
There is something to be said for the collective wisdom of a dedicated group of people, who are willing to look at things without blinders. The fans on this site have bled orange for decades.
Ten, fifteen years ago, our present coaching efforts would have brought much success, it seems to me. We work hard. We put in the time. But ... Nowadays our efforts are thwarted by opponents with better game plans. They identify and capitalize on tendencies. They make every player a weapon. They stretch the field. They set things up, as with the two huge runs by Cornish. As with the corner route to Owens by the Argos previously.
Khari Jones is doing his best, but Rich Stubler shut his offence down. Harris ran himself into the ground against gang tackling, and a man keying on him, Simpson. Arceneaux was keyed on. Token coverage on Poblah and Iannuzzi was all that was needed.
Mark W has done well. No deer in the headlights is he. But he has huge tendencies, and a reluctance to blitz. When he does blitz, it is clear to all the world what is coming.
As noted over the years on this site, the coaching level in the CFL has risen dramatically since 2007. Hufnagel. Austin. Trestman. Milanovich. Now Jones. These guys have qualifications of true excellence. They are Xs and Os masters. They provide great leadership. They will seek and find weaknesses in opponents.
Our guys are doing their best. But, in a personnel search for outstanding CFL coaches, scanning the continent, they would not be found. They would not rise to the top of the personnel search. They mostly represent comfortable choices for the GM and HC. Good guys all. But up against some masters. We do get some very good coaching with the LBs and DBs, it seems to me.
Can we succeed and even make noise in the playoffs? Yes. But we have to open it up a bit. We have to game plan much better. At this rate, with demoralizing losses, there is a risk of the team caving in a bit. If Kevin Glenn gets hurt, how capable does John Beck look? If Andrew Harris is out, do we think we can actually run the ball?
Wally will stay the course at least one more year, it seems to me. What has worked for over twenty years must still work, right? Possibly even if we finish 9 and 9, or 10 and 8, and get knocked out first round. Some guys will be sacrificed of course.