Lions 36 - Stampeders 31 Post Game Stats and Comments

[hwgill]

I have to say I was...shocked that the Leos beat the Stamps in their house. I am also very happy that they did, and give kudos to the entire team for a well-played game.

I still see it as only a single game. When we lose against the two worst teams in the league in OT ln less, I still see major problems within the team. If, and this is a big if, the Leos manage to beat the Riders and Ti-Cats in these last two games, then I will start to believe again. But for things to go this far, off-season changes to the top of the coaching staff still need to be made, regardless of how the Lions finish this season/post-season.

[Gerry]

A couple of observations:

Defensive undisciplined penalties - is Dave Ritchie on the coaching staff? The Leos' penchant for committing fouls like that of McKenzie and several others over the past 3 or 4 games was always a hallmark of a Ritchie team.

McKenzie's penalty - some are trying to say it might not have been warranted? Whether Burris embellished it a bit or not is irrelevant. Burris was already at least 2 yards beyond OB. McKenzie did give him a push. That will draw a flag each and every time. You have to be smarter than that. Don't give the zebra an excuse to throw the hanky.

Arjei Franklin - if BC makes the playoffs I'm sending you a Christmas card. BC totally blew the coverage leaving him wide open by 10 yards. Burris hit him right in the hands. Stamp fans must think Kamau Peterson, Stampeder version is back in town.

Travis Lulay - I'm getting to like this kid. While the Printers' camp may disagree I see a young QB who makes good decisions. He seems to know when to roll out of the pocket or when to step up into it. He's not afraid to throw the ball away or tuck it and run when nothing is there. Somebody complained about him not looking downfield enough. Well he hit Arceneaux for 74. He overthrew him on a couple more occasions. On the pick intended for Black, another deep ball, that was simply one hell of an athletic play by the DB to take the ball away. If Travis throws that ball 48.5 yards instead of 48 it's a BC TD. The important thing I saw in all of those deep plays was he was making the right read and decision. They were deep balls on single coverage with the receiver having a step on the defender. On all the swing passes to Robertson I think those were a sign of a QB going through his reads. First read? Not there. Second read? Not there. Get the ball off to Robertson in the flat which was available all game long and they were usually picking up 6 to 8 yards. Very nice job of delivering the ball perfectly hitting Robertson in stride. He never had to stop or break stride to adjust to the ball. Just reading back through this comment in Lulay I see all the basic fundamentals I expect to see in my quarterback. Unfortunately for Casey it was too rare an occasion that he exercised the same sort of sound judgement Lulay has displayed. CP's play seemed to have degenerated to running around in circles in the pocket, usually head down, bouncing off his own OL or pass-rushers like a pinball before flailing the ball downfield into coverage in hopes that something good MIGHT happen. Like any young QB Travis needs to work protecting the ball but at least he tends to tuck it in as opposed to carrying it like a loaf of bread. On the fumble return for TD that was just a great play by Hughes to punch the ball free.

I have nothing to add except...

[PigSkin_53]

Travis Lulay - I'm getting to like this kid. While the Printers' camp may disagree I see a young QB who makes good decisions. He seems to know when to roll out of the pocket or when to step up into it. He's not afraid to throw the ball away or tuck it and run when nothing is there. Somebody complained about him not looking downfield enough. Well he hit Arceneaux for 74. He overthrew him on a couple more occasions. On the pick intended for Black, another deep ball, that was simply one hell of an athletic play by the DB to take the ball away. If Travis throws that ball 48.5 yards instead of 48 it's a BC TD. The important thing I saw in all of those deep plays was he was making the right read and decision. They were deep balls on single coverage with the receiver having a step on the defender. On all the swing passes to Robertson I think those were a sign of a QB going through his reads. First read? Not there. Second read? Not there. Get the ball off to Robertson in the flat which was available all game long and they were usually picking up 6 to 8 yards. Very nice job of delivering the ball perfectly hitting Robertson in stride. He never had to stop or break stride to adjust to the ball. Just reading back through this comment in Lulay I see all the basic fundamentals I expect to see in my quarterback. Unfortunately for Casey it was too rare an occasion that he exercised the same sort of sound judgement Lulay has displayed. CP's play seemed to have degenerated to running around in circles in the pocket, usually head down, bouncing off his own OL or pass-rushers like a pinball before flailing the ball downfield into coverage in hopes that something good MIGHT happen. Like any young QB Travis needs to work protecting the ball but at least he tends to tuck it in as opposed to carrying it like a loaf of bread. On the fumble return for TD that was just a great play by Hughes to punch the ball free.

Nice analysis Hambone

I concur with your assessment that the kid has developed nicely since his early days of happy feet, as is the way with all rookie Qbs seeing the game unfolding way too fast.

He is becoming a confidently maturing, cerebral quarterback now that he is getting comfortable with his reads, but still only occasionally being allowed to use his halfbacks as outlet receivers.

Makes me wonder how much better Travis could aspire to be under the mentoring of a Dave Dickenson as OC or HC, but the more we want that to happen the further away that seems to get from us, thanks to jealous rivals who have poisoned the cup.

It is unfortunate the way DD was unceremoniously punted out of town the week of GC 2007, but now I guess we will always struggle with how to live with that.

[bbking]

On a brighter note, I thought Crawford, played better tonight. He made a couple of timely hits. He still looks a bit like a deer in the headlights but maybe there is some more seasoning to come.

Agreed, give credit where credit is due. Good game Tad.

[prj]

Such an emotional roller coaster ride! Great start, scary middle, stout, gutsy ending. What I most liked was the heart the Lions displayed. I thought Travis grew some more; I thought all the LBs played very well. I'm still concerned about the OL, but it is clearly improving,so I'll stop complaining. McCallum is having a brilliant season. Crawford scared the willies out of me by playing so deep ... that pass was open again whenever Calgary needed it ... at least until the final series, when it wasn't, so I appreciate that maybe he is learning too.

This is a rebuilding year. We have a ton of rookies out there. All things considered, it's probably a pretty successful season, really. The emergence of character and heart surely points the team in the right direction.

[tigerrr22]

I liked how Wally accepted the Lulay fumble as just part of life as a QB in the CFL. That patience, on Wally's behalf, shows us that Travis Lulay is being given the time to learn. That there is not an immense amount of pressure being applied onto the shoulders of Travis. CP was a seasoned pro and the pressure was warranted. He did not deliver.

Travis Lulay is playing very well. He's all the running game we need on first down with this offensive line. Save the RB running attack for second down and less than 7 yards. This offensive line isn't getting the push, on first down, to see any hand off get more than a yard or two. Second and long will kill a drive 8 times out of 10. When the pass protection breaks down, on first down, then Travis Lulay shows that he's got the running ability to get good yardage with a well timed hook slide at the end of the play. With at least one running back in the backfield on every play Lulay can stay healthy, the QB carousel can finally stop, and we can watch a talented young man become the next Calvillo, Durante or Burris. (All QB's that have stayed healthy for good stretches of time and had offenses built around their talents. QB's that are on the top three teams of the season to date.)

Good days are ahead for the BC Lions. Rock bottom was the 7 game losing streak. The O-Line must be tweaked maybe with an import or two for 2011. Also I think Hyland has had a positive effect on Tad Crawford. Crawford is a force out there when his job is in serious jeopardy. He could be a key reason why the O - Line gets better in the offseason. (New deal for Tad Crawford next season might be wise.) Crawford and Hyland both stepped up and delivered with Sanchez out for the season. Lions 36 Calgary 31! Awesome. (Far better TV viewing than any Canucks regular season game. Canucks tickets are a rip off too.)

Dominic In Vancouver

[B.C.FAN]

Crawford still vacated the middle of the field too easily. Burris looked him off all night and then hit Nik Lewis on seam routes from the short side. Crawford probably played too deep but he's been scolded in the past for not playing deep enough, so that was understandable in his first game back. He did make a couple of nice hits. After the way Lewis ran over him for a TD in the second quarter, I can't believe Lewis dropped the ball when he was hit on the potential game-winning TD at the goal line. A good safety makes big plays and prevents the opposition from making big plays. In that respect, Crawford did his job.

I'm more concerned about the play of Franks and Hyland on the wide side. They had a couple of blown coverages, including the Franklin drop in the end zone, which is understandable given that they're playing together there for the first time, but Franks himself was picked on all game. After 15 games, he's still the glaring weak link that opposing offences seek to exploit each week. He's made some big plays this year. He has good ability to recover and he's a good open-field tackler but he still has a long way to go.

[Blitz]

Lulay only passed for 255 yards, which included two huge plays to Arsenault and Black for big yardage. What impresses me most about Lulay is his running ability. On both long pass plays he dropped them right in there. He coughed it up a couple of times but those errors will continue to be reduced with playing time.

I sure wish we had solidifed our offensive line earlier this season. We probably would have secured a playoff spot if we only had done that. Our 1-7 record at the start of the season was due to anemic offence and there were two key factors to that problem. The first was the offensive line exmperiment combounded by injuries. The second was no safety valve, as we kept our tailback in to block.

Lulay now has the advantage that he didn't have, nor did Printers, nor did Jackson in the first two thirds of the season...an anti-blitz option or the ability to dump the football if the rush got there. Robertson usually gets 5-7 yards on those plays but more importantly, it avoids the sack or the forced throw into coverage.

[tigerrr22]

Lulay only passed for 255 yards, which included two huge plays to Arsenault and Black for big yardage. What impresses me most about Lulay is his running ability. On both long pass plays he dropped them right in there. He coughed it up a couple of times but those errors will continue to be reduced with playing time.

I sure wish we had solidifed our offensive line earlier this season. We probably would have secured a playoff spot if we only had done that. Our 1-7 record at the start of the season was due to anemic offence and there were two key factors to that problem. The first was the offensive line exmperiment combounded by injuries. The second was no safety valve, as we kept our tailback in to block.

Lulay now has the advantage that he didn't have, nor did Printers, nor did Jackson in the first two thirds of the season...an anti-blitz option or the ability to dump the football if the rush got there. Robertson usually gets 5-7 yards on those plays but more importantly, it avoids the sack or the forced throw into coverage.

The key is too have at least one back in the back field on every play. Pass protect, running play, dump, screen or pitch. In direct snap or shot gun formation a back is always needed to keep a defence honest too. The playbook can be maximized and also the sacks are minimized to keep a young QB healthy and improving.

Dominic In Vancouver

[B.C.FAN]

Robertson did a great job catching the ball in the flat while running with his back to the QB. Aside from the two big plays to Black and Arceneaux (their only catches of the night), Robertson was the backbone of the B.C. passing attack. He caught 10 of Lulay's 17 completions. The only other receiver with more than one catch was Paris Jackson.

Receptions:
Robertson 10
Jackson 4
Arceneaux 1
Black 1
Simon 1

[David]

The O-Line must be tweaked maybe with an import or two for 2011.

I am going to respectfully disagree with this point as I think we're in very good shape on the O-line for 2011.

First, I only want one import on the O-line and I hope it's Jovan Olafioye. He's fitting in very nicely at left tackle and we're probably not over paying for his services like we would a guy with NFL experience. He's a beast and is only going to get better at a very demanding position. Let's not forget he played most of the year at guard, but is adjusting very well.

Also keep in mind we'll have Dean Valli and Andrew Jones back, both of whom went down earlier in the year with season ending injuries. Hameister-Ries has looked very good as his more familiar guard spot, and Sherko has been great, as usual. I only wonder what took the Lions so long to work Sherko (arguably their most skilled lineman) back into the line-up.

Let's also not forget that we will have McGrath and Newman at camp, the latter of whom I hope will see more duty - competing for a starting spot on the line, or possibly groomed for center as competition for Valli.

DH

[Blitz]

Robertson did a great job catching the ball in the flat while running with his back to the QB. Aside from the two big plays to Black and Arseneault (their only catches of the night), Robertson was the backbone of the B.C. passing attack. He caught 10 of Lulay's 17 completions. The only other receiver with more than one catch was Paris Jackson.

Receptions:
Robertson 10
Jackson: 4
Arseneault 1
Black 1
Simon 1

Great analysis B.C. Fan. The use of the tailback out of the backfield, which took way too long to ustilize in our offence, has really changed the dynamic of our offence. Having a safety valve in the tailback, rather than keeping him in to block on most plays, takes a lot of pressure off the quarterback position.

[notahomer]

The funniest one though in the game was HB patting up Elimimian, Sol-E pushed Burris away telling to get away you Bra wearing pansey QB. HB then started mouthing off to Sol-E, but only to his back as Sol-E doesn't have the time of day for HB. To me that was an indicator that the Lions were beginning to get the idea that they don't have to get caught up with the opposition when they try to provoke the Lions into penalties.

That was one of the highlights tonight for me too. Like "get the **** away from me." Burris is so annoying when he makes like, a 12 yard run followed by the gay hook slide, then jumps up with that gap toothed grin and pats the defenders on the helmet and back. And he does it every game, the patronizing bastard. At least tonight we didn't have to watch the little horsey gallop he does in the end-zone.

He looked absolutely incredulous when Solly shoved him and told him to beat it. That was priceless.

DH

One of my favourite moments too and why I hate Burris. Of course I feel Banks is our version of Burris. It was fun earlier in the season because Banks did the pattycake thing to SmilingHank and he hated it. Why? Him and his team were being destroyed.

My other frustration was at times it seemed as though the Stampeders were the only team playing according to the broadcast crew. If a Lion makes a mistake, we'll go over in fine detail. Or blather on about how Lions D hits low. But after a Stampeder big play on offence or defence, we get to hear more chatter and video replays of this great Calgary play, WHILE THE LIONS are on offence. I sure would love to see these teams meet again in the Western Final but there is so much more that needs to be done to even make the playoffs. Nice to see the Lions snatch victory from the jaws of defeat instead of the other way around for a change.

[Blitz]

The Calgary win should be a real confidence booster for our Leos...winning a close game. It took a drop by Franklin in the end zone or it could have been another disaster, after blowing a 20-0 lead but its a win and we made a big play following the Franklin dropped ball.

The win should also help Lulay, as we had only won one game previously, with Lulay as our starter. It will be interesting to see if we can take this momentum into our next game.

[WestCoastJoe]

A great win. And as Churchill said, "It was a close run affair."

Franklin drops the ball, wide open in the end zone. The Calgary papers lead with the drop.

Did anyone take a close look at Lewis on 2nd down? Did he bobble that before Crawford got to him? Looked like he had time to wrap it up before the hit. That was also a close play.

We'll take the win. Very hard hitting game.

Nik Lewis is a helluva player. I like Romby Bryant as a receiver too.

Joffrey reynoldsnwasncertainly held in check. Were they saving him a bit? I would be inclined to do that. RBs take so much punishment. 12 defenders trying to destroy the target. Save him for the playoffs.