DECISIONS BY COACHES RAISED SOME EYEBROWS
Coaches coach. Players play.
It is a common phrase you hear in the football world.
Show me a good team with good players and you’ll see a good coach.
Jacques Chapdelaine had a reputation as a solid offensive co-ordinator when he joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the 2015 CFL season.
Subtract Darian Durant and Kevin Glenn from the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ lineup and it’s funny how the perception changed — along with my employment status, come to think of it.
The examples in football are endless, but I strongly believe you need to have very good coaches to complement your players in order to win consistently.
Limited rosters in the CFL make coaching acumen a prerequisite for winning. Getting the most out of your players is a must.
This past weekend, there were two glaring examples of this not taking place.
EXHIBIT A: Saturday night at B.C. Place, late in a game between the Hamilton Tiger-cats and B.C. Lions, the visiting team was facing a third down on B.C.’S 38-yard line — and a fairly straightforward decision, one would think. Maybe not.
Lirim Hajrullahu was brought to Hamilton, with a nice contract, via free agency. You pay him to perform at moments like this — yes, to punt the ball through the end zone for a single. Wait. What!!???
A 45-yard field goal in a dome wins the game. Period.
I guess Hajrullahu being 12-for-14 from between 40 and 49 yards on the season wasn’t enough to sway the decision. Tiger-cats head coach June Jones opted to punt.
The resulting rouge put Hamilton ahead 29-21. The Lions scrimmaged the ball on their 35-yard line, marched down the field for a touchdown, tied it up with a two-point convert, and won 35-32 in overtime.
Granted, the Tiger-cats’ defence should have held. None- theless, why punt there? Kick the field goal, go up by two scores, pass GO and collect $200.
Now, the football world can be relentless when it comes to criticism. Trust me, I know. Most of the criticism I received was deserved, except when it came from this clown from the Leaderpost. Some columnist guy.
Anyway, if Hajrullahu misses that field goal, does anyone criticize the coach? I highly doubt it. What message are you sending to your kicker, and ultimately to your team, by punting ?
Jones punted away a win, as it turned out.
EXHIBIT B: Earlier Saturday, during a game between the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders, Duron Carter spent half of his time on the home team’s sideline at BMO Field.
Let’s keep this simple: Why bother signing him in the first place?
What must Argonauts general manager Jim Popp be thinking when he signs a top-end player, only for him to be virtually ignored?
When Carter puts on a uniform, you’d expect him to be used, at least.
Nope. Carter was targeted only once (on an incompletion) during the Roughriders’ 30-29 victory.
Digest this and explain to me if you can: Montreal Alouettes quarterback Johnny Manziel was targeted as many times as Carter, only to be much more productive (22 yards).
That’s simply inexcusable. Argonauts receiver S.J. Green left the game due to injury for a brief time and Carter was still on the bench.
Obviously, Argonauts head coach Marc Trestman does not endorse the signing of Carter. You must wonder not only what Carter is thinking, but what the rest of the players make of this.
I’d bet on the odd raised eyebrow, and some grumbling. That’s being polite.
Coaches coach. Players play. Sometimes, you need to let the players play.