CFL Games of Week 2 -- July 2 - July 5

[WestCoastJoe]

But yes, the Eskies didn't seem to have any fire in their gut or play with anything resembling urgency. I would have bet that any team coached by Chris Jones would at least bring intensity and agressiveness onto the field.

With an intense guy like Chris Jones there is always the chance of player burnout, or players no longer drinking the Kool-Aid. Didn't see the game, however. And it is very surprising that his team came out so flat. Very surprising. I like it.

[BC 1988]

But yes, the Eskies didn't seem to have any fire in their gut or play with anything resembling urgency. I would have bet that any team coached by Chris Jones would at least bring intensity and aggressiveness onto the field.

With an intense guy like Chris Jones there is always the chance of player burnout, or players no longer drinking the Kool-Aid. Didn't see the game, however. And it is very surprising that his team came out so flat. Very surprising. I like it.

EDM's D started to break through and got some pretty good hits on Harris late in the 4th quarter, he was slow to get up once.

Despite a fumble, Whitaker had a great game, and it's looking like his release by MTL was a big mistake.

[Rammer]

* The best coach in the CFL is not John Hufnagel. It's Scott Milanovich. He does the most with the least, but now it looks like he's got some good talent to work with.


DH

I think that you may be right there, but Hufnagel does deserve consideration as he is responsible for getting that talent he has to work with.

Also note on the Riders OL, a) Winnipeg isn't a threat on the DL and b) Bombers did knock Durant out for the season albeit on a cheap hit. Riders OL still has to face a better DL to get a real rating.

[DanoT]

* The best coach in the CFL is not John Hufnagel. It's Scott Milanovich. He does the most with the least, but now it looks like he's got some good talent to work with.


DH

I think that you may be right there, but Hufnagel does deserve consideration as he is responsible for getting that talent he has to work with.

Also note on the Riders OL, a) Winnipeg isn't a threat on the DL and b) Bombers did knock Durant out for the season albeit on a cheap hit. Riders OL still has to face a better DL to get a real rating.

Nope. No one hit Durant, he just jumped and then landed a bit awkwardly and the tendon popped.

Esks fans are complaining that the Argos Lang (sp?) took a low shot at Reilly and should have been flagged. I'm not so sure as Lang was lunging for Reilly's torso when he was hit and pushed down from behind by an Esks O lineman. At that point it becomes a question of if he should have or could have altered his trajectory to miss the QB.

[Hambone]

* The best coach in the CFL is not John Hufnagel. It's Scott Milanovich. He does the most with the least, but now it looks like he's got some good talent to work with.


DH

I think that you may be right there, but Hufnagel does deserve consideration as he is responsible for getting that talent he has to work with.

Also note on the Riders OL, a) Winnipeg isn't a threat on the DL and b) Bombers did knock Durant out for the season albeit on a cheap hit. Riders OL still has to face a better DL to get a real rating.

Nope. No one hit Durant, he just jumped and then landed a bit awkwardly and the tendon popped.

Yup. Black and Forde jumped to the conclusion Peach stepped on Durant's foot. After a few looks at the replay I couldn't find anything definitive but it looked like he might've stepped on Durant's right foot. However it was the left achilles that popped. During halftime I saw a couple more replays and it was obvious there was zero contact by Peach on any part of Durant's body. The only contact with Durant was between his own feet and the turf. I couldn't understand why early in the 3rd Forde still made a comment about having his foot stepped on.

[Lions4ever]

Esks fans are complaining that the Argos Lang (sp?) took a low shot at Reilly and should have been flagged.

I could have sworn they did get flagged and tagged for a 15 yd penalty.

[Toppy Vann]

In terms of overall success in the CFL, you have to give the edge to Hufnagel. No one has an organization and team like the Stampeders has. Even in TO there is always a narrative of something wrong with something whereas in Calgary even the departure of fan fav Nik Lewis seems to be managed well. Compare how they view Kevin Glenn vs how he left the Lions. Even after Glenn was gone the Stamps narrative on him wasn't in any way negative. Compare that to his exit from the Lions.

Milanovich is a good coach for sure as is Kent Austin who has always got his team to the GC games even playing all 3 QBs. He might just not have the talent to get over the next hurdle but he's a top CFL coach too.

[WestCoastJoe]

In terms of overall success in the CFL, you have to give the edge to Hufnagel. No one has an organization and team like the Stampeders has. Even in TO there is always a narrative of something wrong with something whereas in Calgary even the departure of fan fav Nik Lewis seems to be managed well. Compare how they view Kevin Glenn vs how he left the Lions. Even after Glenn was gone the Stamps narrative on him wasn't in any way negative. Compare that to his exit from the Lions.

Milanovich is a good coach for sure as is Kent Austin who has always got his team to the GC games even playing all 3 QBs. He might just not have the talent to get over the next hurdle but he's a top CFL coach too.

Toppy and David,

You are preaching to the choir here. Been singing the praises of those three coaches it seems like forever. Hufnagel, Austin and Milanovich.

All great IMO. Of the three, as David has pointed out, Milanovich has done the most with the least. Toronto does find talent though. Milanovich has had an abysmal stadium situation, ownership uncertainly, the loss of Ricky Ray, and yet he just keeps on producing. As it happens, all three coaches are ex-quarterbacks. IMO that is almost a necessity these days, in a quarterback-driven league.

* Xs and Os mastery on offence.

+ Understanding of offence to the degree that they can plan to undermine the offence of other teams.

+ Development of quarterbacks.

[BC 1988]

Esks fans are complaining that the Argos Lang (sp?) took a low shot at Reilly and should have been flagged.

I could have sworn they did get flagged and tagged for a 15 yd penalty.

Yes, it was a "Major foul, roughing the passer, low hit 15 yard penalty" for Laing. The complaint was that he wasn't ejected from the game, and that he should be fined.

[B.C.FAN]

I could have sworn they did get flagged and tagged for a 15 yd penalty.

Yes, it was a "Major foul, roughing the passer, low hit 15 yard penalty" for Laing. The complaint was that he wasn't ejected from the game, and that he should be fined.

The league can still review it and issue a fine or suspension. I don't think it's worthy of a suspension. It looked accidental.

[sj-roc]

Esks fans are complaining that the Argos Lang (sp?) took a low shot at Reilly and should have been flagged.

I could have sworn they did get flagged and tagged for a 15 yd penalty.

Didn't catch the game but I see it listed that way in the game report. Click on "play by play" and scroll down to play #141 with 3:30 left in Q4:

Mike Reilly pass to Adarius Bowman for 12 yards to the Tor48. Tackled by Devin Smith. Penalty: Roughing Passer on Toronto (Cleyon Laing) 15 yards.

That was the the final mention of MR in the pbp log, with MN @ QB thereafter.

[TheLionKing]

I could have sworn they did get flagged and tagged for a 15 yd penalty.

Yes, it was a "Major foul, roughing the passer, low hit 15 yard penalty" for Laing. The complaint was that he wasn't ejected from the game, and that he should be fined.

The league can still review it and issue a fine or suspension. I don't think it's worthy of a suspension. It looked accidental.

X2

[Toppy Vann]

I could have sworn they did get flagged and tagged for a 15 yd penalty.

Yes, it was a "Major foul, roughing the passer, low hit 15 yard penalty" for Laing. The complaint was that he wasn't ejected from the game, and that he should be fined.

The league can still review it and issue a fine or suspension. I don't think it's worthy of a suspension. It looked accidental.

I saw it too that same way. I did see that part of the final game in Ft. McMurray (yikes on the low crowd in 15K seater). The announcers can say that the player has to be in control of his body but the way he was sent to the ground suggests he didn't have any control to prevent that. in baseball the batter has an obligation to avoid being hit with a pitch. You could make the same argument here that the QB should have jumped out of the way but we also know how that turns out as I saw that play too with Durant. Whether his foot got stomped or he was moving out of the way - either way that resulted in his freak serious injury.

I've seen achilles injuries coaching my senior mens' team. Guy heads a brilliant header into the back of the onion bag only to be seen writing on the ground with opposing players gathered him - achilles done and when I came on the field wondering WTF happened - opponents claiming - NO ONE was near him or touched him.

Second freak achilles on turf and this guy is on a breakaway near center and collapses untouched!

[BC 1988]

^^I agree. The hit that took Reilly out of the game didn't look like intent to injure, but EDM was vocal in their complaining because of this Sept 28, 2013 history that Laing has with Reilly. (That time it was a helmet to helmet hit. He was subsequently fined.)
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/10/01/e ... -on-reilly
[EDMONTON - The Edmonton Eskimos fully expect the CFL to come down hard on Toronto Argonauts defensive tackle Cleyon Laing when it announces this week's player fines.

Especially considering just one week prior, Eskimos linebacker Rennie Curran was made an example of for what the league deemed a dangerous helmet-to-helmet hit on Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Terrence Edwards.

While the amount of fines aren't disclosed, they are normally in the range of $250-750. But the *Sun* discovered Curran's was $1,000 — despite him being a first-time offender and not having a penalty called on the play.

In contrast, Laing's concussion-inducing — and arguably late — helmet-to-helmet hit on Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly last Saturday resulted in a 15-yard unnecessary-roughness penalty, while the Eskimos are left without their on-field leader and brightest source of light in what has been a dreary 3-10 season.

“That hit, it's a scary one and it's tough to watch,” said Reilly, who has seen the replay numerous times. “Throughout my game and how I've played, I've tried to play smart and put myself in good positions and that unfortunately is a position where I wasn't able to do anything about it.

“To know that when you're on the field there's going to come times when you're in a defenceless position and there's nothing you can do to protect you're head, that's scary. But you just have to have faith in the league that they are going to continue to do a good job of protecting us.”

Meaning a hit to the modest pocketbooks of offenders to show how serious the league is when it comes to head injuries.

But not all the responsibility falls on the league, Reilly added.

“You have to have faith in your fellow players and competitors that they're not going to put you in a bad position,” he said. “I still have that faith, I still will continue to play with that confidence.”

But that doesn't get him any closer to returning to action as he undergoes concussion protocol.

Reilly wasn't the only one scared by the hit. Eskimos receiver Nate Coehoorn was one of the first on scene and didn't hesitate to signal for Edmonton's trainers to come take a look, along with Argonauts linebacker Marcus Ball.

“I just saw the play developing and a few players down after the play,” said Coehoorn. “Just my initial reaction when you see players down is to try to get the trainers' attention because sometimes they can't see from the sidelines.”

There is no doubt the CFL won't have trouble seeing what was wrong with Lang's hit.

“Obviously, we're a little disappointed in it,” said Eskimos head coach Kavis Reed. “But this is a fast game and it is so difficult to determine a person's intent when you're making decisions in microseconds.

“I'm fully confident that the decision they make is going to be deemed the right one.”

Argonauts head coach Scott Milanovich reached out to Reilly via text wishing a speedy recovery, which the quarterback said was appreciated but not necessary.

“It's a game that's played with a ton of speed and it's an aggressive game so I don't really have hard feelings toward the player that did it,” Reilly said. “I can't tell you what was going through his mind, but I would assume that it wasn't that he was trying to hurt me.

“But the hit did happen and it's a hit that needs to be taken out of the game.”

One fine at a time.

gerry.moddejonge@sunmedia.ca

twitter.com/SunModdejonge]

http://www.cfl.ca/article/durant-fined- ... dia-policy

[Rammer]

* The best coach in the CFL is not John Hufnagel. It's Scott Milanovich. He does the most with the least, but now it looks like he's got some good talent to work with.


DH

I think that you may be right there, but Hufnagel does deserve consideration as he is responsible for getting that talent he has to work with.

Also note on the Riders OL, a) Winnipeg isn't a threat on the DL and b) Bombers did knock Durant out for the season albeit on a cheap hit. Riders OL still has to face a better DL to get a real rating.

Nope. No one hit Durant, he just jumped and then landed a bit awkwardly and the tendon popped.

Esks fans are complaining that the Argos Lang (sp?) took a low shot at Reilly and should have been flagged. I'm not so sure as Lang was lunging for Reilly's torso when he was hit and pushed down from behind by an Esks O lineman. At that point it becomes a question of if he should have or could have altered his trajectory to miss the QB.

I was having a little fun there, but it was the pressure from the Bombers that forced Durant to back peddle causing the injury.