Re: Ricky Williams's debut Beat me to it...lolGiving him the benefit of the doubt though he did only have one week of training camp to get back into shape...but still, thats kinda pathetic<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>TORONTO -- Ricky Williams looked less like an NFL rushing champion and every bit like a running back less than a week into training camp with a new team.The suspended Miami Dolphins running back was held to seven yards on four carries in his first CFL game Friday night as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Toronto Argonauts 31-3 in the exhibition opener for both clubs.After rushing four times for seven yards in his CFL debut, Ricky Williams offered: 'I felt comfortable with the offense.'"The biggest thing was to see the game, to see the speed of the game and get a feel of what's going to be expected of me," Williams said. "It's hard to do it in a meeting room or the practice field but when you come out here at game speed you have a better idea."I did a decent job on pass protection. Obviously I didn't have that many yards running the ball but I felt pretty good about my performance. It felt good, it felt natural. I wasn't nervous, I felt comfortable with the offense."The game capped a whirlwind week for Williams, who signed a one-year deal with Toronto on Sunday.Williams has been suspended for the upcoming season by the NFL after a fourth violation of the league's substance abuse program.Williams, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher in the NFL, had four practices to get acclimated with Canadian football, yet, judging by the hundreds of Miami jerseys featuring Williams' No. 34 present at Rogers Centre, it was clear who many had come to see.But they had to wait, as veteran John Avery started at tailback. An ovation erupted midway through the first when Williams, who is wearing No. 27 with Toronto, was shown on the Jumbotron patiently waiting his turn.Williams quietly slipped into the game with 5 seconds left in the first and the Argos at their 35-yard line trailing 14-0. Predictably, Williams got the ball on his first play from scrimmage, resulting in a 2-yard gain, but it wasn't until the PA announcer called Williams as the ball carrier that the Heisman Trophy winner received a rousing ovation."It's hard to tell with just one quarter of play, but they came ready to play," Williams said when asked about the level of competition in the CFL. "It's a team sport and one player isn't going to make much of a difference unless he's able to help everyone else raise their level of play and match the opponents' intensity."But Williams liked being able to go into motion before the snap, something he has never been able to do in the NFL."It's fun because you get a head start on the defense and they don't know where you're going," he said. "It's just learning the game so you can take advantage of it more and I'm sure that will come."Argos head coach Mike (Pinball) Clemons wasn't surprised with Williams' rushing numbers in his first CFL game."It's about what I expected," said Clemons, a former Argos running back. "With a running back like him it's not his first three, four or five touches in a game that are going to make the difference, it's the 10 in the fourth quarter when they wear you down that's going to be the difference for him."I think it's good he struggled ... because it's going to let him know to be successful in this league he's going to have to work maybe the hardest he has ever worked to this point in his career."Fans got a rise out of a vignette in the second that made fun of former Toronto quarterback Joe Theismann's condemnation of the club's signing Williams.On Tuesday, Theismann called the move a "feeble excuse" by Toronto to sell tickets, lashed out at Williams and said he was ashamed to have worn the club's old A emblem on his helmet.During a stoppage in play Friday, a video ran on the Jumbotron showing Theismann wearing a helmet with the 'A' emblem. Suddenly, a giant pencil appeared and rubbed out the 'A,' after which the worlds "Happy Now Joe" appeared, again drawing solid applause.Tiger-Cats coach Greg Marshall downplayed suggestions Williams' presence provided extra motivation for his defense."Anytime we play the Argos we don't need any extra motivation," he said. "Personally, I didn't even know when Ricky was in the football game."I don't know if our defense was even aware."</div>
Re: Ricky Williams's debut Maybe the Argonauts' line blows, sometimes runners just get stuffed regardless of their talent.
Re: Ricky Williams's debut ESPN still thinks he'll run for about 1400 yards, and then the Dolphins will either trade him for a 2nd rounder, or keep him. I doubt it though, he's approaching 30 yr old.I haven't watched a CFL Game. What's the pass to rush ratio? Is it like 99 to 1 like AFL? Or is it more 50-50?
Re: Ricky Williams's debut <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brooksie5 @ Jun 8 2006, 10:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>ESPN still thinks he'll run for about 1400 yards, and then the Dolphins will either trade him for a 2nd rounder, or keep him. I doubt it though, he's approaching 30 yr old.I haven't watched a CFL Game. What's the pass to rush ratio? Is it like 99 to 1 like AFL? Or is it more 50-50?</div>They only have 3 downs, I believe so they dont run alot. However, a Runningback of Ricky's caliber hasnt been in the CFL for a long time so eits really unknown what the breakdown of Run/Pass will be yet. He will have to be more of a factor out of the passing game though in the CFL.
Re: Ricky Williams's debut <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brooksie5 @ Jun 8 2006, 10:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>ESPN still thinks he'll run for about 1400 yards, and then the Dolphins will either trade him for a 2nd rounder, or keep him. I doubt it though, he's approaching 30 yr old.I haven't watched a CFL Game. What's the pass to rush ratio? Is it like 99 to 1 like AFL? Or is it more 50-50?</div>A 2nd round pick for Ricky Williams. Yea right, maybe if Ricky gave all 31 GM's (not including Miami's) the stuff he smokes.
Re: Ricky Williams's debut <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chaintime @ Jun 8 2006, 05:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brooksie5 @ Jun 8 2006, 10:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>ESPN still thinks he'll run for about 1400 yards, and then the Dolphins will either trade him for a 2nd rounder, or keep him. I doubt it though, he's approaching 30 yr old.I haven't watched a CFL Game. What's the pass to rush ratio? Is it like 99 to 1 like AFL? Or is it more 50-50?</div>A 2nd round pick for Ricky Williams. Yea right, maybe if Ricky gave all 31 GM's (not including Miami's) the stuff he smokes.</div>Never say Never as long as Matt Millen is in the league.
Re: Ricky Williams's debut Game 2, 11 Carries, 46 Yards, 1 Fumble.A little more like it.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Williams runs for 46 yards in Argos' final exhibitionAssociated PressHAMILTON, Ontario -- Argonauts running back Ricky Williams ran for 46 yards on 11 carries but had a critical fumble as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Toronto 21-11 on Friday night in the final CFL exhibition game for both teams.Williams, who joined the CFL after he was suspended for a year by the NFL for a fourth violation of the league's drug policy, was more productive than his exhibition debut last weekend, when he had 7 yards on three carries.The former Miami Dolphins back started in this game and played three quarters before giving way to John Avery. His fumble in the second quarter set up Jason Maas' 34-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Flick on the final play of the first half, giving Hamilton a 10-0 lead.Williams' longest run of the night went for 8 yards. Toronto and Hamilton open the regular season next Saturday.http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2477706</div>
Re: Ricky Williams's debut The yards don't look as good with a turnover next to them. Just as crappy a game as he had before IMO.
Re: Ricky Williams's debut <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Johnny White Guy @ Jun 10 2006, 01:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The yards don't look as good with a turnover next to them. Just as crappy a game as he had before IMO.</div>To be fair, he did go from 1.75 Yards Per Carry to 4.18 Yards Per Carry.
Re: Ricky Williams's debut 18 carries, 97 yds.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Williams runs for 97 yards in opening win for ArgosAssociated PressTORONTO -- Ricky Williams needed a little time to get going in his CFL debut.After gaining 8 yards in the first half, the former Dolphins running back finished with 97 yards on 18 carries in the Toronto Argonauts' 27-17 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday in the regular-season opener for both teams.Spergon Wynn replaced injured quarterback Damon Allen after the third play of the game when Allen went down with a broken middle finger on his right hand. But Toronto stuck with its pass-first gameplan even though it had Williams in the backfield.The Argos, especially in the first half, seemed content to use Williams as a decoy rather than a ball carrier. The former Heisman Trophy winner had three carries, and two catches for 24 yards in the half.Williams was especially impressive in the fourth quarter, with Toronto protecting a 24-17 lead. He had 11 carries for 72 yards, including a 35-yard run after rookie Jermaine Mays' interception put the Argos at their 20-yard line."I think we saw what can happen with you [if]continue to stay with him," coach Mike (Pinball) Clemons said. "As the defense wears down, those tackles at the beginning of the game start to become arm tackles and he did a good job of running through those."Williams is playing in the CFL after he was suspended by the NFL for one year after a fourth violation of the league's drug policy. He rushed for 53 yards on 15 carries in Toronto's two exhibition losses to Hamilton.Hamilton coach Greg Marshall was unhappy when Toronto gave Williams the ball twice from the Ticats 6-yard line in the closing seconds, attempting to get him a touchdown and 100 yards rushing."Would you give it to your star back with 5 seconds left?" Marshall fumed. "It doesn't matter, our job is to defend and they can do what they want to do."Williams shrugged off Marshall's comments."I think they just wanted to get me over 100 yards and get me a touchdown," he said. "They were just trying to make my debut just a little bit nicer.""When you lose you find things to get [upset] about. Seriously, it's not a big deal. Who cares about 100 yards? We won, that's what's important."Even though he played in the NFL, Williams isn't expecting to take the CFL by storm."I didn't come up here saying these guys are slower or aren't good players," he said. "I have respect for anyone who puts on a football uniform.""This game is difficult and at any level of professional football you have to be an athlete. You guys might see me as a big football player from the NFL coming here but for me I approach my job more seriously here than I probably did in the NFL. You have to get yourself ready to play, regardless of who you're playing against."</div>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2489335
Re: Ricky Williams's debut Talk about strange, Jermaine Mays (mentioned in the article making an INT) played for the Nashville Kats in the AFL just like a month ago.
Re: Ricky Williams's debut <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jeefunk @ Jun 18 2006, 02:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Talk about strange, Jermaine Mays (mentioned in the article making an INT) played for the Nashville Kats in the AFL just like a month ago.</div>Alot of AFL and CFL players are the same....guess they keep playing hoping to get some eyes opened in the NFL.
Re: Ricky Williams's debut He is improving every outing. In a couple weeks he should be dominating the CFL.
