CFL Division Finals 2024 or does anybody care?

[B.C.FAN]

Winnipeg vs. Toronto, especially with Chad Kelly injured, is probably the least appealing Grey Cup matchup but I have a lot of respect for Mike O’Shea and the Bombers. They remain the best in the West, and it’s not close.

[Coast Mountain Lion]

Bombers 5th straight Grey Cup appearance despite losing a number of key veterans like Jeffcoat, Hardwick, Bailey, Nichols, Gray and Bighill for most of the season.

And next year they will be motivated even more as Grey Cup hosts. It’s their coaching and the culture they have created there.

Yep, their fifth straight appearance against three different eastern teams. It's partly an indication that the Bombers are a powerhouse, but just as much an indication of the mediocrity of the other four teams in the west.

[don corleone]

Hard to believe it was the same Sask team that played last week. Reality is they were not good enough.

Bombers continue to have the luck of the Irish. Montreal would have been tough.

[SammyGreene]

Bombers 5th straight Grey Cup appearance despite losing a number of key veterans like Jeffcoat, Hardwick, Bailey, Nichols, Gray and Bighill for most of the season.

And next year they will be motivated even more as Grey Cup hosts. It’s their coaching and the culture they have created there.

Yep, their fifth straight appearance against three different eastern teams. It's partly an indication that the Bombers are a powerhouse, but just as much an indication of the mediocrity of the other four teams in the west.

If Doman hasn’t made a decision on Campbell yet then I would hope he takes advantage of Buck Pierce being in Vancouver next week to see if there is interest in coming back to the team where he started his playing career.

For me it would be Buck or bust as I don’t see many other quality candidates beyond him.

[Coast Mountain Lion]

Here's something trivial that just occurred to me. Somewhere along the way, Toronto became a quarterback development farm. In addition to Kelly, all of the other three starting quarterbacks in the division finals got their start with the Argos. That's a long from the days when they won cups with quarterbacks who'd previously won with other teams (Holloway, Barnes, Dunigan, Austin, Flutie, Allen, Ray).

[don corleone]

Here's something trivial that just occurred to me. Somewhere along the way, Toronto became a quarterback development farm. In addition to Kelly, all of the other three starting quarterbacks in the division finals got their start with the Argos. That's a long from the days when they won cups with quarterbacks who'd previously won with other teams (Holloway, Barnes, Dunigan, Austin, Flutie, Allen, Ray).

The Jim Barker years.

[don corleone]

If Doman hasn’t made a decision on Campbell yet then I would hope he takes advantage of Buck Pierce being in Vancouver next week to see if there is interest in coming back to the team where he started his playing career.

For me it would be Buck or bust as I don’t see many other quality candidates beyond him.

Noel Thorpe comes to mind

[Robbie]

Neither team deserves to win the Eastern Final. Montreal turned the ball over 4 times in the first half and gave up a punt return TD. Chad Kelly was just 6 of 13 with 2 INTs but he threw a TD pass on the last play of the half to give the Argos a 21-16 lead.

Toronto beats Montreal twice in a row on the same day as the Maple Leafs also won over the Canadiens.

[don corleone]

Not a lot of penalties called. Two against the Bombers. One for intentional grounding. Almost hard to believe they covered so tight but never got a DPI.

Sask has a lot of work to do with little to suggest they will be an instant contender for next year. Many free agents including Jameer Thurman. Assume O'Day will consider the year a success.

[Toppy Vann]

Bombers 5th straight Grey Cup appearance despite losing a number of key veterans like Jeffcoat, Hardwick, Bailey, Houston, Gray and Bighill for most of the season.

And next year they will be motivated even more as Grey Cup hosts. It’s their coaching and the culture they have created there.

Winnipeg is definitely the model for BC to aspire to. You can't argue with Montreal either. My only hesitation in saying Toronto is consistency despite winning and how they messed up the Chad Kelly situation for everyone including Chad Kelly.

Sask was no match on the day for the WPG machine.
It's a learning process there as HC Corey Mace has had a very good season.

BUT, WTF was Mace doing gambling at 3rd and 4 in his own end when there was 12:30 or so on the clock in the 4th and the Riders weren't moving the freaking ball???

I haven't read what I'm about to post on 3Down - and won't read until AFTER I POST this - as if I were a Riders fan to me that was an unnecessary Hail Mary despite the Bombers ability to move the ball well. That increased the lead they had to overcome unnecessarily and meant you don't trust your defence.

The Riders OC wasn't much helping either.

https://3downnation.com/2024/11/10/risk ... est-final/

[Toppy Vann]

Bombers 5th straight Grey Cup appearance despite losing a number of key veterans like Jeffcoat, Hardwick, Bailey, Houston, Gray and Bighill for most of the season.

And next year they will be motivated even more as Grey Cup hosts. It’s their coaching and the culture they have created there.

Winnipeg is definitely the model for BC to aspire to. You can't argue with Montreal either. My only hesitation in saying Toronto is consistency despite winning and how they messed up the Chad Kelly situation for everyone including Chad Kelly.

Sask was no match on the day for the WPG machine.
It's a learning process there as HC Corey Mace has had a very good season.

BUT, WTF was Mace doing gambling at 3rd and 4 in his own end when there was 12:30 or so on the clock in the 4th and the Riders weren't moving the freaking ball???

I haven't read what I'm about to post on 3Down - and won't read until AFTER I POST this - as if I were a Riders fan to me that was an unnecessary Hail Mary despite the Bombers ability to move the ball well. That increased the lead they had to overcome unnecessarily and meant you don't trust your defence.

The Riders OC wasn't much helping either.

‘Risky’: Corey Mace explains third-down decision in Riders territory during West Final
By Justin Dunk -November 10, 2024

https://3downnation.com/2024/11/10/risk ... est-final/

============

With his Green and White squad trailing 31-16 in the fourth quarter, Mace decided to keep the offence on the field and go for a third-and-three from Saskatchewan’s 24-yard line. There were over 12 minutes left on the game clock in the West Final matchup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

PS: after reading the article, the Corey Mace explanation for that gamble wouldn't wash with most players.

I stand corrected as it was 3rd and three not four but the Bombers knew they weren't running so they were ready.

It was a SIMPLE MATH AND CLOCK PROBLEM:

Score was 31-16 = 15 with 12:30 (maybe a bit less ) and Riders were on their 24 yard line.
Two scores as long as you kick and hold them.

Score due to the epic fail 38-16 = 22.
Three scores.

Mace will learn but his post game explanation is as lousy as the gamble.
Maybe if their RBs were ripping the Bombers apart, it might have been a good gamble as the Bombers would have had to load the box, not the back end.




Failed gamble put the game at 38-16

[Toppy Vann]

East Final: Argos 30 - Als -28

For those of us who have ever been in a football game where our team's completely, unnecessary screw ups cost you a win like the way the Als lost the East Final, this is a game that will haunt the Als over a life time of memories. They'll put aside the games where they and you played great but the other team on the day were just that much better and you lost. That you can still be proud of.

But for the Alouttes. Bad memories as that was a game that you should have won if not for unnecessary, first half and second half mess ups.

I believe there were 5 TOs by the Als other than these I recall.

INT taken back to the Argos 25 but knocked out for an Argos recovery.

Walter Fletcher - runs to the 25, ball knocked out for an Argos reovery.

Fletcher (but this not totally all a bad one ) knocks a bobbled pass catch into the arms of an Argo for a TD.

If they got even FGs from these, the game would have been different for them.

Nick Arbuckle who has looked like he should have hung up the cleats looks to be the Argos starter in the GC due to the Kelly leg break - something sad for him and that team as the play and how the run ended looked routine.

I was surprised at how Nick got elevated over Cameron Dukes but he made some key plays to keep the Als at bay.

Herb Z asks if the Als went for a 2 pt conversion too soon. If down a single, a punt could have tied it up. BUT that was not the deciding factor.
Look at Kelly's stats on the day - not great. Argos didn't win this game, the Alouettes lost it.

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/foot ... -argonauts

https://3downnation.com/2024/11/09/toro ... alouettes/

[B.C.FAN]

Agreed, the 6 Alouette turnovers cost them the Eastern Final, just as 6 Argo interceptions cost them last year’s Eastern Final. Turnabout is fair play.

[Toppy Vann]

Agreed, the 6 Alouette turnovers cost them the Eastern Final, just as 6 Argo interceptions cost them last year’s Eastern Final. Turnabout is fair play.

What's crazy about the lost balls in the first half knocked out from behind is how basic this stuff is and even one FG out the times they were within 25 yds of the Argo goal line, they'd in the GC.

[mightybuck]

I care