In this edition of the CFL Roundtable, Sportsnet’s CFL insiders discuss another coaching change for the Als, the league’s most reliable hands and most fearsome ‘D’.
1. Did Tom Higgins deserve to be fired after winning on the road in BC?
DONNOVAN BENNETT: No. Montreal has injury issues and is within striking distance of a playoff spot with 10 games remaining on the schedule. This the Als fourth head coaching change since 2013 and the fourth time Jim Popp has named himself interim head coach. Continuity breeds long term success not knee jerk reactions.
JUSTIN DUNK: The short answer is no, but it’s clear there were more factors at play than just the Alouettes results on the field. Considering Higgins lost two experienced quarterbacks for extended time in Week 1 and had to ride the ups and downs of a rookie quarterback through the next seven games, Montreal’s 3-5 record doesn’t seem that bad.
ARASH MADANI: The decision to fire Higgins was made even before the Alouettes ended the decade-and-a-half drought in BC. Higgins was dead man walking, in large part because he wasn’t hired by Jim Popp, and from what I’m told, the two were rarely on the same page. When the support isn’t there from GM to coach——and the GM didn’t hire the coach——it was only a matter of time before Higgins would be ousted.
JAMIE THOMAS: No. The Als Winning a game in Vancouver for the first time in 15 years shouldn’t be overlooked. It was a solid performance by everyone on the Alouettes. To me it looks like terrible timing and its apparent that no matter the result against the Lions, Jim Popp had his mind made up.
2. When you need a big catch in a tight spot to move the chains or bring in a touchdown, who is the 2015 version of Ben Cahoon?
BENNETT: Based off body of work it’s the man dominating the slot in the same city as Calhoun, SJ Green. His body control and catching radius is crazy. However, Ryan Smith and Vidal Hazelton have shown already in their young careers the knack to make the tough catch and could be in this conversation with a few years of highlight grabs.
DUNK: For my money it’s Eric Rogers. That might seem like an easy answer, but he gets open on crucial second down plays and is a go-to option in the red zone. Rogers has 11 touchdown grabs in 12 career CFL games, including playoffs, and he’s only going to get better.
MADANI: With apologies to the steely mettle of Luke Tasker, and the veteran craftiness of Marquay McDaniel, there may not be a more reliable and clutch dude you can rely on than Greg Ellingson. He’ll climb the ladder to go haul in what appears to be uncatchable; is able to stretch the field, and over the middle his hands are money. Those three guys, by the way, are former or present-day Ti-Cats. Go figure.
THOMAS: He may not be putting up the numbers we are used to seeing but I’m a huge fan of Nik Lewis and I believe Rakeem Cato is starting to realize it too. Lewis is a player you can count on and his refusal to go down on the first tackle attempt and anything after that sets him apart.
3. The best defence in the CFL is …?
BENNETT: It’s a two horse race between Edmonton and Hamilton. When you break it down by position groups I prefer the front 4, linebackers, and secondary in Steel town. They are wildly better at home then they are on the road but they aren’t even fully healthy right now and haven’t missed a beat. Edmonton should be careful who they call out.
DUNK: Hamilton hands down. The Ticats beat up teams along the line of scrimmage, stuff the run and rush the passer with fury. Hamilton’s defence takes away the football and this season often score when they get a turnover – eight touchdowns in as many games from a defence is mind-boggling.
MADANI: Still in Edmonton. Look, they got run out of the gym and couldn’t look worse against the Tiger-Cats, and our old Sportsnet CFL analyst Orlondo Steinauer’s Hamilton unit is as good as they come. But in a game where the turnover ratio is so critical, the Eskimos have full-on ball hawks in their back-end and their front-seven can change games with pressure. Once summer ends, in cold weather games, that Edmonton defense is built for cold, prairie November Sundays.
THOMAS: This is the easiest answer I’ve had to give all season long. The Ti-Cats have a special unit in place and have been dominant. They have crushed three consecutive opponents and have 8 defensive touchdowns already this season. Orlondo Steinhauer is making a case to be the next coordinator to have a head coaching gig in the CFL with what he has done with this group.