From the Lark's Nest

I believe that all diehard Als fans, when we were 7-0, were of the opinion that while it was nice to be undefeated, our team wasn't firing on all cylinders, and that we weren't really that good. Guess what? We're not.

The one positive I can take from this game is that, unlike the Toronto game, we didn't roll over and play dead.  We just got beat by a superior team.  No question, the Calgary Stampeders are a superior team at this point in the season.  Their offence outplayed ours, their defence outplayed ours, their special teams outplayed ours, and (unusual to say this!) we got out-coached.

So, as with our previous match against Calgary, rather than finding too much fault with our team, credit has to go to the other side.  But that's three losses in a row, if we are the elite team we believe ourselves to be, something better happen but soon to start showing that.

My observations are as follows in terms of what needs to be done to turn this ship around before it starts sinking:

1.  The offensive line, long one of our unsung bright spots, and arguably the best in the league the past several seasons, is not as dominant as it once was.  The running game was absent this time out, and some of that has to be laid on the line; perhaps an infusion of some fresh blood there is needed, perhaps the line we have is getting a bit long in the tooth;

2.  AC is off his game; most Als fans have been saying this since game 1.  Is this an aberration or is his game going south and the beginning of the downslope of his career?  If it is the latter, for gawd's sake put Brady in and give him some playing time. We all know Nealon Greene isn't the answer; all he ever does when he gets in a game is throw nice passes to the other team; he's done that in every game he's been in this year.  Promote Brady, Greene will take us nowhere.  As for AC, I don't want to hear any more blaming of the new ball.  All teams are playing with this ball, and I didn't see Henry Burris have any particular difficulty making extremely accurate, pinpoint passes, be they long or short; so stop using that as a crutch.

3.  Our receiving corps is not what it once was; we miss the swagger and confidence as when we had Copeland, Cavil, and so on.  Cahoon is still Cahoon, but let's face it Anderson doesn't really scare anybody, nor I think does Watkins.  Wilson had a breakout game against Toronto, but then was basically ignored this time out; what gives with that?  I am starting to wonder if our offence misses Doug Berry more than we thought we would.........

4.  I like the defensive scheme, but am starting to wonder if we have the personnel to carry it out.  The secondary I like, we have brought in good young talents in Brightful, Cox, and Kent; the linebackers are solid (Mackey and Ellis alternating at MLB are solid; Butler and Strickland excel in the pressure defence..and here's hoping Strickland's injury is not too serious...and Boulay looks like a keeper); it's the line I'm getting concerned about.  I am happy to go back to the pressure defence, but what in the world are we doing no higher than third from the bottom in terms of sacks?  We should be much higher.......

All in all, a disquieting loss.  First loss I could take, just give Calgary credit.  Second loss was horrid, and I was hoping it was an aberration.  But now three......keep this up and our ship might be sinking to the lower regions of the Eastern Conference.

Well, we'll soon know.  We have BC up next week, and then the Lions again after a week off.  Those two games should tell us where we stand.

Unfortunately, MadJack will miss the next game, I'll be up by Ungava Bay in northern Quebec hunting Caribou.