TBURGESS

I was wondering how we'd react to the loss last week. Unfortunately, it wasn't the way I'd hoped. Last night's game was a huge step backwards. We showed some real spunk early in the 4th then it dissipated as quickly as it started. We have to learn to start playing at the opening kickoff and not take a play off until the end of the game. We can't rely on a bunch of take away's at this time of year, especially against the good teams. We simply can't allow other teams to run it down our throats like Edmonton did last night. We need to tighten up on the coverage. We could get away with it aginst backup QB's and bad teams, but allowing a bunch of catches against good QB's on good teams results in a lot of yards against and a lot of points scored on us. We have to stop taking so many penalties. We have to ignore the 7 game win streak and focus on this week's opponent... BC.

3 stars: Fogg - Strips the ball, makes returns and plays DB, what more can you ask for? Flanders - 120+ yards from scrimmage Denmark - Great TD catch and chipped in with a few more catches Happy Honker - Medlock 4 of 5, one from 54

We need to win this one, because it gets harder from here on out. Edmonton is the only sub .500 team we play for the rest of the regular season, likely the playoffs too. Win and we get a playoff spot. Lose and we go into back to back with BC on a 2 game losing streak, likely down by 2 points, they'll have a game in hand and the easier schedule (2 against Regina instead of Ottawa). It will be really interesting to see if we bounce back from last weeks loss or if we fall back into the first half of the seasons level of play. Can we hold Reilly, Bowman and Walker in check? Can we force enough turn overs? Will Edmonton's O line hold up? Will their D line get enough pressure to limit our offensive output enough to win? Will the fan noise be the difference? Can't wait for this 'playoff' style of game.

Dressler, Smith, Denmark, Adams and sometimes Harris aren't bad at all. They'd look even better if they didn't have so much injury time off.

I really like Fredericks and am glad that he's going to be starting. I wanted him to DI for the last few weeks. I think we now have the best group of DB's we've had all year. I'd like this trade more if Roberts wasn't on the 6 game IR. An injury shortened, average season in the CFL, won't do Adams any favors with his NFL dream. It's more likely than not that he re-signs in the CFL next year. It comes down to if you'd rather have depth at CB for the rest of the year or a Neg list player you might sign next year. I'd rather have the depth and assume our scouts can fill the receiver spot next year.

An all star last year for a neg list player. Basically, a starter for a box of tape. Shows how far Adams fell this year in the coaches eyes. Whether that's from injury or sophomore jinx or if he played way above his head last year, I don't know. I don't get the whole NFL thing. After last years performance, maybe. After this years, not a chance. We lose some salary from this years SMS, which wouldn't have happened if we cut him. Hamilton gets better in the secondary where they really need to get better. Neg list guy might turn into something. IMO, Hamilton gets more out of this trade than we do.

Wow! That surprises me.

I thought it was a catch, not obvious, but a catch. I also thought the ball was passed forward after the recovery, which would mean the TD didn't count and we'd get the ball at the point it was passed forward.

So it's OK to cheat as long as it's away from the play?

The only down side I see is that we won't be able to put Flanders on the PR anymore. Some team is likely to pluck him, especially Jones who doesn't care about the real rules let alone the gentleman's agreements.

That's kind of the point. Give it to the 'Eye in the Sky' and take it away from the coaches.

I don't have any idea who he is, but this is tragic for him and his family.

I do think they let up, but that's not the point. The Bombers players and fans can tell themselves that they played great in the second half and if they just played that well in the first half, they'd have killed the Stamps. That's what keeps the confidence intact.

The ref, who was the closest to the ball, saw it as a catch. It took slow mo and enhanced video to over turn it. I guess your definition of obvious is different than mine. I'm not saying it wasn't a legitimate challenge. I'm saying it wasn't an obvious challenge and it didn't have any effect on the outcome of the game, except to slow it down. I don't think the game would suffer at all if we removed the challenge system from the coaches. The refs back in Toronto are already looking at every turn over, TD and if players are in or out. It's not that much more to look at the non-obvious catches too.

I've been wondering the same thing. If the game had been over at the half, then I could see us losing a ton of confidence and maybe go into a 'death spiral', but the way we played the second half makes me think that the confidence is intact so I don't think we will see a loss cycle unless we lose to Edmonton too.

Calgary looked unbeatable in the first half and they dropped a few passes that would have run the score way up out of reach. We played the better second half, but lost anyway. If Calgary had made the FG that hit the upright, our last TD wouldn't have mattered in the least. Neither would the last 20 seconds. They'd just have gone into victory formation. Letting Calgary, without Grant, McDaniels and Messem get that last second FG was heartbreaking and it showed that Calgary is never out of a game. A lesson that BC found out a couple of games ago.

Sure, it was a corrected mistake, but it certainly wasn't an obvious one and it didn't make any difference to the game. Dickenson just used a challenge to get the first down back. BTW: That was a catch/no catch situation which could have been challenged from the 'eye in the sky' to get it right.

{Sarcastica Font}Trash talking in football? Hold the front page. This is big news. {/Sarcastica Font} I don't know why anyone takes these things so personally. BLM was right at the half. If he'd said it after the game, then 'Idiot BLM' would be appropriate. I like that kind of interview way better than the homogenized 'we just gotta cut down on the mistakes' kind. They are boring and add nothing to the game. BLM certainly wasn't boring and added some spark.

Moving the ball on 3rd and inches? All centers do it. Refs let them except for once or twice a decade, but they decide to call it when the games on the line and it becomes a game changer? Challenges are getting worse and worse as the year goes on. Illegal contact gets called away from the play and it doesn't matter if the receiver or the DB are the ones who initiate contact. PI gets called even if you can't see it at full speed. Looking at this weekend, I can't see a single challenge that overturned an obvious mistake. Coaches throw the flag 'just to see' if they can find something to overturn good plays or to extend drives. The only thing that challenges are good for IMO is to determine if it's a catch or not and if the player is in or out of bounds and those don't need to be coaches challenges.

I didn't realize how many players Hamilton has on the IR. Yikes. Too late to change my pick? Yah I know it is.

3 Stars: Denmark - 9 catches and a great TD Leggett - 6 tackles and great coverage taking away a big play late in the 4th Flanders - The 50 yard TD was our only bright spot in the first half. Without it we wouldn't have had any chance. Happy Honker: Burnett - Forced the fumble that got Bass the TD

Great game for Edmonton. BC played a great 1st quarter. Edmonton played 3 good quarters. Bell had a huge night. BC just couldn't stop him even when they knew he was going to run the ball. Made BC look more beatable than I thought they'd be.

A little different look at the remaining 6 games: Riders and Montreal are all but mathematically eliminated. The last 6 games are about next year. Makes them the easy games. Toronto ain't going to get any better with their QB situation. I doubt they make the playoffs. Likely in next year territory too. Hamilton need to fix their special teams and learn to play 4 full quarters. Ottawa and Edmonton need to fix their defenses. Calgary, BC and Winnipeg need to keep doing what they're doing to remain competitive. These will be the hard games.

Ahead of that Rookie HC Wally Buono!