the first half. One Calgary TD was a punt return, another was a screen pass that ended up going for 40 yards, plus the FG after the fumbled Redblacks punt. That's 17 points that he had basically no part in producing in game where Calgary scored 27 total. Another Grey Cup where his performance was very iffy IMO. If Ottawa didn't bumble, stumble, and fumble their way around the football field for 60 minutes, we're probably talking about Calgary choking in another Grey Cup.

Hope I'm wrong though. Hope they crash and burn without BLM, if indeed he goes to the NFL. But I really can't see it. Hufnagel is the key to their operation.

 

[robertmac43]

Would the Stamps be interested in Jennings coming in if Bo is out?

 

[c9777666]

I hope it would...but honestly, I doubt it.

Calgary is by far the strongest organization in the CFL top to bottom right now, with the best GM and the best coaching staff. Their offensive line is always good, they always have playmakers at receiver, special teams are best in the CFL by a country mile, and their defense is the best in the league at point prevention (Sask's made up a lot of ground as a whole because they score so much themselves, but overall Calgary's was better).

Bo-Levi is a good QB, but he's a replaceable part to an extent. It's almost impossible to fail in that system surrounded by that many strong players and coaches. Calgary lost a bunch of good players this past off-season. Didn't matter, Hufnagel just found better ones to replace them. If the Stamps hadn't been hammered by injuries in September, they probably go 15-3 again this year. In my honest opinion, they could replace BLM with a Jonathon Jennings/James Franklin level QB and still go 12-6. The Stamps make BLM more than he makes them.

In spite of the game MVP award (god is the media every lazy with those selections), I didn't think Bo was particularly good yesterday. Barely moved the ball at all in the second half, threw two bad interceptions in the first half. One Calgary TD was a punt return, another was a screen pass that ended up going for 40 yards, plus the FG after the fumbled Redblacks punt. That's 17 points that he had basically no part in producing in game where Calgary scored 27 total. Another Grey Cup where his performance was very iffy IMO. If Ottawa didn't bumble, stumble, and fumble their way around the football field for 60 minutes, we're probably talking about Calgary choking in another Grey Cup.

Hope I'm wrong though. Hope they crash and burn without BLM, if indeed he goes to the NFL. But I really can't see it. Hufnagel is the key to their operation.

If they can replace Doug Flutie, they can replace anyone.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Would the Stamps be interested in Jennings coming in if Bo is out?

Hard to project right now. Reilly is a free agent, Bo could go to the NFL, Nicholls is a free agent, BC is clearly dissatisfied with Jennings (I'm not certain what his contract situation is), and from what I'm hearing, Saskatchewan doesn't want to go into another season with their hopes pinned to always-injured Collaros. It's not out of the question that all 5 Western teams could start 2019 with a different QB than they ended 2018 with.

Edmonton is probably in the most dire situation if their incumbent QB leaves. Winnipeg has Streveler waiting in the wings, BC could at least fall back on Lulay if nobody better can be recruited, and the Stamps and Riders are good enough in other areas that a game-manager type could probably lead them to the playoffs at least (or Grey Cup for Calgary). Edmonton...well, look what happened when Reilly slumped in the second half of the year. (And a slumping Reilly is still a better option than any likely alternative).

If they can replace Doug Flutie, they can replace anyone.

Haha, reaching a little ways back into history here. I doubt they have another Jeff Garcia sitting there waiting for a chance, but like I said they are good enough to win as long as a new QB isn't an outright hindrance.