Well, happy Thursday here Special Thursday Live episode that I have a wedding in
the film tomorrow and Saturday, so I appreciate our guests making time today.
Exciting day anyway, football is back. Apparently we had a little rant about
that at Crudos Andrew Murray for coming up with this meme, and I retweeted
that here though if I see, I don't know what we've been podcasting about
in here for since February here, you know, eighteen weeks in a row
or whatever with Pat and Andy and Evan Jason and everything else that we are
talking CFL today. We have a special guest. I'm excited for this.
So we have Bryson best neighbor here from PFF. How are you doing,
sir, I'm good. Thanks for having me. This is good. Are
you? Are you glad that football is back? Yeah, I've heard that
too. I know I've been watching football for the last what nine weeks now,
so it's been back for a while for me. But I'm excited for
the NFL to kick off too. It'll be good. Yeah, I feel
like that's how Canadians feel like, you know, and now it's like I'm
welcomed into that outside here today, normally quiet in our backyard. We have
seafair this weekend, so the hydroplanes and everyone's practicing, so they've rerouted all
of air travel over my house this weekend. So we will meet muting here
as we need be. But Bryson, how are you? Are you enjoying
the season when you make eight weeks into the CFL. Yeah, I've been
enjoying a lot. I think this has been an interesting season. I think
some things have gone the way I thought they would, other things haven't.
But I think it's been excited to see some of the teams. I've been
pretty excited watching Chad Kelly in Toronto and that whole team, and it's been
a surprise for me for sure. But it's been fun. Yeah. Yeah,
we kind of had, you know, we got into this with the
XFL and we had, you know, the canceled season and come back.
It felt like that was was that twenty twenty one was a little rough,
right, it felt like last year. Do you feel like the CFL is
getting back up to speed now? Kind of We've had some more exciting games.
I mean, obviously the quarterback injuries and all of that, but you
feel like it's getting back up to what you expected, I think. So,
Yeah, I think the last couple of years since since the cancelation has
been a little rough. You know, the year off was hard for everybody.
The CFL. It's not the same quite as the NFL, where they
can trade all the time and do the same kind of level of still playing
if the NFL is canceled. But yeah, I think I think this year,
you know, again, what the third year since the cancelation, I
think it's starting to ramp back up into the old levels of play. So
I'm hoping that will continue. So the exciting thing this year obviously was PFF
getting involved with the CFL, and I know, I think even with the
XFL and stuff this year and it was kind of like, you know,
how many resources are we voting into this? Can you talk about kind of
you guys and getting involved with the CFL this year? Sure, So it's
actually only been a multi year process. I've been I want to say since
like twenty eighteen maybe that we've been working on this um. It started out
with CFL teams wanting our college data so that they could use it for scouting
and forgetting guys from the states that were making the NFL to come play up
here, and then as they found our data they've been they were like,
hey, maybe this would be good for our league, and we were good.
I think it was. It was good to happen, and then COVID
hit and so twenty twenty years we were going to have it, and then
they couldn't do it because the cancelation season, and then the last couple of
years they've just been focused on getting back into the actual season and running the
league itself. So that was and this year's finally they were like, all
right, we could. We're settled it enough, we could get you guys
to coming here and partner with us. Does it strike you as the CFL
a little slow moving when it comes to some of that stuff and getting everything
on board. Yeah, I mean, I think just look at the live
stats issue right now. It's as proof. But I think I'm glad they're
doing it, and I think and they've been very, very great, Like
obviously it took them a while, but I think once they got in they've
been super I usually been very gracious for us and wanting us and partner with
us. So it's been a great partnership so far. Yeah, what kind
of reaction has it been for them having you guys on board, and what
kind of feedback are you getting? Lots of positive you know, I think
I don't know what it is, but I think we've just been getting a
lot of positive reviews. They love the word we're putting in. We love
what they're doing with us and using our info and put it out there.
And then they love the content we're doing and a lot of the fans are
loving it too. So I've gotten pretty much all positive reviews from it so
far, which has been fantastic to see. Well, I like, you
know, CFL, and I've gotten back. I've gone back and forth with
them a little bit here in the last couple of weeks, like you know,
staying with the XIT foul and the USFL, Like I just wish some
of these and we call CFL all football, and I know that they get
all you know in their engrothers about that, but you know anything, and
we're here, we're talking you know, BC Lions at Winnipeg here before the
Hall of Fame game. But you know, these alternative leagues, like let's
work with some of these creators and like what you guys are doing and like
you're not you know, whin it cnfall. It's okay, We're gonna go
kind of walk wherever we want and do whatever we want. But I just
I like that and them kind of religing on that. What do you make
of the whole stats issue this year anyway with them? And it's like the
Genius Sports and they were trying to do it and it worked before and it
doesn't work now. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, like I
don't want to criticize to many people for this, but I mean, obviously
it's an issue. Right, Like it's almost half with the season now,
and they don't have live stats, they don't have old stats of the site.
It's trying to get those stats as an issue. I don't I should
have download pdf to I've seen the stats every week and we do that.
So, I mean, I hope that what's coming is great, but I
wish it was happening how I wish they had figured this out through the offseason
and then had a working week one. Well, it's interesting to me because
like I even and obviously we do the XFL seve. I was reached out
to by some of the CF people like, Hey, whether they giving you
guys what is their weekly you know, whether what is your media poor?
The look like, what are the things they're providing seemingly to me that hey,
we're let's try to figure you know, let's incorporate if there's any good
ideas, and so yeah, I don't certainly not. I've had the XFL
for you know, it had faults with ever this year, and so the
US have like getting you know, game summaries out and stats out and getting
all of that stuff and the app worth like you know, if the XFL
is they able to do that, you know a season? And I mean
I know we've had we've gone back and forth with FIXI and the CFL from
the XFL standpoint, but in terms of major storylines you're tracking right now.
You mentioned Chad Kelly, Like what are you what do you have your site
set on the season so far? Yeah, I think sort of before this
even started, especially, it was all about Colaros for me and could he
do three straight LPs? Right Like he's won two in a row. He's
been the best quarterback in the CFL for a couple of years now. So
watching that that, Chad Kelly came in and kind of took the league by
storm. It has been playing very well, so kind of watching him,
I've heard it out of two obviously, it's been plays for well before the
injury, So like seeing him kind of finally hit his stride a little bit
after being the CFL so many years and having issues. I mean, injuries
have always been kind of his issues. But if you get at healthy,
it's good, you know. I Mean, the CFL is such a quarterback
drive in the league that it's gonna always be a lot of quarterback story lines
on defense. I think the Matthew bets and the sack record is kind of
like the what I'm looking at to see if he can do it or not,
because he's kind of right on track there right now. So watching that
how and obviously you know, we'll talk a lot of the BC here and
kind of everything else, you know, for the weekend, and I got
the schedule pulled up here, we can do that as well. But in
terms of BC and this defense, how dominant of a defense is this that
we're seeing here with Ryan Phillips coming in through you know, went through the
season now, it's great. I mean they've been playing super well obviously right
there. I know, they're leading in a lot of the categories right now.
For defense, they got a wicked pass rush right obviously Bets is good,
but they ot other guys too, and the secondary is good. Gary
Peters at corner. It's been fantastic. So I think like having guys that
are the outside had on the inside that can that can do damage, it's
been great for them. So they're the real deal. Well, it's weird
because we've you know, we've tracked on here, and I think it was
far Han with saying earlier in the season. You know, the CFL is
such a kind of a win now league and that BC and you know,
you know, Phillips was like the co defensive coordinator whatever a couple of years
ago, and now we're building up and it just seems like the depth that
BC has kind of on both sides of the bomb, you know, burning
goes down, we've got Dane comes in. We haven't had even all of
the wide receivers ready to go. Like what do you attribute kind of the
team building behind BC in general and kind of how they're it just seems like
they have a wealth of resources where some of these teams are struggling right now.
Yeah, you know, I think I think they kind of look at
the league and said, you know, like with the CFL, especially,
top guys are good, but you need depth because it's how guys go down
if you know what to replace them with. Like, the drop off is
pretty steep for some positions, right if you lose like a starting left tackle,
like if they lost Broxton for example, right, they'd be kind of
screwed, or right tackle. And like, I think having the depth has
been the key for them, and they've been doing a good job of building
that up and making sure that't they have guys that are backing up that if
they need to start up, they can start. Obviously, Dad Evans is
an example of that, right, Like he's the backup. He's going to
be the backup when Vernon comes back, but right now he's one of the
best quarterbacks in the league the way he's playing. Are you scared about Dan
here tonight with Winnipeg's defense a little bit? I think, you know,
he's had a good few games, but he's played some not so great teams
kind of taken advantage of some lesser defenses, and Winnipeg has a good defense
and has a good pass rush so I a little scared of it, but
I think he could do okay. I think it's the worries that he tries
to do too much. A start was forcing the ball and try to make
too he plays himself and and that's where we'll go. It'll get bad for
him. I mean, we saw even last week where you know, not
having and I don't know if Vernon. I mean they always say like Vernon's
is like, you know, more athletic. I don't know. To me,
Dan always seems like he's as athletic, but but I guess not in
terms of him being able to get you know, caught a little bit more
last week and it seems like BC struggled kind of you know, keeping him
upright all the time against you know, Edmonton. So I'm kind of worried
with that's going to look like tonight with Winnipeg and they've talked you know,
Winnipeg's defense not you know, it's kind of varying degrees down here and now
in a couple of years, you know, kind of from the elite it
was maybe two years ago. Do you do you worry about that? Seeing
how Edmonton and like Seresna, everyone who was able to get to dam last
week. Yeah, absolutely, you know, I think I think it's true.
Obviously, Winnipeg's defense, like it's the same defense from two three years
ago. It's getting older, say, with their whole team is kind of
getting older and sol down. But I mean, Willy Jefferson is still one
of the best pass ushers in the league, better than anyone I've admitted.
So I think that is a worry for if your BC of and I think,
you know, I think I think Evans is under is underrated for his
like athleticism. I think he can he can move. I mean not quite
like Verdon Addo's kin, but not that far off. But I do worry
just about Winnipeg the defense being able to get to a little more than an
admitted could have been. They did pretty well admitted, So definitely a worry.
So we're not seeing Adams tonight riding. Rick said that it was you
know, short week was part of it and obviously kind of given him that
break. What we've seen with Vernon so far, I was really scared him.
I mean the end of the season and we lever and in and friend
of the show and everything, but you know, he gets a little panicky
and we saw obviously the six interceptions against. You know, it's try to
like whether you made the VA so far here and what you've seen. Yeah,
I mean, like, if you take out that game, he's been
playing phenomenally. Obviously that was a tough game, but I think that was
just a case of sort of him getting in his own head and a little
bit of trying to force it way too much. I think noticing what he's
done this is he's definitely like, again I take it out that game,
he's toned down the force passes, like the into double coverage kind of looks,
and like his turnover throws are way down compared to what they were last
year even when we graded them. It is time when he played last year.
So I think like just sort of he's become more of a passer,
which has been nice little more and he's always been accurate, right, I
think just keeping that up and not forcing too many bad throws and it's any
boneheaded decisions. Again, if you take out that one game, yeah,
I feel like with him, um, what was it and it was I
think the first Edmonton game before it kind of got blown out of the water
there, but they him trying to just force pass more. Like I think
he needs to still be able to utilize his mobility right where he like you
said, even if it's ten percent with ever better than than Dan Evans,
but him kind of forcing more of that. But like to me, it
was kind of like watching Russell Wilson in Denver last year, and like,
you know, I've lived in Seattle and watch Russell my whole life. Like
Russell's not the pocket pass or like ye got a round the round and scramble
and all that. Uh you think they're hitting a good balance with that.
Yeah, I think, like I you know, it's a good comparison because
I think he's similar Russell where he doesn't want to move out of the pocket
to run, but he needs to leave the pocket to make more throws.
Right, get out, get up moving, get on a poll, get
on the roll, get outside the pocket, plant his feet and throw rather
than scrambling. But I think they sort of figured it out. And I've
always said with like a lot of these CFL quarterbacks, if you can design
your offense around them, you'll be better, right if you try to force
them into a different offense, Like he's not gonna he's not gonna be good
in a straight out like drop that system right, like, but if you
get to move it, and it's done a good job with that this year.
So I think that's sort of why he's been a big reason why he's
had a success so far that he's had. Yeah, it seems last year
coming in it was rough, a rough spot for him with Rourke and everything,
and obviously they you know, they had a lot of the tools they
do. Now, are you seeing anything different this year? Like he said,
is it more of the offense now that he's had a year with it
and they kind of know that he's going to be their guy because I mean
he has similar traits right to Nathan in terms of being able to run.
And he said, what do you what do you attribute him having more?
Because like they won some games last year, but it was it was rough
with Vernon in their last year. Yeah, for sure, I think obviously,
yeah, like he didn't play terribly in those games, but he definitely
was a step down from how Work was playing. And I think I just
think, yeah, a whole year, the system knowing that he's the guy,
right, they had the whole offseason with him and they do that all
right, he's going to be the guy Asletius he proves it, and he
did so. I think just getting in that system and sort of getting more
familiar with the guys and the system and playing out he wants to play,
I think it's been helpful. That's why I sort of he's been so good
in terms of you know, we saw the dominant performance last time in BC
at Winnipeg. Are you obviously you know, Winnipeg making adjustments. What are
you expecting tonight coming in? Yeah, I definitely don't expect the Winnipeg to
score six points. It will be at this time. I think I think
they'll make some adjustments. I think obviously that week was just the past rush
of BC got to the got to them and ColorOS couldn't get anything going.
Um, So I do think that they're gonna adjust with that. I think
I think it'll be better. That old line is getting older, but they're
still good Winnipeg old line, So I think I think they'll be okay.
I think I think, you know, there'll be some pressure, but not
nearly as much as there was. I don't think it'll be a blowing the
way. I think it'll be a close game in terms of Clara's here,
you know a few years in now, what are you seeing of him now?
And is he still playing at that elite level like he said expecting you
know, were you looking for another you know, third MP season with him?
Honestly, I think he's been playing better this year than he has in
the past. He had a rough stretch, but I've always like watching him
last year, in the last couple of years, he's all he has been
like a just chuck it down field, right, and no Bill throws a
bad throw for him. So he had a lot of these like high but
these big time throws where he was throwing at forty yards for touchdowns. But
he also had a lot of interceptions with that, a lot of turnoverthrows because
he was just forcing it like into double coverage because he wanted to throw deep.
This year, his turnoverthrows are way down, like as low as he's
ever had, and but his big time throws are still way up. So
I think he's sort of figuring out like way to take the big shots that
went to not take them, and he's been playing super well. He had
a rough stretch after that BC game, obviously, but then since that he's
been lights out again, So I think this is I think he's had one
of his best seasons. You know, in the limited time that we even
following the CFL and covering it, you know, it's it's been Winnipig's world.
Seeing BC at the top of you know, the power rankings right now
and the standings isn't new and very welcome you I might BC had on I
call them American's CFL team, so excited for that. But were you surprised
at the at the leave that BC took this year. I mean, obviously
they had a lot of momentum last year and the Rourk and everything else,
but I didn't really know what to expect this year. Are you surprised that
they've been as dominant as they are. I'm not surprised. I think I
guess surprised that their first I didn't think they'd beat Winnipeg and that game.
I thought Whinnipeg would still be the class of the West. But I thought
bc'd be good. I thought that Verdon Adams would have a was good enough
that he might not be at the level that Athan work was last year,
but he's still good enough that that's he was so staffed around him that he
could play and do well. So the defense was so good as well,
So I don't I wouldn't say I'm surprised they're that they're good. I might
be surprised that they're this good early on if they went to night, I'd
i'd i'd be surprised, just because you know, early on, when I
gets a good team twice, it's pretty tough to do. I saw.
I think Winnipeg they just tweeted and they've sold like thirty thousand plus tickets tonight,
which is, you know, I think tremendous for a Thursday game here
is at a good number. Are you impressed with that? Yeah? Yeah,
you know, I think. I mean yeah, I think it's a
anywhere you go. He Saskatchewan, that's a high number, right, Like
the Scatch was always going to sell up their games and have numbers, and
even Winnipeg too, but BC. Yeah, everyone getting those numbers is good
in terms of are you expecting when they peg to bounce back tonight, like
you said, beating a good opponent like that twice in a row. Yeah,
if I had to prick, I'd pick Winnipeg just because I do think
that you know, this early the season trying to beat the team twice and
they Whitnipeg will will have their number. But I mean it wouldn't be shocking
if BC won again. They're playing that well. What adjustments do you expect
from Winnipeg tonight, just knowing how dominant BC was before. I think a
lot more quick passing, a lot more. I think that was an issue
was getting It was rush are too long to go and the passers got home.
So I think they're gonna adjust the offense to sort of help out the
pass rush and quick passing. I mean, they got Kenny lawlerback, that's
big acas he don't show it as great, and they got the weapons to
do it. So a little more quick hitters, not so much long developing
place. That'll take the pressure off the old line a little bit. We
mentioned before Matthew Betts and just even watching him last week, Chase was it
Cornelius kind of around the playground like just yeah sis him he has Are you
impressed with how good he's been performing this season? Yeah? I didn't see
it coming, right, I didn't. I don't think I had him a
top five edge rushers. I didn't think I thought he was good, But
would not like that. Not this great. And he's been probably the best
pass rusher all season obviously aside like he's getting the sass, but he's also
just getting other pressure. It's getting hits right, winning his pass rush stafs.
So, I mean, he's been phenomenal and it's it's been awesome to
watch him. Yeah, I mean, because it's it's been a couple where
even you know, even if he's not going in here getting him the sack,
he's kind of able to stand there and target and then if Cornelius or
whatever is running really kind of multi use I guess for him there. In
terms of Edmonton obviously having the buyoweek right now, which is probably a good
thing for them to have. You know, we've seen offensive coordinator change come
out. I think that was Monday as we went live for the show.
I used to surprised or not with how poor Edmonton's been this year, kind
of similar to PC the depposite. I thought to be bad. Didn't think
to be this bad, you know, I thought they I do they struggle
to be like, oh at eight that's tough. I didn't think they'd be
winless at this point, right. I think it's just I just watched them.
I don't think they really have any identity. They don't know what they're
doing, what they want to be, And you're not gonna win games if
you play like that. We've had a lot of you know, the coaching
salary cap, and I had posted last week, you know, let's let's
fix this salary cap issue before we add a ten team, Like, let's,
you know, let's try to get some of this stuff. Like do
you blame it on that? Do you blame it all on Jones? Is
it like the culture that was there before? I mean, because it was
bad with you know him before, you know, when he before he came
back to the XFL, Like what do you attribute just it just seem really
kind of seems like it's a dumpster fire right now. Yeah, I don't
know if there's any like sort of one person to blame or one thing to
blame, right I don't think it's a combo of all of it, right
I don't. I think, like, obviously the coaching cap is stupid and
it hurts the league, I think, and I think you're right. I
would I would rather take that out before getting a tenth team in there,
just because it's it's hindering the league. And but I also think Jones has
not been coaching well. And then I think the whole and the team itself
doesn't have a ton of talent. Again, it's a quarterback league and you've
got Cordelius and whether or not he could be good, he's not good right
now. His confidence is shot. I just I don't think started him is
useful at this point. I think I don't think he's I like Cordios,
I don't. I don't think he's great, but I think he can be
effective in a certain offense. But I think he used to just sit for
a bit and just get himself back into it. Because right now, like
you watch them out there, it looks like he doesn't want to even be
there sometimes. Well it really fell apart that the second half in the last
game where it felt like they came back from halftime. Now, I guess
right he's going to be short yardage. We've got Daggie coming in and then
trade forward. Are you surprised we haven't seen more trade forward this year,
especially after I mean he had success last year before the injury. Yeah,
you know, I think I don't. I just don't see why not,
right, I think you're oh at eight obviously, if Cordials isn't working,
I mean, I know, I know they say, like, well,
in practice, Cordials is looking the best and that's why we keep playing him,
and I get that, but at some point it's like it's not working
in the game, So maybe just put Forward out there for a couple of
series and see what he does. Right, Like, I don't know what
what the worst thing that could happen is you lose again, right, Like,
I just I just don't see why they're not even at least trying to
chase something up. But I like, go with Deggie's fine, Dakie's been
playing okay, But I don't see why not just try to try Forward for
a game and just see what happens in terms of you know, you've found
the league a lot longer than we have at how his historically? How poor
are the Elks performing right now? Very I have I've never seen it with
this bad. I mean, to get shut out like this twice already the
year, and just the way they've played like to be in these games,
and barely ever are they even close to being in the games. Like I
watch the games, and I'm like, oh, they've already lost this,
right, Like there's been maybe two games all the year where they've even kind
of been in it. So I it's been a struggle to watch them play
and it just like I don't see any any positivity. I think they'll win
a game this year because I don't think you can go at eighteen. But
it's hard to imagine them with your game right now the way they're playing.
Uh, this is a stupid question, but hasn't the team ever gone though
in the eighteen No, not that I do love. Okay, all right,
well yeah we're the new um, you know, because it was last
game. I mean they weren't didn't even test your red zone, I mean
the entire game. Like it's remarkable to think. I know they have that
one like long field goal attempt that went you know, they went poor,
but um, to not even be in the situation where you could score lot,
Like I'm trying to explain to my wife, like how challenging it is.
You can shout out on that once but twice, But I mean do
you attribute that? I mean I know it's probably both, but what do
you attribute it? More to BC's dominant defense or them just being you know,
in that offensively. Yeah, I think it's definitely both. I would
probably go sixty forty on it just being Edmonton. M leaning that right,
I think, like obviously they're bad at BC's good, so that's why there's
zero points and not like seven or ten um, but like Edmonton's just they're
not scoring anybody really and they're not moving the ball well. And if they
do move the ball well, that's gonna end with a bad turnover at the
goal, right at the goal. I sting like that did a couple weeks
ago. So just things like that, I just didn't. I did just
up play well. And I think this bye week is coming out a good
time and hopefully they can figure at least something out. How bad do you
feel, you know, for Victor Quee and kind of the rest of the
staff there where you know, here we've seen in the mark come in and
I mean even Gary Sterning back when he was involved in this, Like you
know, it helps to have a team win and you can run promotions and
have on field suites with TVs and couches and was it I think I saw
that some of the BC players you know, jumped in them and they were
sitting in there and there for the win of the celebrations. But like,
you can do all the things in the world, where if you're not winning,
Like, how do you feel about the rest of the staff there in
Edmonton? I feel awful, right Like I think, I mean, the
twenty one wins in a row or lost in a row at home, but
that's that's so bad, And I think for the staff and for even the
people working for the organization, right like, you can't how do you sell
tickets when you haven't won it three years at home? Like, and you're
not showing any signs of it, of it possibly happening. That's kind of
the thing, like if they were close to these games and lose it close
games because they be okay, like they're just they're right there, there's a
few things here and there, but they're not they're just not getting they're not
getting close to these games. And so I just don't know what you do
when I feel bad for the staff because you're right, like, even just
one win with changes the morale and do not have any is tough. We
got a couple of comments here Tim the nineteen forty nine Tiger cast when oh
and twelve okay, and then Max of course is our fact checker here worse
with Hamilton going one in seventeen three Modern era. Also we got our co
host here, Jason has he checking in from our Monday show and the sauspos
asking where's Jason Evan? That's the Monday Show where in the special, I
guess said, I have a wedding tomorrow, so Bryson is happy enough to
come on today and kind of do this. I don't have to give up
at seven tomorrow and posts all this stuff for ful filming all day. How
do you feel about the health of the CFL right now in general? Because
we have some high heights and I wanted to we'll talk Toronto and all this.
We'll move through the rest of the games. But you know, we
have some high heights, but then obviously you have Edmonton and kind of even
you know, Hamilton's kind of a dumpster fire a little bit right now,
even coming off a win. So how do you feel about the CFL as
a whole? You know, I optimistic, cautiously, I think it's tough
now and I think they'd eat because I think now with the XFL, do
still stick it around that's a lot of talent from that South that's going to
stick around they are right and not come to Canada. So I think like
that's gonna be an issue for them if they don't sort of figure out the
game. And I think, you know, I think it's it's going well,
I think, but I do think it's tough when you got teams like
Hamilton, calgaryest looks so good. Obviously image is bad, and like the
top teams aren't good. But if it's the safe teams every year, it's
hard to establish anything, right if you just got Winnipeg BC in Toronto every
year. How do you feel about Commission Ambrosi right now? Because obviously,
you know, stats aside, it seems like the CFL season is going pretty
well. I mean, I see dunk reporting and you know, demographics are
up and radians are up, and you know, we've got I have my
own thoughts about the CFL plus and everything here in America, but you know,
it seems like it's been a pretty um not you know, a controversy
free whatever. Not that there's a lot of ever kinds of seeming to see
ABU, but it feels like it's how do you feel about the state and
Ambrosi and everything else. Yeah, you know, I think obviously the stats
thing is an issue and we've touched on that and back. He needs to
figure that out. But other than that, like I mean, they had
to touchdown of Ding last week. That was a by all accounts a huge
success going down to East. So I think it's good. I think,
you know, I think part of it is that the game is kind of
trending back up to what it was like it used to have. The whole
point of CFL is like exciting games that come down to the wire. It's
kind of like it could be anyone's game in the last three minutes, and
they're getting that point where these games are exciting leading up to that, and
then at that point, right you don't you don't want to get his boring
into the last three minutes. You want to give us exciting all the way
through it. It's still exciting at the end. We've had a couple of
those games right now that have been super exciting, and I think that's just
you know, after the COVID year, the plays picking back up. So
I think having that has been helpful, just like a sell the league as
an exciting league. I don't know if if like three down just got like
I don't know if they're bored this week, and I man, I know
we're coming off in the touchdown. I've seen a lot of articles posted about
the expansion, like Hodges talking about there's a couple of different sites, and
I just saw like Rod Peterson was talking with a J Jackie back about how
like there's certain ownership that's more interested. Like one of our friends, Toddy
had just posted over in our CFL Chatter Facebook group that you know, the
toensdown in Atlantic sold out took like seventy two odd days. You had six
thousand tourists coming in, so it wasn't like it was this overwhelming the local
you know response for that. What do you what do you make of this
ten team nonsense here? Because it really I think it must just be because
the game was last week. It's really picked up here at my feed.
Yeah, I think I think it's it's picked up because of the game last
week and obviously doesn't talk of that for years now. And I do think
that the ten team it's kind of ridiculous that we have nine teams an odd
number, and there's a crossover, like just get a ten team. But
yeah, I mean it's you got to find a place that that watch it.
And like you said, like the Atlantic was a success, but I
don't know how much of it was local and how much of it was just
anybody in that sort of area. I would East and the Eastern Quebec that
just came up for it, that would go to a game every game if
they had a team there. Right, they just went for the on the
once in the seas a game. So you know, yeah, I mean
because even like Saskatchewan, I mean, you know, they're a big travel
here coming out. I mean they're of anyone. You know. It's like,
hey, well we'll travel, we'll come out for our team. Right.
Well, that's that's kind of a thing, right. You you put
Saskatchewan it, they're gonna have the fans are gonna be them traveling because they
do it every week to every game. So it's a good look for them.
But it's an easy look if you put Saskatchwe in that game. Because
another I had they put Toronto in the game, right, so Toronto has
no fans. So wow, hey, now hey so it's not here.
I wanted to talk and we can touch on to any more BC seve at
the end if we want. But this Toronto Calgary game, this feels like
it's going to be a blood bath. I think Mike Mitchell took the upset
and said that he thinks Calgary is coming in here. I mean, Toronto
historically great and Jason had just supposed to the video on his YouTube channel about
you know how good they are in the history of either kind of the CFL
and the Argonauts franchise. What do you what your thoughts on this game coming
in? Yeah, you know, I mean, like it's CFL, anyone
could win, but it would It's hard for me to find a way to
see Calgary within this game. Um. I just think that they're struggling pretty
badly and Toronto really has no witnesses right now. Like I think Toronto they're
gonna lose. It's gonna be having an off game. I guess a good
team. I don't know if they're if. I don't know if even the
worst game is enough to lose to a bad team. You know, I
think that with the way the way they're playing right and the depth they have
all around. Um, and I don't think Calgary is a great team.
I think Jake Meyer's been struggling the run game and they just give it up
on that. The last two weeks defense has been hit or miss. So
you know, I just I don't know if they could do it. In
terms of last week Toronto, Kelly didn't have his best game, probably his
worst game of the season. I mean do you attribute that, Like is
that just jet leg coming in? I mean, because you know they they
were off, you know, played their worst game. Here we're only scoring
thirty one points, but it still wasn't even the close. I mean,
why do you attribute kind of that the weak performance of Toronto last week?
Yeah? When I was, I was, I got tweeted that like it's
crazy that they had, by all counts, their worst offensive game and they
won thirty one to thirteam, Right, Like that's how good dude playing?
Um? Yeah, you know, I think it could just be travel off
week. You know, Kelly is like he's still new to the game,
like to the CFL, so as well as he's been playing like he's gonna
have gage where he's not just gonna be honest game totally because he is very
new to the CFL. So I think it could just be a couple of
that and Saskatchewan showed up to play and played well. But I'm not I'm
not concerned for it any long term ornything. I think I think he bounced
back this week. Are you surprised with how quickly it feels like Chack Kelly's
being able to pick this up? And you know, I mean we saw
a little bit last year, but you know, we talk him with this
talent struggling now with the XFL and the USFL, and you know, like
Naylor saying, you know, it takes three to four years to really come
in and be a CFL quarterback. I mean, Cornelius Gutt knows we've kind
of he's had multiple years here to figure out. But are you surprised that
Kelly's exceeded as well as he has so far? Yeah? For sure.
I think. You know. I think that I say about him is the
tools that he has are is built for the CFL, right, the strong
arm, the mobile feet, like that's what you need for a wide field
and the three down system. But it's I was always a mental game.
It's getting those passes off and fining and the twelfth defender and getting to the
coverage but definitely surprised at how he's been playing. I thought he'd be good.
I didn't think he'd be this good, right, I thought he'd you
know, he'd have some more issues, but I do. I credit a
lot of it is that Toronto's offense is designed very well around him, and
they run the ball a lot on the ball very well, and it puts
him in like for two of his situations, which helps him. He runs
the ball well. So just like Happy, an offense that designed what did.
What he's done with that offense has been fantastic, and it's it's really
helped him transition a little easier than he would have been if he got just
throwed into like the Wolves in terms of someone here, and it's not even
really a sophomore slamp. I mean, he played, you know, kind
of whatever when when Bo got her back two years ago and the Mayor last
year taken over. I don't know if it like the moments too big for
him. I mean, what do you attribute Jig Mayer's kind of struggles this
season? Yeah, you know, it's it's similar what I saw last year
with him. I think he's an accurate quarterback, but he doesn't like to
push the ball down the field, and then when he does, he can
make some questionable choices with it, and accuracy wise is not always there.
Doesn't the field super well. I think like it was tough, like I
two weeks, I guess the last two weeks before last week, he had
a good stretch of two games. He looked good, like he was making
throws. He was looking pretty good. At the last week, he had
his worst game of the year, like just chucking it up to everybody had
the worst grade of a season and our games had they four turned overthrows.
So I don't know. I mean, I don't know if it's a mental
thing or it's just like he can't quite figure it out. But it's been
like I wish he was. I wanted to be good. I wanted to
quarter would be good because this best one who got a bunch of good quarterbacks.
So yeah, I don't know in terms of him. We were talking
on the show on Monday, kind of where Calgary has rested a lot on
their wurels the last few seasons and they really haven't been an elite team since
he pre kind of pre panned Mac even kind of I think it was twenty
eighteen, twenty nineteen. How do you feel like Calgary is standing right now
in the world of the CFL. Yeah, I know, I think you're
right. I think there are a team that people if you mentioned Calgary the
CFLs, they're yeah Calgary, like they're pretty good, because they're always pretty
good. But you're right, they haven't been good for a few years now,
and and they don't look very good at all this year, Like they're
two and five, right, They're not good, and I think the perception
is there, but the play on the field isn't. Which is I mean,
I don't know if they're gonna if that helps them or if it makes
them worse, because I kind of feel content like, oh, we're like
right there, but then they're not well, especially here, you know,
I mean the West this season. Obviously Edmonton's kind of the freebe here,
but you know, the rough Riders, and I want to talk about them
as well because certainly issues with the quarterback and all of that. But yeah,
it just feels like they've continued to slip here for years, and I
really I don't know. I thought they were poised this year mayor coming in
Like I said, I don't know if the moments too big. You know,
injuries you attribute that and it's kind of as me people as they've had
to go through. In terms of for the Calgary side, yeah, you
know a lot of injuries, which is definitely not helped. I think I
sent for the year. Like Kneve Carry at running back was like Calgary the
last couple of years has been they run the ball like nobody else, Right,
That's the that's their bread and butter is run the ball, run the
ball. And Candeve Carry was so good last year and then losing him was
tough. And like DJ Mills played well the first few weeks and then the
last couple weeks he's not played so well and and teams kind of sort of
loaded the box on him and forcing by her to beat them and he hasn't
really been doing it. I do think if they all get healthy, they
could be they will be better than the two and five team, But I
don't think they're They're at that level of the BC or Winnipeg side yet.
So in terms of the Toronto Calgary, are you taking Toronto with that?
I'm taking Toronto by a fair bit. Jason here has a comment the last
two years to stams. Couldn't be couldn't be the top teams, it could
be almost anyone else this year, it feels like they can't close games against
anyone. Yeah, really kind of clutch. I think it was Ryan,
one of our Calgar Grey fan listeners saying that, you know, a mayor
not clutched, Calgary can't close kind of any of that going into overtime knowing
that they're not going to do that. Yeah, it just it feels weird.
I don't know if there's coaching staff issues. They're hot seat coming in
at the end of the season, and why are you anticipating any change over
there if they don't get it turned around? Well, I think yeah,
I think they don't turn it around. Right. It's been a couple of
years of this, and I think that is right. I think they've been
in the past like good enough to beat the bad teams, but not good
up to beat the good teams, And now they're just not good enough to
confidently beat anybody, like like you said, it could be they could lose
Edmonton right like though that they're playing that kind of that kind of way right
now. So I think if if it stays is bad and they finished with
like five wins easily. Coaching change could be the cards. Well, yeah,
yes, you wonder how long they're Digginson can kind of rite off that
because, like you said, you in your mind you think, okay,
Calgary whatever, powerhouse And it was just so weird because I remember, you
know, because we had Mayor on preseason I think it was last year,
and like you think, God, how for two of this? Is it
the Calgary you know they've had both forever and they got this backup right to
go. We have all these different you know teams and you know, like
the Edmonton and they can't get anything, and then Mayor comes in and has
not played great, you know, certainly not up to even when he was
last year. It just seems weird. It feels like something's missy with him.
I said at the moments, too big or whatever. Um. In
terms of this Montreal Hamilton game, and we'll talk Hamilton here more in depth,
how how impressed are you he's a new friend of the show here,
Cody Fjardough here in Montreal, the new look Cody, how do you feel
like he's been now? He's been great? You know, I've been surprised.
I think he greaded well. Last year for US, I had a
pretty high my quarterback rank it's up to here. I got a little bit
of flack for that because everyone said that Cody sucks and he's stopped going to
be more and hum. But I think he's gonna think he's still got his
issues. I think he takes a lot of sacks that he doesn't need to
take. And that was a big thing I had early out the year when
Mud shows great, super well and everyone's like, but they're on pace for
a hundred sacks, and I said, well, some of those sacks are
on Cody for sure. So but no, he's like, he's great,
He's been accurate, he's been throwing the ball deep, which has been big.
He's he's I mean, he does scramble still, he still got the
mobility, not quite as much as he used to have. But I think
he's played very well. So I think he's the reason they're three and three
and the reason it could be the second best team in the East. Yeah,
you know here three and three coming in. I mean, has him
been outstanding? And I don't think you have to be you know, obviously
here to win the East or be competitive but certainly looking better than Hamilton with
all of their stuff going on. I mean, do you Montreal was what
the field goal kick away or whatever it was last year? Right from getting
in, I was Gary Star was going to be on our show there and
in Regina if they had got you know, I had had verbal promises from
Gary. Very sad about that, but I mean, obviously right now,
but you see them me they contend you're here going through to the Great Cup.
Yeah, you know, I think I saw it. Asked me last
week and I said, I think Montreal is the second best team in the
East behind the Argos. Obviously, I think it could be hard to beat
the Argos this year for anybody. But I do think the Yellowts are a
good team and I think they can they can contend. I think they've got
a great defense. Their old White is very good at the Jarnals, playing
really well. So I think they've got like the pieces there to compete.
In terms of Hamilton's here, obviously we kind of had the bow Levi of
it all and coming in when did you first off thoughts on that last play
and him coming in it was supposed to be a Neil and healing just like
you're shaking your hell around. Yeah, I don't know. I mean,
like you gotta someone's gotta say just take a knee, right, like you've
got here on the one age side, you've got a yard despair going for
the seat like that? Or why didn't put him in the game like at
that point, right, Like he's just come back from injury, he's a
guy. Just take him out, put someone else in for the deal down
right. I don't know. It's been an issue with the CFL and put
these quarterbacks in too long? Just risking a lot of injury right in any
league? Like why why bother? That is what I think in terms of
we taught hot seats with coaching, I think Hamilton absolutely here and coming with
you know at the end of the season. What do you make of that
and kind of their coaching staff and any changes that you would see. Yeah,
you know, I I think they gotta figure it out, and I
think that that they haven't. Right, they got these injuries, and the
injuries are part of it. If you're not ready to manage achieve past the
injuries, if you lose the back up, what's shilts as well? Right?
And and believe now you're playing with the third stringer and it's not great.
So I don't know, I think, like could be fine. I
think I think they're still gonna be okay. Like I think that they're gonna
win some games, but so they might be okay for saving the coaching staff
there. But I don't know, I'm just like they're not great. Well,
it felt like it was really kind of an all in season this year.
Here we're bringing them bow, we're hosting, and obviously they were you
know, a rouge and a weird overtime away you know, was it two
years ago? And they kind of had all that there at the Grade Cup.
Like it feel it felt like they're the drop off last year was huge,
right from going from being the you know in the Grade Cup and all
that, you know, missing out and you know, Dame playing terrible and
everything else, like now now that he would this season, I don't know,
I mean, it doesn't even feel like they're on the radar or anywhere
close. Man, knowing the standings, you know, we're here in the
East, you're never that far out. But are you just surprised with how
much they've struggled this season? Yeah, you know, I think And also
like I think I'm surprised at like when Bob, when he's been playing,
he's been bad, and that's been been tough because like I think, you
know, I think people wrote it off last year and I thought he played
pretty okay, like not great, but I thought he could still be a
starter and play well. But like with hidden snaps, he's been pretty bad
with the football, like he's like a lowest been a quarterback by a latch
because he's chucking it to anybody. And that's been tough. But that now
without without shields as well, like you've got Powell in their Powell it was
fine, but like I checked out, that's all he does. Right the
last game he played, his average depth talk was like five yards well and
Bo had right five interceptions here before the injury of that week. I mean
that's the thing is you know he comes back and I mean I know you
can't go to shields. Do you think Powell is I mean, obviously they
don't have a lot of options right now, But is that is sustainable long
term play here for Hamilton? I don't think so unless he shows something that
he didn't show in his one start. But I watched that watch start and
you know, I thought he was fo'm but he's not gonna win you games.
Like the way he's played right now, he's so due to the league,
right, like he said, taste a couple of years to get into
it. I think he could be okay, But the way he played in
that game, it was just a lot of checkdowns, didn't push the ball
at all after it enough, but like it was never really a threat.
And so I think he's just gonna bload the box on him and stop the
run and forced them to row it. And I don't know he's gonna do
it. So I think it's gonna be a rough stretch for them now without
Cholke's or bowl Levi. It's just so weird to me. It just feels
like Hamilton doesn't have an identity here where you know, they came out and
it's like the old June Jones, like we gotta pass it and we acquired
James Butler, but we don't want to run the ball. And then we
decided to run the ball. And it felt like two weeks ago he really
kind of okay, we're giving James like we're moving the rock. And then
I guess it was last week and they just fell behind too much and then
they're you know, we're chucking the ball all over the place again. It
just doesn't feel like they're I guess, disciplined to whatever approach they want and
then when the game's getting out of hand, you kind of got to do
whatever to win. But they're not gonna win with Taylor Powell throwing the ball.
I didn't think he had forty five or whatever. It was a crazy
amount of the Thames last game. Yeah, it just doesn't feel like that's
sustainable. No, it's not. And I think I thought that like going
to Butler's good, I think, like what Butlers doing this year is crazy.
I think he has something like eighty percent of its yards after contact,
Like he's getting hit early and he's making the mess and he's and he still
played well. He's the best hunting back I think right now in the league,
and they're just not feeding him what they should. Like they have a
couple of games there what they do and they and he looks good and they
look good. But I think, especially with Powell quarterback, like you have
to run the ball. With a young quarterback, you have to get into
good situations for him, Like if you make him pass it forty five times
like bow LEVI can do it because he's a veteran. Like you know,
he wasn't great last week, but like at least he's a threat and defenses
are scared of him and they know that they have to play good pass defense.
Other ways he's gonna beat them. I don't think with Powell that they're
gonna think that, right. I think they're gonna just load the bucks,
play a lot of man or cover one and just see if you can beat
them at a note if he can. Yeah, it was two weeks ago
last week. We were on vacations the time we did the recounts, but
the time was a little Yeah, it was the forty one attempts here against
Toronto, and it's like, you just can't have Powell do that coming out.
I mean, Butler is only carrying eight times for fourteen. It's just
insane to me that, you know, I would think, and Mizell's doing
good for bc BC right now coming back from injury, but you would wonder
if we had still had Butler, you know what that would even look like?
This has Myzell's been so far? Yeah, yeah, I mean,
and that's the thing with that, like, I know, like you said,
if you can you get down big, you want to pass it,
but with a quarterback and young like that, it's almost better. Just stick
with it, right, like, run the ball. You did force him,
but pass it four to one time. It's not gonna be good.
You're not gonna win anyway, So run the ball, run your offense,
like you should, just get him comfortable with it. And if you lose
the game, I mean you're playing Toronto, whatever, you lost your defensive
plow anyway, just like get him comfortable so that if you have to play
again, he sort of gets into it. You don't have to pass it
a million times and rotas confidence. So in terms of this game here with
Montreal, here at Hamilton, who do you have that here? Hamilton's,
like I said, coming off a win, but it kind of like the
fanos, What did what did that victory cost a lot? What do you
what do you make Montrell coming in here? Yeah, I think Montreal's gonna
gonna take this one. I think They're just defense is gonna shut them down.
The Montreal's defense is good, a little underrated good, and Hamilton's old
line has been struggled little bit. So I think the d line of Montreal
is gonna be gonna be going gonna go off a little bit. And I
think they're just like they're gonna load the box and they're gonna play a lot
of man corunch, a lot of like Cover two maybe at the most,
and just force power to beat them. And I think he's gonna checked out
a lot and that's kind of gonna be it. And then I think Child's
gonna have a good day at offense and just do enough. Yeah. I
like, I think he looks more small to me this year. It looks
like swoll Yeah, yeah like that, yeah this Yeah, how does he
said? Yeah they fell behind twenty zero first half? He had do it
well? Yeah, I know. I just it's weird to me that we
acquire, you know, whether the elite running backs in the CFL, and
it's like we're not We're not not gonna use yeah. Uh so here we
have on the West Skatchewan here as around out here before the you know,
the bottom of the hour, he has Crum Sandy the impressed you. Yeah,
it has I think a little bit back down to earth last week,
but like I think he still played pretty well. You know, I think
Um I thought, like those first few weeks, I've one said like he
could be a star. I thought, you know, he's gonna have a
kind of back down to earth game. He is so new to the CFL.
It's you're not gonna be that great that early, say, with with
the Chata Kelly, right, the kind of thing that it takes some time.
You're gonna have off games. But like I think he's a great dual
threat. I mean he has something like more. I think he has like
moll to double up mis tackles forts at any other quarterback running the ball,
something like that, he's like seventeen, the next one has four or something
like that. Like he's a threat on his feet, like even more than
cordioas maybe is um So that's big. And then he's stay has been okay,
and he's been solid. Right, he's not taking too many risks,
not taking a ton of chances throwing it, which is he's gonna have to
if he wants to be a great quarterback. But I think for where he
is right now, he's played well. I used to prize with you know,
and I say this with the spark you know, as they're here,
you know, at the bottom of the ease here, but it's close to
me. I mean, are you surprised the spark that Crumb has had for
them? Because I really felt, like I remember, I was at a
wedding getting the texts that I was filming, getting the texts like, oh
my god, miss always down again, and I know, I mean,
this is yeah, you know, I kind of thought their season was over
and I mean, obviously losing last week here, but coming in and I
certainly think this is a winnable game in Saskatchewan. Are you surprised with the
spark that Otto has had with Dust and Crumb? Absolutely? Yeah. I
thought, like, you know, I thought the first couple of weeks was
just rough right with Tyree Adams and whatever played quarterbacks and they looked they looked
bad. It was just like, let's kill time before Missoli gets back.
And then he gets back and he goes down right away and he's out right,
and that's you know, a lot of season would be like that's our
season, Like we're done, We're all in on Missoli as our quarterback and
now he's out and what do we do. So the fact that the rallying
around Crumb with this and he's playing well, has been a huge surprise and
what I definitely didn't see coming. Does it feel like the Red Blacks have
had a really rough It feels like the Red Blacks the time that we've been
covering the CFL, which obviously is not as long as a lot of people,
it feels like the Red Blacks have been fairly irrelevant. Is that fair
to say? Yeah? For sure? They like they were good when they
first came in. They had like obviously they expanded when I was in Ottawa
still at university and that was twenty thirteen or twenty twelve whatever. Um,
they were back start and they got good. They had a good run there,
um, and then they've kind of fall fallen back down a bit.
Yeah, just like a lot of mediocrity. Right. They're not a they're
not an vante. They're so bad to talk about them, they're just kind
of there. But they're they're just kind of irrelevant, which has been tough
to see. So it's it's fun to see them like actually have a team
to talk about. Now, do you the struggles they've gone through and obviously
you know last year and the big injury with Missolia, I mean, do
you you know we got rid of Paula Police and Bob Days coming the end.
I mean, is coaching? Is that the problem there? Is it
just the injuries? Is it? Whether you attribute that. I think it's
a bit of both, right, I think the injuries, they're the coaching
there, just the players that come there, and they don't have a ton
of talent, like not a ton of my top talent. Right, So,
but I think they've been played well and if they could keep jelling,
I think it would be a good team. Because I watched like that behind
the r and they're like Sean Burke's like, you know, I'm I'm assembling
the greatest team here and we're making all these I'm like, okay, Like
I'm yeah, I'm all in. And then I turned on the games and
then Jason has a question for you here. When I watched the Red Blacks
and see a team that needs to create more big plays, the numbers that
PF have backed that up, Yeah for sure. And that's kind of what
I said with with crom right, I think he's he's good scramble, he's
good at it, but he's not pushing the ball downfield a lot. He's
not sort of and that's partially because I don't know if they have the receivers
to do it, and that becomes more of a coaching thing. But if
you don't have the receivers, that just chuck it too. We just start
scheming up more routes to get him deep, get them open, and give
sort of a little bit easier time for the crowd to throw it. But
he's yeah, he's definitely not been because a ton of big place he's been
doing it kind of picking up first aus without his feet and then like Kenya
throws here and there never there's not a lot of big theast like twenty thirty
forty year throws that sell the teams are doing. It feels like with you
and we saw this with win the peg and not do it you know where
obviously red blocks one, but it feels like that would be easy to game
planned against. Right, Okay, we know Crumb's gonna you know he can't
does not have into the arm like it feels like you could defense planned against
that. Are you surprised that he's been able to get away with it as
much as he can. I think it's I think it's because of his scrambling
that that kind of helps him, right, like if Gay played against his
passing, but like unless you have a guy spying him, but you might
still miss the tackle. He's that good, right, and you're always kind
of scared of him with his feet, which is what I think. Like,
and I've said with that Cornelius, guys like Dad who can run it,
like lean on that war because that'll help, right. I think they've
been they've been doing a good job with that. But I think eventually Teas
will start to figure out, Okay, if we can stop before running,
he can't beat us as wealth of the era. That's gonna be kind of
the downfall a little bit if they if they get into that in terms of
Saskatchewan right now, and obviously you know this can of this team or whatever,
and then kind of all this other stuff, but really not having a
good go at it right here. You know, I always friended this show
Jamie Ny, you know, and I see him tweeting like this, this
guy's would need a new quarterback, a new quarterback, all righty, like
not going to be good. I mean, you know, they're they're not
terrible here, you know, third in the West, But what is going
on with the rough Riders? Yeah, if you know, I think I
think they're I guess the perfectly average team right now is how I just got
got some fighting, got some good here, some bad there. Um.
And obviously the quarterback injury issues is a big thing. I thought, like
Josie Harris is huge because he'd been playing great and he's such a different quarterback
right Like he's one of those guys that like you can't blitz because he's so
quick. That we did the field and getting the ball out that it changes,
Like defense is the way they play and now they now defenses could play
against these guys like they play against other other quarterbacks and it makes it a
little easier to defend. And I think like Mason Finant, he played well
last week, not great. Um, I think started give this week is
fine. I thought, like I know people want it, don't like Galla
because he had that great drive, but I mean that was Charta was played
prevent defense basically, and he just picked it apart. Um. So I
think, like I think find his issues. I think he's got an arm
strength problem which will which will bite him, but I think he could.
I think givehim a chance is see he does this week eating the drop off
is that much from Trevor the Mason? Yeah, I think so. I
think, like I just think that, Like, I mean, the arms
strength for Harris isn't as great as it used to be, right, he's
not. He's never been a strong arm deep kind of guy. But he's
so accurate and he's so quick at reading that. Like I looked at the
stats recently. There was something like the average quarterback that said against blitzed at
like a forty five percent rate. He got blitzed like a twenty die percent
rate because teams are so scared of blitz it because they know if they send
too many, he'll find that one I want and he'll hit it because he's
so quick at leading it. So he's so different than other quarterbacks. No
one else doesn't like him that like if I can't do it like him.
So I think it is a big drop off in terms of you know,
we talk hot seats and stuff fine here and you know it's a Skatchewan host
seeing the Gray Cup last year, missing the playoffs and certainly not a crowny
moment for them. How long can they kind of wallow in this averageness.
I think not long. I think, like you know, I think the
Harris injury could help do poorly now and and if Harris comes back and they
do okay after that, but it's kind of too late because they had a
bad stretch. That's one thing. I don't know if Harris is gonna come
back. I don't know how long he's out. But I think the day
like they were like hoping for a late season. Yeah, then it wasn't
that like we're hoping. Okay, Yeah, that's what I thought, But
I don't know that could just be out of the season right. I'm trying
to not write it off yet, but I think that might help them sort
of buy like they could say, well, you know, we lost Trevor
Harrison year, that's why we were were bad, and that'll save them.
But like, if it happens again next year, that's probably the end of
the end of the line for this coaching staff. Yeah. That was like
last year when like you know, and it was horrendous, you know,
when Nathan went down and the injury and all of that. And I remember
a BC tweeting out like, oh, you know, works that you're respecting
the late season. I wanted to text map Maker and be like, you're
totally full of it right now, you know, but then you know well
and behold you know they were throwing and then coming back with the boot.
But the question, I don't you know Vernon BC had such a lead,
and Vernon I did not play great last year. I mean they they like
won some games, but I mean really just kind of existed until the Nathan
where it came back. And I never had any confidence going in against Winnipeg
there at the what was it the semis or whatever either that in the West,
like Saskatchewan is in a much more rough spot right here where I don't
think Mason Fine can kind of write the ship along enough for Trevor to get
back. No, I think you're right. I think the A, the
team itself isn't as talented as BC was last year. And B I don't
think Fine is as good as Verdonado's was in verdon Like you said, Vernon
wasn't great, but he was kind of passable for them last year and the
talent they had was enough to kind of keep him afloat. But yeah,
I don't I'm not optimistic about Saskatchew much of chances to see her being anything
more than like an average team with these quarterbacks. So do you see a
bounced back here for Ottawa? Do you see Crumb leading in another game,
you know, game winning and final drive or something? Yeah, I could
see it. I think I think I would if I had to pick,
I'd pick Crumb in Ottawa. But I think this was probably the closest game
for me to pick. I could see skeatchwaw Windy too, just because I
think Ottawa still has some issue us right if they and if they, if
last week was kind of a blueprint for Chrome and Saskatchewa can kind of get
to that, then could stop him. But I think Ottawa comes away with
this one. No, I mean except for tonight. It's exciting. I'm
ready for this. I mean not the most thrilling games on paper here?
Which game are you? It's say for tonight? Which game ers like?
You think the standouts the Sunday Night? Yeah, I like that. I
just think that'll be a more exciting game. I think be fun and and
kind of like a toss up. I think Toronto will win. I mean
Throntas partly was a scitting team to play, but I think that that'll be
easy game for them. Well, and I don't know, man, I
mean McMahon, this struggle kind of all year with attendance anyway there, and
then you know Calgary coming in if they get their ass beat here by Toronto.
I'm kind of concerned about what that does long term. I mean,
there was already comments coming into the season where Calgary is down, you know,
thirty percent on season ten, whatever it was, the numbers, like
it seems like they're already kind of struggling on there. Yeah, for sure,
you know, I think I got to figure out what abouts back a
little bit at least, I joked to on the more on the On the
Money recap said, the sixth is our anniversary. And last year we went
to this Italian restaurant. We waited out in line. It was like an
hour away and I remember watching it was BC. I think it was Edmonton
at BC, and it was one of the games for Nathan work just absolutely
went off. And I'm sitting there watching on my phone, waiting in line
for dinner for our anniversary. And that's I don't I don't foresee myself doing
that. Maybe this year with the Ottomous and Scatchroom game, I don't know.
And though it'd be as many fireworks going on and in that game.
Yeah, probably not as many as that. You might see a couple of
nice runs here from from Crumble. Let's kind of it. We'll start to
wind up here soon. Any other thoughts from you in terms of either the
game to neither anything else CFL No, I think you know what, just
I'm excited for the season. I think it's been a good start. I
think it's been one of the sort of better starts in recent years that I
can remember for the CFL. And I'm glad that it's sort of taken off
a little bit. I'm seeing more Americans on Twitter and like talking about it
and watching the game. So it's good that we're kind of finding some people
down there and hopefully it keeps rolling. Kim had the comment here, I
love the parody of the season, the potential of an East crossover as wild.
Yeah, I mean the bottom the bottom of the West really has kind
of fallen off this year. I mean here, we've talked at least since
I've existed, I'm here, you know, the East and whatever, but
here this year everyone relevant. Are you liking the East being a little more
relevant in the CFL this season? Yeah? I love it. You know,
I think it's funny because I mean, I don't know how true this
is. There's probably not that true, but like to me, it's been
the West crossing over and like every year since I can remember, like it
always feel. It feels like last twenty years it's been the West across is
over just because those teams are stronger. Um, I know it's not the
that's not the truth. Like I don't least crossover a few times here and
there, but I think it's cool to see the East sort of kind of
in a chance a crossover and it's just like kind of different to see and
again, right, like aside for the top kind of three teams there,
everyone else has kind of got a chance, right, You got like five
teams sort of right in there. Obviously, I think Toronto here with the
bullet in the East at least you know favorites here going in. Do you
see tonight is kind of a preview of who you think is going to win
the West? Is it's still too lads, there's still too much of a
season left with at BC and Winnipeg. No, I mean all the season
left, But I don't see any of those teams below them catching those guys.
I think they're just too good with the injury with Harris and Amyer playbook
he is. I don't think they're gonna catch up. So I think this
is kind of like a little Western preview. If people want to kind of
follow more about your staff and they kind of what else do you have going
on? What would they do? Yeah? Follow me on Twitter at p
F Underscore Bryson. That's where I post out my content on the site.
I'll get links there. So that's on PF dot com. That's kind of
the two spots you can find me at. And you guys, I know
we talked about the top in terms of like the league and everything. Have
you guys seen good traction good numbers on the site for all the CFL content?
Yeah, for sure. And that's one thing I wanted to kind of
mention. I know, like I'm getting a lot of people asking me about
grades, like can they get access? Like we know we have our pretium
stats from the NFL and college not for CFL yet, And I know that
it's been tough for them. They're building that database has been hard and they've
been focused on the NFL, so they have no time for this year.
But they like I've been told basically like if if attractions there, they'll work
out of it. Sounds of attraction is there, so that we're hopefully going
to work out it so that by next year, everyone who subscribes will have
access to all the grades and all the stats that they get from the NFL
and college, which is very exciting. Well, that would be good because,
like I said, I think, you know, CFL having that working
relationship with you guys, kind of leaning into that, especially if they're not
going to do a lot of that soap or be able to do a lot
of that stuff themselves, I think will be good. Rising. I appreciate
it. Today, like I said, kind of a special Thursday live show
here getting ready. You know XFL we had I think we're up to forty
three players signings right now, which is crazy in terms of going to the
XFL and USFL. I believe was it seventeen or eighteen last night checked,
and those numbers have gone up today. I know maxwill coming on here if
I'm wrong, but good to see that, good to see the CFL stuff.
We'll be back on Monday. We'll have our recap with Jason and Evan
and everything. Else on that kind of talk in CFL Week nine, and
then we'll figure out next week and we might do a couple of these CFL
shows here, XFL News and everything else a little slow, but you know
we're getting through here. Jason not Jason Days, like goes Bryson. If
you had to give the CFL season grade thus far, what would you give
it. I've give it a B right now. I think it's it's been
good, but loot a roof for girls still, so give it a B
to a B plus. Well that's good. Yeah, certainly, Like I
said, the best that we've had on here. I appreciate everyone checking out.
Like I said, weird time a time of day and time evolve this
on here. Bryson's got stuff to go to. We got Hall of Fame
game here at five if you want to check it out. And then then
I think this will be one of the games of the season. I got
Dorothy, my wife. When we're making nachos and stuff, it's gonna be
a whole, a whole big thing. Uh yeah, maybe we'll do an
IFL recabitate Max, we can, we can work shop that. But I
got weddings tomorrow and then this is. This is my busy time of year,
so Bryson, I appreciate it. We'll get out of here. Everyone
enjoyed the game and go go BC Lions. So hopefully you can do you
co sign. Yeah, I go BC. You'll I'll give you that one.
There you go, all right, thanks guys,