tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457862363782171899.post3773933477188113739..comments2024-03-11T21:26:54.222-06:00Comments on Rider Prophet: Monday Morning Sentimonies: As ExpectedRider Prophethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05111976277479263164noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457862363782171899.post-57752669573065027222021-08-25T15:35:35.769-06:002021-08-25T15:35:35.769-06:00IMO the biggest wild card this season is COVID. On...IMO the biggest wild card this season is COVID. One week Boateng sat with COVID, a week later there's 12. 50%, 85%, 99% vac rate, all you need is 1 to cause a ripple down effect. The other COVID related problem may come in October if the Trudeau?? government brings in mandatory proof of vaccination to fly. Maybe you can bus the non-vacs out East for away games, maybe between Calgary & Regina but Sask @ Ham or Mtl?? Any games for BC? Wpg isn't close to anyone but Regina & they don't play them late. Do you leave behind the non-vacs? The only thing maybe holding the feds back is it would have major impacts on the NHL as well. So I doubt it will happen. But.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457862363782171899.post-85779090214801896922021-08-25T10:13:30.096-06:002021-08-25T10:13:30.096-06:00Thoughts on Edm fluid. Doubts on Elizondo but 2 wi...Thoughts on Edm fluid. Doubts on Elizondo but 2 winningest teams in '19 had rookie HC's. Maas was biggest problem in Edm. Even you said so - back when. Can't blame Maas but new team has same penalty, discipline problems old team had. If Cal game cancelled, or Elk go ahead after 10 days no practice, no weight room etc, Elks could be 1-4 with a 1-0 forfeit. A hill too big to climb. Two more bad injuries, looks like, on Calgary DL. With those factored in, both teams could be in trouble. So, yeah, thoughts on both clubs very fluid. I'm still high on Elks. Thorpe has D playing lights out, talent should come to surface on O. We'll see. Right now, Riders look really good & look to stay on top for awhile. Good jump on rest of West. But, all those road games, Maas record in 2nd half of seasons as OC??? Prone to bone headed moves @ critical times? I think COVID & injuries will continue to dictate results in West. pantsonfirenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457862363782171899.post-17902652143638231292021-08-23T21:57:42.365-06:002021-08-23T21:57:42.365-06:00Anon - I think you nailed it with the "gotta ...Anon - I think you nailed it with the "gotta wins the ones in front of you". With a home front loaded schedule and a few projected weaker teams among them it was imperative that we have a winning record in our first 5 home games. JOb is far from done but so far so good.<br /><br />Pants - I think the west will be more a dog fight than expected. Pros and cons to pretty much every team. Based purely on OL and DL I think Winnipeg is the best team but they will only go as far as Collaros can take then and history has shown that's not a full season. They are in trouble when he goes down. I'm not as high on Edm as you. I think they are too talented to stay down long but there is something going on there with Elizondo and that culture that makes me wonder. Calgary will be good when Bo gets back. If they can play 500 ball without him, look out in the back half. Still have no clue what to think of BC. Not awful but not great. Talent-wise still the lowest in the west. For Ssk. The series with Winnipeg will be telling. Earn a split ad we are sitting good. But we will find out against a "credible" opponent if we are legit good or just good against underperforming teams.<br /><br />Run game is starting to get a bit concerning. Haven't really seen it other than part of the Hamilton game (but we also didn't try with BC). I don't like Murphy and would be willing to work Morrow in a bit to see what he can do.<br /><br />Our O will need to continue to evolve. Defenses will take away the short pass game (particularly if we can't run or bomb it).Rider Prophethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05111976277479263164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457862363782171899.post-2688210076924122192021-08-23T12:01:04.268-06:002021-08-23T12:01:04.268-06:00At the break, the season so far.
My predictions -...At the break, the season so far. <br />My predictions - 1. Edm 2. Cal 3. Wpg 4. Sk 5. BC<br />Not doing so well. But, Edm should be 2-1. Cal - Mitchell out 6 game. Otherwise, no surprises. Big unknown - does Edm lose 1-0 to COVID? How many games do teams lose this way? Could be big factor. In 4th wave. Top teams could drop.<br />Rider angle. DID anticipate good start. Ott, BC no surprise. Ham? Not looking good. <br />Reason I had Riders 4th. These questions. <br />1. OL - have been good. Are they for real? Not sold yet.<br />2. Micah - was 2019 outlier or sign of things? Irrelevant with Marino's performance to date. With Woodard, concerns with DL are gone IMO. <br />3. Powell? At 33 bad age for RB's. See Messam 2018, Cates & Mimbs. Below 4 yd avg to date. Still have concerns. <br />4. Schedule - as noted above. <br />5. LB talent - 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Under review. Same goes for DB's. After Labour double, may get tested more.<br />Didn't anticipate - penalties. Needs to be cleaned up. Evans injury. IMO will hurt as opposition gets better. <br />Sticking with my votes for now. Not much different from experts. If offended, Nye (Rider guy) had them last I believe. No Soph jinx for Fajardo. This run could easily last. <br />Biggest things - Fajardo can't be running game. Spreading ball around OK but need deep threat to keep D's honest. Same offence Maas had in Edm. Started 2019 & 2018 6-3. Finished badly. Defences figure it out. That's where Evans comes in. May miss him more than they think. pantsonfirenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457862363782171899.post-64244849206051456162021-08-23T07:59:13.486-06:002021-08-23T07:59:13.486-06:00Fully agree with your comments.
The Good - the yo...Fully agree with your comments. <br />The Good - the young receivers, Woodard & Marino very pleasant surprises. Fajardo has been great. Lauther back in form.<br />The Bad - penalties. Has to stop because the rough part of the schedule is coming up. Oh, & they have to get Fajardo running less. Last year, as Marshall Ferguson has noted, the Fajardo @ season end was not the QB of the 1st half. Fajardo himself conceded he was badly banged up. So, what's the problem here? Lesson needs to be learned.<br />Looking Ahead - I expected us to be 2-1 at this point but Hamilton has been awful. Ottawa was picked by EVERYBODY to be the worst team in the league & BC by most to be last in the West. So it's hard to measure the Riders right now. Or any team, for that matter. In most cases the offences haven't caught up to the defences yet. <br />We should get a good idea, offence wise & particularly the OL, what we have vs the Bombers. I really don't like their offence. But once we get past the next game @ home, we have only 3 home games in the last 10 & that includes the Argos, Elks & Stamps in the midst of a 3 game set with them. I expect that's a far different triplet of opponents @ Mosaic than we've seen so far. <br />All good. I'm not going to criticize a 3-0 record too much. You gotta win the ones in front of you. Mission accomplished so far. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com