When It Rains It Pours
For me, it has been a rather rough go of it in the sporting world as of late. I would have liked a bit more in the Pronger deal, however given the circumstances I suppose it's not too bad. I think it's better than the rumoured Kaberle deal, at any rate.
I think that a lot of the personnel errors that the Eskimos made early in the season (and before the season) have come home to roost. The re-signing of Montford is a recognition that the pass rush hasn't been up to snuff thus far. I understand they had no control over losing Jeanty, and the salary reasons behind letting Montford go the first time. That being said, Collier seems to have caught on well in Hamilton, and he would have provided a bit more of a proven commodity with the pass rush.
I'm a little more concerned with the secondary. They've looked poor all season, and there must be something we don't know about with the release of Donny (sorry, Donald) Brady. I'm definitely concerned with them having to face B.C. this week, though apparently Dickinson may not be 100% so that may provide a bit of a reprieve.
As far as the offence goes, I think that a lot of it comes down to play selection. We aren't seriously committing to a running game, and for some reason Danny Maciocia seems to be wedded to the idea of always using the quarterback sneak in short yardage situations (observers may recall that this cost Mike Pringle sole possession of the career touchdown record back in 2004). I don't have anything against the QB sneak, but you need to mix it up once in a while to keep the defence off balance. Likewise, the short dump passes out into the flat, 3-4 yards short of what is required for a first down, only work when you have a Terry Vaughn who can break about 3 tackles and rack up the yards after the catch. We haven't had Terry Vaughn for two years now, and those plays have predictably had limited success.
All of that being said, and in spite of how bad they looked last week, I am hopeful for this week.
Finally, as an additional kick (no pun intended) there was the World Cup. More capable people than me have pored over what went wrong, but suffice to say it was certainly disheartening (and I don't usually follow this brand of football as closely as other forms). One thing I haven't noticed brought up in the to-ing and fro-ing over who is to blame for the send-off is the possibility that if you're Wayne Rooney, you're not going to get the marginal calls. At any rate, I suppose England has waited 40 years, they can wait another 4 (Tam and I were discussing the parallels between England's international performance and that of Canada in the Olympics prior to 2002. The Maple Leafs are another potential parallel, but I don't particularly like that one since I don't particularly like the Leafs). At any rate, for those hoping for England, this should help cheer you up. So catchy.
For those wanting to know, I am now backing France for the World Cup. These are desperate times indeed.
I think that a lot of the personnel errors that the Eskimos made early in the season (and before the season) have come home to roost. The re-signing of Montford is a recognition that the pass rush hasn't been up to snuff thus far. I understand they had no control over losing Jeanty, and the salary reasons behind letting Montford go the first time. That being said, Collier seems to have caught on well in Hamilton, and he would have provided a bit more of a proven commodity with the pass rush.
I'm a little more concerned with the secondary. They've looked poor all season, and there must be something we don't know about with the release of Donny (sorry, Donald) Brady. I'm definitely concerned with them having to face B.C. this week, though apparently Dickinson may not be 100% so that may provide a bit of a reprieve.
As far as the offence goes, I think that a lot of it comes down to play selection. We aren't seriously committing to a running game, and for some reason Danny Maciocia seems to be wedded to the idea of always using the quarterback sneak in short yardage situations (observers may recall that this cost Mike Pringle sole possession of the career touchdown record back in 2004). I don't have anything against the QB sneak, but you need to mix it up once in a while to keep the defence off balance. Likewise, the short dump passes out into the flat, 3-4 yards short of what is required for a first down, only work when you have a Terry Vaughn who can break about 3 tackles and rack up the yards after the catch. We haven't had Terry Vaughn for two years now, and those plays have predictably had limited success.
All of that being said, and in spite of how bad they looked last week, I am hopeful for this week.
Finally, as an additional kick (no pun intended) there was the World Cup. More capable people than me have pored over what went wrong, but suffice to say it was certainly disheartening (and I don't usually follow this brand of football as closely as other forms). One thing I haven't noticed brought up in the to-ing and fro-ing over who is to blame for the send-off is the possibility that if you're Wayne Rooney, you're not going to get the marginal calls. At any rate, I suppose England has waited 40 years, they can wait another 4 (Tam and I were discussing the parallels between England's international performance and that of Canada in the Olympics prior to 2002. The Maple Leafs are another potential parallel, but I don't particularly like that one since I don't particularly like the Leafs). At any rate, for those hoping for England, this should help cheer you up. So catchy.
For those wanting to know, I am now backing France for the World Cup. These are desperate times indeed.
2 Comments:
Pronger : Lupul, Smid and draftpicks :: Ferrari : Mustang and long-term financing
That's a fair assessment, however, a Mustang is still preferable to a Pinto. And it doesn't require as much maintenance ;)
Post a Comment
<< Home