CFL WEEK 5 thoughts/injuries/updates/

[Sammy Meatballs]

Week 5 will feature the following games.

Montreal will visit Toronto this Thursday.

It will be real interesting to see if Mcmahon starts again or if they go with Damon Allen at Qb? Also the status of Arland BRUCE and Tony MILES will be key.

I have a feeling that one of Bruce and Miles if not both should be back because they had minor strains to their legs.

Argos Defence played very well vs Calgary, considering they may have only got like 5 first downs in the entire game with Mcmahon. Argos D did very well to limit Calgary to 33 points?

Inside the numbers- Calgary scored a TD on a fake field goal, Toronto gave up a safety, Calgary kicked a single, take 10 points away right there.
We have 23 points now that Calgary scored?

Inside those 23 points- 1st half with Argos getting across midfield once, their D was on the field all half, and Calgary's average starting position was near midfield also. Calgary scored one legit touchdown and a field goal. Most teams would have fallen behind by about 24 points, but not the Argos.

Second half- Calgary scores 13 points on offence. Of note Calgary was going 2 and out very often as the ARgos were shutting them down easily.
Calgary's one field goal was a long bomb in which Burris SCRAMBLED and hit Copeland on a long corner route to the 3 yard line. Calgary then scored a field goal. THe other touchdown was a one play 60 yarder where Burris scrambled and hit March BOERICHTER possibly the fastest receiver in the league. The zone broke down, and Burris made a nice throw on a skinny post to Boerichter who was running deep and then cut across the middle of the field.

Argos DEFENCE deserves an A+ for their effort in this game.
Argos OFFENCE deserves a D for their effort, but they were short handed.

If the Argos had Bishop at QB with Miles and Bruce they would handle Montreal with ease.

Montreal comes into this game off a loss to the Bombers in which they led the majority of the game.

Montreal offence did better completing a lot of short passes or did they? Montreal completed these passes because Winnipeg was letting them complete the underneath passes and not allowing Calvillo to beat them deep. As a defence if you don't allow the opposing QB to hit any deep passes on you, there is a good chance you will win the game, because no one is that patient.

MOntreal can now move the ball with their quick passing offence, however this approach does not translate into many points. Qb Calvillo has always been very poor at scoring in the red zone. He is not mobile and tries to look for Cahoon on a out route for sure, or an out slide back in route.

Calvillo is a Qb that runs an offence where he likes to throw a lot of 12-17 yard passes to receivers and then throw to Cahoon underneath for the 10 yarders. This has been very effective for them and has allowed them to get in the grey cup for 4 of the last 5 years.

Montreal Defence missed Strickland and Davis in the secondary last game. Their status is unknown but critical because they are the 2 best players on the defence.

Historically Toronto has given Calvillo fits especially at Toronto, because their style of Defence used to stop Calvillo from going deep. Calvillo did not know how to throw any short passes. Now MOntreal's attack has changed, and they go short.
However in the playoffs somehow Calvillo has beaten Toronto the past few years, also due to the fact that Damon ALLEN is terrible.

Toronto's D has been lights out this year at home, but there problem has been on offence. If they had any decent offence they would be undefeated on the season without a doubt.

With the way Montreal has not been protecting Calvillo this is not a good sign playing the ARgos for sure. Also it will be interesting to see who is back for the Alouettes for receiver.

 

[E.T.G.]

Right off the bat, one game I am interested in is SAS/Edmonton. I would think the line would be something of Sas-2, -3. Sas leads 20-1 at half last week and Edmonton fights back with Ricky Ray to win the game 21-20. Sas missed some chances with missed field goals in the first half. Now Edmonton has to turn around and try to beat the same team twice in 2weeks. I have to think Sas at home has a lot more motivation here to rebound. Edmonton is 1-1 away and Sas is 1-1 home.

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

Right off the bat, one game I am interested in is SAS/Edmonton. I would think the line would be something of Sas-2, -3. Sas leads 20-1 at half last week and Edmonton fights back with Ricky Ray to win the game 21-20. Sas missed some chances with missed field goals in the first half. Now Edmonton has to turn around and try to beat the same team twice in 2weeks. I have to think Sas at home has a lot more motivation here to rebound. Edmonton is 1-1 away and Sas is 1-1 home.

This was one of my strong leans as well Green. Edmonton is a strong home team and always beats Saskatchewan by one point at home. Edmonton is not a good road team, Ricky RAY was pressured all week last week and had a couple of drives to start the 2nd half that resulted in Td's. I think Sask relaxed at half and thought the game was over. Other than that horrible 3rd quarter Sask shut down Edmonton offence all game. They were able to get pressure on RAY for the good part of the game.

Edmonton with Ricky RAY is famous for coming out flat in the 1st half of games and then making 2nd half adjustments. Their O coordinator was pissed off, and came up with some plays that exploited the Sask defence in the 2nd half.

Edmonton will not have urgency next week, they are not a killer instinct type of road team. Joseph played well one half and then played like he is capable of very bad at times.

I think the difference could be the Sask pass rush getting to Ray.

 

[E.T.G.]

nice, glad to see we are on the same page there.

Injury wise, saw a couple guys on Montreal go down this week. Mike Imoh as well as the center. BC running back looked to be hurt pretty bad since he was carted off.

 

[E.T.G.]

Is it possible we see BC as a dog to Calgary? I mean despite Calgary's win over Toronto, I am not impressed by it. Prior to that they were crushed 2 weeks in a row. BC was flat vs. a team they thought they could just show up to the game and beat. As shitty as they looked, they still won the game. I don't think Calgary has a player like Lumsden either to cause BC all types of fits.

 

[E.T.G.]

I will say that BC qb issues could be too much for me..

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

Yes I agree but in reality in that game even Hamilton would have beat that ARgos team yesterday by a good 10 points.

Calgary will have to contend with BC, this is when BC comes to play on the road. Teams in the CFl seem to get pumped up when playing on the road, especially BC they are clearly the best road team in the league.

Pierce should start but he usually gets injured because of his style of play.

Matchupwise BC handles Calgary with no problems, and this Calgary defence is hardly filled with stars. They are real young in the secondary and that should give BC some opportunities in this game.

However BC offence is not playing well but I think they will play better than they did vs Hamilton.

One reason- Because they care this week. Last week they couldn't be bothered with that game. BC on the road is usually focussed, and their offence will play better than last week for sure.

Calgary offence can score on big plays, from COPELAND and BOERICHTER. BURRIS will not be able to score on long drives vs BC.

It will be interesting to see this line.

IF Dave doctor DICKENSON was playing QB, I believe he could exploit this secondary all night long. DICKENSON has put up major points vs Calgary in the past, and this secondary features 2 players who are starting now who were on the practice roster.

 

[E.T.G.]

Matchupwise BC handles Calgary with no problems, and this Calgary defence is hardly filled with stars. They are real young in the secondary and that should give BC some opportunities in this game.

However BC offence is not playing well but I think they will play better than they did vs Hamilton.

One reason- Because they care this week. Last week they couldn't be bothered with that game. BC on the road is usually focussed, and their offence will play better than last week for sure.

Calgary offence can score on big plays, from COPELAND and BOERICHTER. BURRIS will not be able to score on long drives vs BC.

It will be interesting to see this line.

IF Dave doctor DICKENSON was playing QB, I believe he could exploit this secondary all night long. DICKENSON has put up major points vs Calgary in the past, and this secondary features 2 players who are starting now who were on the practice roster.

If Dickenson plays and this line is favoring Calgary, this along with Sas are going to be my 2 bigger plays this week. I really like Sas is this situation this week.

I think we get a favorable line on BC because 1)they are on the road, 2)they looked like shit last game and 3)Calgary just won pretty big over Toronto. None of those factors mean much at all to me here. I just don't think Calgary should be favored in this game but it is possible imo, that is what we see. Calgary two weeks ago was beat 48-15. The week before that they were beat 49-8. Yes both were on the road but I have a hard time believing that this team is good enough to take down BC, despite being at home and on their grass. BC has not looked pretty on offense this yr but they have faced some of the better defenses in the CFL.. Toronto in wk 1 and Sas in wk 3. Last week vs. Hamilton they were without their #1 qb and at points vs. Hamilton were playing with their 3rd string so that is excused. In Week 2 they put up 29 on Edmonton. Calgary has allowed 48+ in 2 games this yr. The 10 points they gave up vs. the Argos doesn't count since they were with the 2nd string qb and w/out their top 2 WR's and they gave up 9 to Hamilton which also is nothing to jump for joy over.

 

[E.T.G.]

Quarterback Dave Dickenson won't be in the lineup for the second consecutive game for the B.C. Lions when the team plays in Calgary on Saturday.

The Lions have already decided that backup Buck Pierce will start, backed up by third-stringer Jarious Jackson.

The Vancouver Province is reporting the team will announce the signing of Gino Guidugli to become the third stringer.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Guidugli, who is a product of the University of Cincinnati, has pro experience in NFL Europa and most recently Green Bay of Arena Football 2.

Pierce has sustained injuries in the last two games, including bruising his ribs in the last game, which B.C. won 22-18 over Hamilton at B.C. Place on Thursday. In the previous game, a 42-12 win over Saskatchewan, he suffered a bruise on his throwing hand. Dickenson suffered a concussion, his third in two years, in the same game.

The Lions medical staff is monitoring the status of Dickenson, amid concerns by many outside the organization about the future health and welfare of the often-injured quarterback, who led B.C. to a Grey Cup win last year.

Dickenson dressed in civvies for the last game, wearing sunglasses and watching the game from under the stands.

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I have no problem backing BC with Pierce, he just has to play the whole game. I don't want Jackson in the game and neither does BC obviously as they signed another QB.

 

[E.T.G.]

Take a deep breath: Smith, Pierce seem fine

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">The sight of two of the Lions' main pieces at least walking around under their own power was about the most promising snapshot in their locker room late Thursday.
You surely couldn't say many good things about their performance on the field.
Quarterback Buck Pierce will get an x-ray Friday and tailback Joe Smith will too. But both seemed to have avoided serious injury in the 22-18 win.
Smith's recovery was the most noteworthy of the two. He went from being on the turf for several minutes and leaving B.C. Place Stadium on a stretcher, to having showered and smiling while meeting with reportersnot minutes after the outside world was allowed to decend on the Lions.
"I'm fine," said Smith. "A little scared at the time, but fine."
Pierce wasn't saying exactly the same thing.
"I'll be sore all weekend," said the quarterback, who tried to return once he hurt his rib cage in the third quarter.
But obviously, the same still cannot be said about the Lions attack.
They may have had 400 yards total offence, but with the way in which the Ticats covered their receivers, so much more was available.
Pierce went the conservative route most of the way, throwing to underneath receivers. He took one shot downfield the entire night. Geroy Simon was invisible yet again. He tried taking the high road afterwards but admitted he is beginning to wonder if he is considered a primary part of the offensive thinking.
After everything else that happened at the dome, having a receiver go unused was the least of the Lions' worries.
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EDMONTON -- The collapse started inauspiciously with a hit upright.

It ended after the Edmonton Eskimos scored 20 straight, unanswered, second-half points to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-20 in a CFL game Friday at Commonwealth Stadium.

“No matter how good things are going or how bad things are going, there’s only going to be so many opportunites in a football game,’’ said Roughriders head coach Kent Austin. “We have to take advantage of all of them. We did not do that.

“There’s dropped passes, a missed field goal from the 19-yard line, a huge run called back by an offside, there’s lots of things. The first drive of the second half only took them two minutes to score. We’re not good enough to do those things.’’

Edmonton’s winning points came on a 47-yard field goal by Sean Fleming with 2:07 remaining. Saskatchewan had the football twice afterwards but couldn’t manage a first down while dropping to 2-2. Edmonton improved to 2-1-1.

“It was a frustrating first half,’’ said Fleming. “Nothing went right. Certainly groups were challenged at halftime and I don’t know if that made a difference, but things started going right.’’

Bouncing back impressively from a 48-9 loss to the B.C. Lions last week, the Roughriders jumped into a 20-1 lead against the Eskimos on touchdowns from D.J. Flick, on a 19-yard pass from Kerry Joseph, and Jason Armstead, who returned a punt 90 yards. Luca Congi kicked two field goals and two converts and, after the Roughriders marched to Edmonton’s 12-yard line in the dying seconds of the first half, lined up for a 19-yard field goal.

Congi hit an upright.

“We had our chances,’’ said Riders quarterback Kerry Joseph, who completed 16 of 32 passes for 200 yards. “But we have to be more disciplined. We can’t make mistakes. We have to get better.’’

Dropped passes by Saskatchewan’s Andy Fantuz, Matt Dominguez and Henri Childs ensued, plus a 68-yard run by Wes Cates was negated because wideout Corey Grant was penalized for being offside. On Saskatchewan’s final offensive play, facing third-and-24, Joseph threw to Fantuz, who was stopped just short of the first-down marker.

“We had a lot of little things go wrong,’’ said Fantuz. “A lot of penalties, offside and stuff, lots of dropped balls. We could have been up by 30 after the first half. We made a lot of mistakes, but give them credit for making good halftime adjustments and taking it to us in the second half.’’

The Eskimos changed tactics defensively at halftime, switching from man to zone coverages, and offensively as they deployed underneath, screen and rub routes designed to offset Saskatchewan’s tenacious pass rush.

“On their passing routes they were picking (defensive) guys off and their guys were wide open,’’ said Riders defensive back Eddie Davis, who missed several first-half plays with an undisclosed arm injury.

“They made some good adjustments, but once we see that we have to make adjustments, too. At the end of the third quarter we did, and we stopped them, but we had already given up two touchdowns. That was the hard thing. We didn’t feel a big momentum switch. We were in it right to the end of the game.’’

While the Roughriders’ offence went two-and-out three times to begin the second half, Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray constructed three scoring drives. He capped the first with five-yard touchdown pass to Rob Brown, a defensive lineman who was playing tight end, and finished the second with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jason Tucker. Fleming, who also had two converts and a single, finished the third drive with a 29-yard field goal.

“I hate referring to the past,’’ said Eskimos head coach Danny Maciocia, whose team missed the playoffs in 2006. “But last year’s team wouldn’t have been able to win this. This year’s team found a way.’’

Ray completed 31 of 44 passes for 349 yards.

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[E.T.G.]

<TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#003366 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=35>#</TD><TD width=200>Team Name </TD><TD align=right width=95>Spread </TD><TD align=middle width=95>Total</TD><TD align=middle width=55>MoneyLn</TD><TD align=right width=85>T1 Total </TD><TD align=right width=85>T2 Total </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#363636><TD width="100%"><SMALL>6:00 pm Week 5 </SMALL></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=35>451</TD><TD width=185>Montreal Alouettes</TD><TD align=middle width=85> </TD><TD align=middle width=85> </TD><TD width=45> </TD><TD width=85> </TD><TD width=85> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle width=35>452</TD><TD width=185>Toronto Argonauts</TD><TD align=middle width=85>-3</TD><TD align=middle width=85>44½</TD><TD width=45> </TD><TD width=85> </TD><TD width=85> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#800000 height=20><TD width=225>Friday, July 27, 2007</TD><TD width=75 bgColor=#ffffff>Game/2ndH</TD><TD align=middle width=55>1stH</TD><TD align=middle width=55>1stQ</TD><TD align=middle width=55>2ndQ</TD><TD align=middle width=55>3rdQ</TD><TD align=middle width=55>4thQ</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#003366 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=35>#</TD><TD width=200>Team Name </TD><TD align=right width=95>Spread </TD><TD align=middle width=95>Total</TD><TD align=middle width=55>MoneyLn</TD><TD align=right width=85>T1 Total </TD><TD align=right width=85>T2 Total </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#363636><TD width="100%"><SMALL>7:00 pm Week 5 </SMALL></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=35>453</TD><TD width=185>Hamilton Tigercats</TD><TD align=middle width=85> </TD><TD align=middle width=85> </TD><TD width=45> </TD><TD width=85> </TD><TD width=85> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle width=35>454</TD><TD width=185>Winnipeg Blue Bombers</TD><TD align=middle width=85>-9½</TD><TD align=middle width=85>47½</TD><TD width=45> </TD><TD width=85> </TD><TD width=85> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#800000 height=20><TD width=225>Saturday, July 28, 2007</TD><TD width=75 bgColor=#ffffff>Game/2ndH</TD><TD align=middle width=55>1stH</TD><TD align=middle width=55>1stQ</TD><TD align=middle width=55>2ndQ</TD><TD align=middle width=55>3rdQ</TD><TD align=middle width=55>4thQ</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#003366 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=35>#</TD><TD width=200>Team Name </TD><TD align=right width=95>Spread </TD><TD align=middle width=95>Total</TD><TD align=middle width=55>MoneyLn</TD><TD align=right width=85>T1 Total </TD><TD align=right width=85>T2 Total </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#363636><TD width="100%"><SMALL>2:30 pm Week 5 </SMALL></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=35>455</TD><TD width=185>Edmonton Eskimos</TD><TD align=middle width=85> </TD><TD align=middle width=85> </TD><TD width=45> </TD><TD width=85> </TD><TD width=85> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle width=35>456</TD><TD width=185>Saskatchewan Roughriders</TD><TD align=middle width=85>-3½</TD><TD align=middle width=85>49½</TD><TD width=45> </TD><TD width=85> </TD><TD width=85> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#363636><TD width="100%"><SMALL>6:00 pm Week 5 </SMALL></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 width="98%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=35>457</TD><TD width=185>British Columbia Lions</TD><TD align=middle width=85> </TD><TD align=middle width=85> </TD><TD width=45> </TD><TD width=85> </TD><TD width=85> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle width=35>458</TD><TD width=185>Calgary Stampeders</TD><TD align=middle width=85>-2</TD><TD align=middle width=85>50½</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[E.T.G.]

My first thoughts on the lines..

I am a little surprised to see Winnipeg -9.5, thought it would be about -7.5 given how close Hamilton came vs. BC last week.

BC is my live dog of the week. Have to wait on the status of Otis Floyd and Joe Smith but Calgary is not beating a focused BC squad. Last time BC was dogs on the road they won 42-12.

The Sas line is about where I thought it would be, -3.5, maybe buy it down to -3 just so its an even number. They should take care of business as well.

The Montreal/Toronto game, not really sure what to think there. Have to check up on the injuries for the Argos first as well as the injuries to the Montreal side of things.

The totals have come down a little as well.

 

[Hardchargers]

My first thoughts on the lines..


BC is my live dog of the week. Have to wait on the status of Otis Floyd and Joe Smith but Calgary is not beating a focused BC squad. Last time BC was dogs on the road they won 42-12.

The Sas line is about where I thought it would be, -3.5, maybe buy it down to -3 just so its an even number. They should take care of business as well.

Have already hit BC @ +2

SAS line has moved to -4

GL

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

<CAPTION>Updated July 23</CAPTION>

The Latest from the Edmonton Eskimos

<TABLE cellPadding=3 width=627><TBODY><TR><TD> The Edmonton Eskimos are taking a serious look at playing both Ronald (Goldie) McClendon and Tyler Ebell in the backfield this Saturday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. - Edmonton Journal
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The Latest from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

<TABLE cellPadding=3 width=627><TBODY><TR><TD> Defensive end Gavin Walls, defensive back Anthony Malbrough, linebacker Neil McKinlay and slotback Chris Brazzell, who either missed or left Thursday's game in Montreal, should be healthy enough to play Friday when the Bombers (2-1-1) host the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats, head coach Doug Berry said. Receiver Terrence Edwards watched yesterday's workout and is day-to-day with turf toe. Defensive Back Davin Bush (groin) won't play this week, nor will cornerback Robert Bean (knee) and long snapper Chris Cvetkovic (elbow). The Bombers have brought in 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive tackle Jabari Issa. The 29-year-old import had 22 tackles in 19 games for the Edmonton Eskimos over the past three seasons, but was a training camp casualty this year. - Winnipeg Sun
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The Latest from the B.C. Lions

<TABLE cellPadding=3 width=627><TBODY><TR><TD>The Lions announced the signing of the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Gino Guidugli, who will be activated as the third-string quarterback for Saturday's road date with the Calgary Stampeders due to the continuing uncertain health of Dave Dickenson. - Vancouver Province
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The Latest from the Calgary Stampeders

<TABLE cellPadding=3 width=627><TBODY><TR><TD> Left tackle Garrick Jones will have his troublesome right wrist re-examined to find out exactly what is wrong. He was replaced admirably by third-year man Godfrey Ellis, allowing Jones to sit and avoid having to play through pain. Both Jay McNeil and John Comiskey came out of the lineup for different series because of knee problems. Backup offensive lineman Rob Lazeo took their spots without missing a beat. - Calgary Sun
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The Latest from the Toronto Argonauts

<TABLE cellPadding=3 width=627><TBODY><TR><TD> A smiling Michael Bishop revealed that he no longer needs a cast on his broken wrist and he now expects to be back in uniform and guiding the Argonauts attack in four weeks - Toronto Sun The Latest from the Montreal Alouettes

<TABLE cellPadding=3 width=627><TBODY><TR><TD> Veteran rush-end R-Kal Truluck has been quietly released. His release comes in the same week veteran linebacker John Grace asked for his severance, probably because the team wanted to place him on the practice roster. The 6-foot-4, 266-pounder gained a reputation over the years as one of the best at putting pressure on and sacking the quarterback. He had five in only nine games last season, but still was seeking his first sack of 2007. The Als had three against Winnipeg QB Kevin Glenn, but all the pressure came from Devone Claybrooks and Dario Romero inside. Truluck's departure leaves the Als with three rush-ends - Anwar Stewart, Alain Kashama and John Bowman. A fourth, Tim Cheatwood, is on the nine-game injury list. - Montreal Gazette
Montreal DB Davis Sanchez (sprained ankle) will be out 6-8 weeks. - Winnipeg Sun </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The Latest from the Saskatchewan Roughriders

<TABLE cellPadding=3 width=627><TBODY><TR><TD> A week after the Roughriders registered seven turnovers in a loss to the B.C. Lions, they kept a pretty good grip on the pigskin. Saskatchewan turned the ball over just two times against Edmonton Friday night, both of them coming late on downs. - Edmonton Journal </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The Latest from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

<TABLE cellPadding=3 width=627><TBODY><TR><TD> Corey Holmes had another quiet outing. The Cat tailback had one carry for three yards and didn't catch a pass. He did return two kickoffs for 35 yards. The Ticats are getting nothing on the punt returns. Jo-Jo Walker was limited to just 24 yards on six returns.
Jesse Lumsden was asked about a brief altercation on the Cat sidelines late in the contest that forced defensive co-ordinator Ed O'Neil to come between cornerback Dwight Anderson and some of his teammates.
"If we're frustrated, we have to come together and work harder. We cannot break down as a team. That's the worse thing you can do," he said. - Hamilton Spectator </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

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[outstanding]

Select #1 : Canadian Football for Game
Montreal Alouettes 7/26/2007 7:05:01 PM - (EST)
Spread +12½ for Game

Select #2 : Canadian Football for Game
Hamilton Tigercats 7/27/2007 8:05:01 PM - (EST)
Spread +19½ for Game

Select #3 : Canadian Football for Game
Saskatchewan Roughriders 7/28/2007 3:35:01 PM - (EST)
Spread +6 for Game

Select #4 : Canadian Football for Game
Calgary Stampeders 7/28/2007 7:05:01 PM - (EST)
Spread +8 for Game
Amount : Risking 275.00 To Win 385.00 USD

any thoughts?

 

[E.T.G.]

Whats up Outstanding...Looks like a pretty good teaser for sure.. Any thoughts on this week?


Injury updates...



Dave Dickenson now scheduled to see a specialist.
Jul, 24 2007 - 3:20 PM



VANCOUVER/CKNW980 - You can forget about Dave Dickenson returning to the BC Lions lineup anytime soon.
The team confirmed today that Dickenson is on his way to a specialist back east, as he continues to battle with post-concussion symptoms.
There’s speculation that Dickenson has an appointment scheduled with the specialist who treated Eric Lindros, Dr. Karen Johnson of Montréal.
But that has not yet been confirmed.
The Lions will also be without Otis Floyd and Dante Marsh for Saturday’s game in Calgary. Floyd is still battling with an abdominal strain while Marsh has a partial MCL tear in his knee and will be out indefinitely.
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Heavy breathing

Rib injury leaves Pierce gasping, but he'll start on Saturday


Mike Beamish, Vancouver Sun

Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Buck Pierce says it only hurts when he inhales and exhales, which begs the obvious response. Well, then, don't.
"It's hard to breathe," Pierce admitted after practice Monday, his first with the Lions since injuring his ribs in Thursday's 22-18 win over Hamilton. "I'm having a hard time sleeping on that

side. It's sore, and it really affects throwing mechanics."
Pierce, however, still expects to start Saturday's game against the Stampeders, knowing that the flak jacket he normally wears might have to get some extra padding to see him through. With doubts still lingering over the condition of Dave Dickenson (post-concussion syndrome), the Lions added an extra quarterback, Gino Guidugli, on Monday. Jarious Jackson is slated to back up Pierce in Calgary.

View Larger Image
Lions quarterback Buck Pierce was injured in Thursday's win over the Ticats.

Stuart Davis, Vancouver Sun Files

"Buck's fine," said head coach Wally Buono, whistling past the obvious signs that he's isn't. "He's definitely going to start. There's no question about that."
Forget start. Whether Pierce can last is the bigger question. His staying power has taken a bruising in successive weeks. First a hand, now ribs.
"Should I play conversatively?" Pierce asks. "I don't know. I've seen a lot of quarterbacks play conservatively and they're not as effective. They don't win as much."
After four games, injuries are beginning to pile up. Cornerback Dante Marsh is out with a knee problem and linebacker Otis Floyd (groin pull) is hoping to start practising again on Wednesday.
The Lions hadn't surrendered 100 yards rushing in 26 games until Hamilton's Jesse Lumsden rambled for 158 yards last game. It's probably no coincidence that Floyd, an all-CFL linebacker, wasn't in the lineup.
"I don't want to put it all on me," Floyd said. "It was a lot of little things, people not filling the gaps properly. And their O-line was bear-hugging our defensive line."
Running back Joe Smith is ailing but he made it to the practice field nonetheless, after leaving Thursday's game on a gurney. He temporarily lost some feeling in his legs.
"I heard he was referred to as Lazarus, but I don't know what the details are," Buono said. "It's the same old stuff. As the season gets longer and longer, people are going to get nicked, and more guys are going to get banged up."​

 

[E.T.G.]

I would say, Watch out Edmonton.. No way does Edmonton want this game more than Sas..


Riders recovering
Assistant head coach Mike Gibson on what went wrong in Edmonton
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Darrell Davis</TD></TR><TR><TD>Leader-Post</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Monday, July 23, 2007


When CFL teams are given days off, it usually means the coaches are back in their offices devising game plans while a few injured players saunter by, headed toward the trainer's room for treatment.
It hasn't been that way for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who resume practising today in preparation for Saturday's game at Mosaic Stadium against the Edmonton Eskimos. Apparently Edmonton's 21-20, come-from-behind victory on Friday has caused some restlessness among the Roughriders.
"Some of them were in here today, on their off-day, looking at the tape,'' Mike Gibson, Saskatchewan's assistant head coach and offensive line coach, said Monday. "That's a good sign. Their heads were hanging down on the flight (from Edmonton to Regina). They weren't loud. They're challenged.
"They've got lots of pride and their pride is hurt. We've got to do a better job.''
The Roughriders are evidently itching for revenge. They led Friday's game 20-1 at halftime before surrendering 20 unanswered points. Following the game there was lots of discussion about the adjustments made by the Eskimos, particularly on offence, as they used shorter screen and pick routes to offset the Roughriders' hard-charing defensive pass rush. On defence the Eskimos also made some changes.
"They went to a lot of zone in the second half,'' said Riders quarterback Kerry Joseph. "They played a lot of man in the first half and all of a sudden in the second half were playing zone. They put a lot of pressure on us and did a good job in the second half.''
D.J. Flick, who caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Joseph during the second quarter, said Edmonton's "30 minutes in the first half were better than our 30 seconds in the second half.'' He meant "minutes'' and immediately corrected himself, but it was an honest mistake because the Roughriders didn't have much more than 30 seconds of brightness during the final two stanzas.
"They're going to make adjustments, so it's a matter of counter-adjusting to what they're going to do,'' said Flick. "Apparently we didn't get the job done.''
There was a simpler reason, according to Gibson, for why all four of Edmonton's sacks came in the second half, including three in the fourth quarter.
"They didn't do a damn thing different,'' said Gibson. "They were rushing the same amount of people in the first half that they were rushing the second half. They played harder in the second half and we blocked them better in the first half. They came out fired up, made some big plays and it just kind of snowballed. That's what it does in athletics, it snowballs at times. Sometimes you feel like you've been hit in the gut and it's hard to catch your breath.
"We'll learn from this. Everything is correctable. Hopefully when the players come in and see it they'll see we still had opportunities to win it, even with the snowball running downhill. We had to stop it. It's a game of enthusiasm and momentum.''
While the momentum started swinging away from the Roughriders in the dying seconds of the first half, when kicker Luca Congi missed a 14-yard field goal, it could have come back with a 77-yard run by Riders tailback Wes Cates to Edmonton's 12-yard line. As Cates ran by Edmonton's bench late in the third quarter, Gibson said, it looked like the Eskimos players were demoralized by the play, until the gain was negated by a Roughriders offside penalty.
"I don't think there was any complacency on our part,'' said Gibson. "It seemed like every time we made a big play something bad happened. When you're a relatively young team those things catch up to you. But it's one game out of 18 -- you can't let it affect you for the next one.
"We remember what it felt like to walk into the locker room after that game. Hopefully that taste will be in our mouths when we kick it off at 1:30 on Saturday. Myself, I wish we were playing today.''

 

[E.T.G.]

Trouble in Paradise or Sour Grapes for being cut?



Truluck predicts trouble
Axed rush-end says Als lack chemistry
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>HERB ZURKOWSKY</TD></TR><TR><TD>The Gazette</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Tuesday, July 24, 2007


Veteran rush-end R-Kal Truluck, suddenly unemployed following his release by the Alouettes Friday, believes things are going to get worse with the struggling team - losers of three of their first four games - before they improve.
"The biggest thing in football is chemistry," Truluck told The Gazette in an interview - the first time he has spoken publicly since his release. "I don't think there's enough chemistry on this team. They don't have it.
"They're going to have a tough go at it (defensively). A lot of them are still trying to learn the system. They're going to take their lumps before they get better, because it's not easy to grasp."
Truluck, a six-year Canadian Football League veteran, said he's surprised and disappointed by his release, which caught him off-guard.
The 6-foot-4, 266-pounder is paid to get to the quarterback, and he wasn't this season, failing to generate a sack. Truluck had five sacks in nine games last season, and 20 in 54 career games.
The Als have six sacks this season, only one from an end, Alain Kashama, who fell on Jason Maas in the end zone after the Hamilton quarterback recovered his own fumble. Truluck claimed his role changed this year, and he was being asked to drop more into coverage rather than rush the passer. He also believes his salary, probably in the $115,000 range, played a part in management's decision.
"There's nothing that warrants it. There's no true reason behind it," he said. "Did I put us in position to hurt the team? I don't understand their rationale. If I was messing up, let me know I'm hurting the team. If there's something to correct, you owe me that as a veteran.
"You've got people walking on eggshells now. They won't be able to play, if veterans are on eggshells."
Als general manager/head coach Jim Popp simply said Truluck wasn't productive enough. Plus, he wasn't capable of playing on special teams.
"For what we're paying him, we still expected a bunch of production," Popp said. "Whether he sees it that way or not, we talked about it a number of weeks."
Truluck didn't distinguish himself in last week's loss against Winnipeg. The Blue Bombers went on a 109-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter, after stopping Robert Edwards on a third-down gamble. Truluck missed at least one tackle on tailback Charles Roberts, and was assessed a 15-yard penalty on the drive for grabbing Roberts's facemask. Truluck dislocated a finger on the play and went to the dressing room. He wasn't on the field when Roberts scored on a 16-yard run.
"They told me I missed a tackle," Truluck explained. "They told me it's okay for rookies to miss tackles, but they don't expect it from a vet. I've never heard that in my life.
"This was a complete waste of time. Four games is too premature. I didn't play that bad a game."
Montreal's defence has undergone a radical overhaul since last year's Grey Cup defeat. Ricky Bell and Duane Butler were released last winter, Ed Philion retired and Adriano Belli signed with Toronto as a free agent. Now Truluck and John Grace have been released, while Timothy Strickland and Davis Sanchez are lost to injuries.
Truluck said defensive members are finding it difficult to watch the growing pains on offence. That might be why the defence faltered after Edwards failed to score.
"What took the wind out of our sails was the goal-line stand," Truluck said. "The offence should be doing better. You could see the air went out of all of us. You have to have a short memory on defence. It doesn't seem like we're able to shake it off. We're looking for the next mistake."
Truluck said he'll return to his offseason home in Phoenix and wait for a call from another team. Although he's 32, he expects the phone will ring.

 

[E.T.G.]

Pair of injuries have resilient Pierce questioning himself
'I need to be smarter' to avoid getting hurt
<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Gordon McIntyre</TD></TR><TR><TD>The Province</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Tuesday, July 24, 2007


A bruised-up Buck Pierce, who will start on Saturday at Calgary, is asking himself some questions.
And he's not sure of the answers.
He was near-mythical at New Mexico State for playing hurt, including once running 35 yards for a touchdown before collapsing in the end zone with torn ligaments in his ankle (both ankles have been surgically repaired). And he once came back into the game to lead a touchdown march after separating his non-throwing shoulder.
But after hurting himself in back-to-back Lions games in freak circumstances -- bruising his throwing hand diving into the end zone and falling on the ball in the same spot he'd been nailed in the ribs just minutes earlier -- he's mulling whether he needs to be more conservative.
That means running less and getting rid of the ball more when there are no receivers open -- last year he had the CFL's best completion percentage (73.7) and ran for 294 yards on 31 carries.
"I've always played the way I play now," Pierce said after practice Monday, when he was in pain, having trouble breathing and trying to adjust to the restrictions his bruised ribs put on his core strength, rotation and flexibility. "I play for this down, this possession, this game.
"I need to be smarter about it."
Question marks hung all over Dave Dickenson, too, although no one on the Lions was acknowledging them.
Dickenson made a quiet cameo behind sunglasses, then left the Surrey field without talking to reporters.
And Wally Buono had nothing to add that would clear up what state of concussed limbo Dickenson is in.
"We don't have a timetable on this," Buono said. "I don't know whether it's severe or not. The thing I do know is we're not going to take any chances.
"As you saw the other night [Thursday against Hamilton], the quarterback situation has to be stabilized and we felt that by bringing Gino [Guidugli] in we'll do that.
"Is that going to cause us trouble in a week or two or three? We don't know that, but we have to get ready for the game on Saturday."

 

[E.T.G.]

Injuries mount

The Alouettes, already reeling after losing three of their opening four games, will be without cornerback Davis Sanchez and running-back Mike Imoh for the next nine games due to injuries.
Sanchez suffered a knee injury against Winnipeg last Thursday, while Imoh, who was Montreal's best tailback that night, fractured his collarbone.
Both are eligible to return Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, Louis Mackey has returned to Montreal and been placed on the team's practice roster. Mackey could be the Als' starting middle-linebacker Thursday, at Toronto, while Kai Ellis recovers from a foot injury.
Weak-side linebacker Diamond Ferri didn't practise on Monday with a hyperextended knee.
Centre Bryan Chiu underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last Friday and will miss at least one game. He's expected to be replaced by guard Paul Lambert, who appears to have recovered from a shin contusion.

 

[E.T.G.]

Looks like McMahon will be the man for the Argos
<!-- SPACER DIV FOR SPECIAL ASSOCIATED STORY MUST REMAIN EMPTY-->
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PAUL HUNTER/TORONTO STAR
Mike McMahon and Damon Allen side by side checking plays on their wrists.

<!-- QUOTE CONTAINER -->"The good news is you can really only go up from there"
Mike McMahon.

<!-- SUB TITLE 1 -->Ex-NFL pivot to get second chance Thursday when Als come calling
<!-- PUBLISH DATE -->Jul 24, 2007 04:30 AM
<!-- AUTHOR 1 -->Paul Hunter
<!-- CREDIT 1-->Sports Reporter
<!-- ARTICLE CONTENT-->Mike McMahon, a bust in his first start as the Argonauts quarterback, will get a chance to redeem himself.
And this time, when he starts against the Montreal Alouettes at the Rogers Centre on Thursday, he'll have a much more seasoned offensive crew with which to prove his CFL worthiness.
McMahon likely will have top receiver Arland Bruce III back in the lineup as a primary target and, judging from their first workout since they were embarrassed 33-10 at Calgary Saturday, it also appears veteran running back John Avery will return from a knee injury to replace Jamel White in the backfield.
Even though this is a short week of preparation, the Boatmen also seem ready to start newcomer Rashaun Woods at wide receiver. A first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2004 (31st overall), Woods' signing was announced yesterday and he then spent the entire practice working with the first-team offence.
His addition would likely bump Canadian Obed Cetoute from his starting role.
The big question going into Thursday's game, however, is whether McMahon, a one-time NFL starter with Detroit and Philadelphia, would again get the nod.
He struggled to find his game against the Stamps, completing only six of 18 passes for 58 yards before getting pulled at the end of three quarters in favour of the iconic Damon Allen.
"It was ugly," said McMahon after watching video of his CFL debut. "But the good news is you can really only go up from there.
"Mainly I have to get in a rhythm and calm down a little bit. You can't make excuses, you have to be a man, say I didn't play my best and come back and hopefully play much better than what I did."
Head coach Mike Clemons refused to name a starting quarterback yesterday – his approach is to be as evasive as possible about lineup decisions – but all indications at practice were that the 28-year-old McMahon would be under centre.
Clemons did offer some insight into how he was mulling the decision.
"You can make a case for anything, especially when it involves Damon Allen. I think we need to find out as well what we have in Mike McMahon. I don't know if you can judge a guy by three quarters of football and one start," said Clemons.
"The easy thing to do is simply to go back to Damon Allen. The tougher decision to make is to be patient and see if there is something in Mike McMahon, understanding that our aim is to win this game."
McMahon was working without Bruce and Tony Miles, Toronto's top two receivers, during the game at Calgary. Miles worked out on his own on the weekend, trying to recover from a pulled hamstring, but it does not appear that he is ready to return.
The highly touted Woods, 27, was an outstanding receiver at Oklahoma State.
He played in 13 games for the 49ers his rookie year, making seven catches for 160 yards and one touchdown.
The 6-foot-2 Oklahoma City native then bounced to the San Diego Chargers, spending much of his time on the injured list.
In addition to picking up Woods, the Argos signed running back/kick returner Dominique Dorsey, a California native who played the past two seasons with Saskatchewan. Also, it is believed Toronto returner Bashir Levingston has been playing with a nagging injury.
It also appears injured defensive back Kenny Wheaton, out last week, is ready to return.

 

[El Mago]

just throeing in my 2 cents, but I like the Als, and SAS
Argos are on short rest, and their O has been really bad, and I think that the Argos D will be on the field too long....
Sas definetly has revenge on their mind, and ESkies are a wayyy different team on the road

 

[E.T.G.]

just throeing in my 2 cents, but I like the Als, and SAS
Argos are on short rest, and their O has been really bad, and I think that the Argos D will be on the field too long....
Sas definetly has revenge on their mind, and ESkies are a wayyy different team on the road

I love the SAS play, I think they are going to put a beat down on Edmonton.

With the Al's there are a few things....

#1) Injuries... Sanchez, Imoh, and Chiu are all out. Sanchez is their best DBack, Chiu is their top linemen and center and Imoh was doing good in open space.

#2) Team Chemistry... If you read Truluck's article he mentions that the teams lacks chemistry, granted this could just be some bad mouthing since he got cut but if you watch them play there is certainly a letdown type feeling amongst the team. The offense just can not get it done in the redzone.

#3) Argos looked like shit last week because they have been killed by injuries. This week they get Bruce, Avery, Wheaton back. They also just signed Woods who was damn good at Ok St and will help their vertical game alot if he remains healthy. Which brings me to my next point

#4) Montreal can not stop the deep ball. We all saw Hamilton beat them twice deep with Chang launching the ball then last week they basically lost because Winnipeg finally went deep, now without their best corner they are suppose to stop Bruce and Woods?

#5) Montreal in the 2nd half is weak. Once again you can see from the Hamilton and Winnipeg games, in the 2nd half they were crushed by the run. They are very very weak in the later parts of games.

#6) Argos were only down 13-3 at half vs. Calgary despite their offense having 0 first downs. They play good D and they will get some help on Offense this week.

 

[CHAMPBASI]

ETG,

It's amazing how much you have learned in only 4 weeks of following the league. You know more than 95% of the people here in Canada that tune into the games.

I will be sharing my picks later on today for this week.

Cheers,

Paul

 

[E.T.G.]

ETG,

It's amazing how much you have learned in only 4 weeks of following the league. You know more than 95% of the people here in Canada that tune into the games.

I will be sharing my picks later on today for this week.

Cheers,

Paul

Thanks for the kind words Paul. I just do a lot of research, thats all really. I will say that being able to watch the game thanks to a site like channelsurfing.net does help a ton. Watching football vs. reading the box score are totally different. I am actually getting a feel for the teams and their strengths/weaknesses. For example Montreal in the 2nd half has just looked terrible the last 2 weeks. You wouldn't know that from the stats but when you watch them breakdown and get owned by the run it looks really bad in person. They haven't stopped a deep ball yet either. I do enjoy watching the CFL and glad I made the decision to follow it.



In other news, I think Strickland is out for Montreal on defense as well. No Chemistry + Injuries = no good for them.

Miles is def out for Argos and Argos coach (Pinball?) is being cautious with Bruce so today's practice report will be pretty important.

 

[outstanding]

haha yeah ETG does his homework

 

[E.T.G.]

haha yeah ETG does his homework

if only i did this much homework in college, i would of had a 4.0



:cheers:

 

[outstanding]

i prefer drinking :cheers:

 

[E.T.G.]

i prefer smoking over drinking any day of the week