Lions @ Argos, Oct 30, 2015 -- Game Day Thread

[SammyGreene]

It's funny. I have mixed feelings about this game.

Do I want the Lions to win, coupled with a Montreal loss, to clinch a playoff spot? Absolutely.

Do I want next week's home finale against Calgary to mean absolutely nothing with the teams destined to meet a week later in the West Semi-Final? Not really.

Obviously I would take the first case scenario but it would be nice if that last game wasn't more than a glorified pre-season match-up.


As for Jennings.... there was some casual fans I was talking to this week who frankly had lost complete interest in the Lions thanks to the last couple of seasons but have got their attention again thanks to a suddenly entertaining product led by "this really good young quarterback"

[peeby]

I think there has been some buzz about Jennings in the rest of the league. But 'buzz' in the real CFL sense, which is to say, a fairly mild buzz. Saw mention of him in some other cities' papers when the Lions were playing their team. I'm sure there was an article that concluded he was the best rookie QB in the CFL by the numbers (over Franklin, Cato, etc).

The other thing that might come into play is that Lions games, like Canuck games, start pretty late for Easterners (who control much of the media). The Canucks never got a break from people back East. Why would the Lions?

[DanoT]

It's funny. I have mixed feelings about this game.

Do I want the Lions to win, coupled with a Montreal loss, to clinch a playoff spot? Absolutely.

Do I want next week's home finale against Calgary to mean absolutely nothing with the teams destined to meet a week later in the West Semi-Final? Not really.

Obviously I would take the first case scenario but it would be nice if that last game wasn't more than a glorified pre-season match-up.


As for Jennings.... there was some casual fans I was talking to this week who frankly had lost complete interest in the Lions thanks to the last couple of seasons but have got their attention again thanks to a suddenly entertaining product led by "this really good young quarterback"

I'm not sure that I want the Lions in a must win to make the playoffs, final game of the season against Calgary and then have to face them in Calgary in the semi final a week later. It is very tough to win both games in a back to back series and doubly hard against the Stamps.

[Blitz]

It's funny. I have mixed feelings about this game.

Do I want the Lions to win, coupled with a Montreal loss, to clinch a playoff spot? Absolutely.

Do I want next week's home finale against Calgary to mean absolutely nothing with the teams destined to meet a week later in the West Semi-Final? Not really.

Obviously I would take the first case scenario but it would be nice if that last game wasn't more than a glorified pre-season match-up.


As for Jennings.... there was some casual fans I was talking to this week who frankly had lost complete interest in the Lions thanks to the last couple of seasons but have got their attention again thanks to a suddenly entertaining product led by "this really good young quarterback"

I'm not sure that I want the Lions in a must win to make the playoffs, final game of the season against Calgary and then have to face them in Calgary in the semi final a week later. It is very tough to win both games in a back to back series and doubly hard against the Stamps.

We needed hope and excitement. Jennings has provided that at quarterback and Tedford is providing that recently as HC.

I've always believed a key to football success is adapting your system to your personnel. We didn't do that for most of the season. We are doing more of that now.

For example, if its difficult to get pressure on the opposing quarterback with your front four then you blitz. If you have speed at linebacker, then you bring them at times. If you have ball hawking style defensive backs, then you create heat up front in any way you can and you allow your defensive backs to play tight coverage rather than passive zone. The interceptions and turnovers that our defense had had recently is due to adaptions that are allowing players like Bighill, Yell, Lee, and Phillips to play their style of game.

I sure hope we can win against Toronto and Edmonton beats Montreal. I would sure also hate it to come down to the last game of the season. Too many variables in that situation. Plus, the Riders travel East to play Montreal for their last game of the season. We sure can't expect the Riders to win that game and probably won't.

All those blown second half and fourth quarter leads, often due to some dum scheme and play calling could come back to haunt us. Sure hope not. We really look like a playoff team now but the game tomorrow will tell a story.

[peeby]

Hey, mixed-feelings guy, we need to clinch as soon as possible. Even if it renders that Calgary game meaningless (I think it would, no?), at least we'd be able to see the Lions one more time in the playoff game. I think it'd be good experience for Jennings to get to post season too. Too bad that the game today is in TO. Would like any advantage possible, and I'm not really sure what kind of Toronto team we're going to see. They seem to have been up and down this year.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions need to win to remain in control of their destiny. I would not count on Edmonton beating Montreal. The Esks have won seven in a row, but five of those victories have been by seven points or less, including two big comebacks against the Lions and a one-point win against a Winnipeg team that missed four field goals and a convert. Edmonton's offence has not looked sharp in most of those games.

An Edmonton loss to Montreal and a Calgary home win against Saskatchewan would give the Stamps a chance to play for the first place bye next week against the Lions, with Edmonton idle. To make the playoffs, the Lions would need to beat a hungry Stamps team and hope that Montreal loses at home to Saskatchewan. With a loss to the Stamps, the Lions could end up falling to ninth overall and winning only the first pick in the CFL draft.

[DanoT]

The Lions need to win to remain in control of their destiny. I would not count on Edmonton beating Montreal. The Esks have won seven in a row, but five of those victories have been by seven points or less, including two big comebacks against the Lions and a one-point win against a Winnipeg team that missed four field goals and a convert. Edmonton's offence has not looked sharp in most of those games.

An Edmonton loss to Montreal and a Calgary home win against Saskatchewan would give the Stamps a chance to play for the first place bye next week against the Lions, with Edmonton idle. To make the playoffs, the Lions would need to beat a hungry Stamps team and hope that Montreal loses at home to Saskatchewan. With a loss to the Stamps, the Lions could end up falling to ninth overall and winning only the first pick in the CFL draft.

Nope. The Lions currently sit with 6 wins, the Riders 2 wins, so the best that the Riders can end up with is 4 wins and a lock on 9th place.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions need to win to remain in control of their destiny. I would not count on Edmonton beating Montreal. The Esks have won seven in a row, but five of those victories have been by seven points or less, including two big comebacks against the Lions and a one-point win against a Winnipeg team that missed four field goals and a convert. Edmonton's offence has not looked sharp in most of those games.

An Edmonton loss to Montreal and a Calgary home win against Saskatchewan would give the Stamps a chance to play for the first place bye next week against the Lions, with Edmonton idle. To make the playoffs, the Lions would need to beat a hungry Stamps team and hope that Montreal loses at home to Saskatchewan. With a loss to the Stamps, the Lions could end up falling to ninth overall and winning only the first pick in the CFL draft.

Nope. The Lions currently sit with 6 wins, the Riders 2 wins, so the best that the Riders can end up with is 4 wins and a lock on 9th place.

Ah, how quickly I forgot about the woeful Riders.

[Blitz]

If we win against Toronto and the Eskimos beat Montreal...we will be in the playoffs.

Kevin Glenn makes Montreal much more dangerous but the Eskimos should win at home. A big game by our Leos today would be huge!!

[David]

Another reason we want to finish ahead of the Bombers is that they forfeited their 1st round pick in the 2016 draft by selecting Garrett Waggoner in the 2015 Supplemental Draft. So we would effectively move up a notch if we finish ahead of the Bombers in the standings.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

Mike Beamish, who picked the Lions to beat Hamilton last week, is again picking them to win this week.

B.C. at Toronto, 4 p.m. Pacific time, TSN

The Lions had to have a win last Friday against Hamilton, but nobody expected such a comprehensive victory (40-13) over the East Division power. At 6-10, B.C. must maintain momentum on the road to qualify for the playoffs for the 19th consecutive season. The Lions probably will require a three-game win streak to do so, beginning Friday at Rogers Centre, where the X factor is Ricky Ray. Starting his first game this season for the Argos, losers of two straight, Ray was the CFL's most accurate passer last season. Does he still have it? We're about to find out.

Pick: B.C.

CFL Week 19: Picks and power rankings

[WestCoastJoe]

Game time.

Rod Smith and Duane Forde with the call.

[B.C.FAN]

The roof is closed. Must be Wally's influence.

[TheLionKing]

Impressive opening drive snuffed out by an interception

[TheLionKing]

Touchdown by Lavelle Hawkins