TiCats 40 - Lions 10, Post-Game Stats and Comments

[KnightofCydonia]

Obviously the logo dance (not only disrespectful, but SO stupid because it only gave an already angry Hamilton more fire to fight with), and clearly coming into this game overly cocky and expecting to win, were part of this blowout. The Lions do this time and time again. They win a big game, expect they can phone in the next one and win, and get demolished.

But other than that? The Lions lost both sides of the ball terribly, and never recovered. They were out-coached plain and simple.

Jarious Jackson especially was out of his depth. I don't understand the constant beating of the RPO dead horse. You did the experiment, it hasn't worked, now move on! I don't understand why they didn't try for more creative running plays, vs. one of the worst D's in the league against the rush.

Jennings had no time to do anything, no protection (sacked 6 times?!), no receivers open. Yes, he threw three costly interceptions when he shouldn't have. I'm not saying he couldn't have done better. But I'm not convinced that a different QB would magically cure the offensive woes of this team. I still believe in him. He can do it, he can thrive... just, not if the play-calling continues as we've seen over and over again.

I'm not sure how to feel about the game being a blowout. On the one hand, I hope it'll be a wakeup call. A lesson. Naively I hope it'll urge them to shake things up and stop holding on to what hasn't been working. At the very least I hope it'll make them humbler and more respectful of their opponents.

On the other hand, I dread hearing just more of Wally's lack of accountability regarding his and his coaches' responsibility in the loss, in favour of more blame on players (Jennings especially).

Watching Burnham console Jennings shortly before he was benched was heartbreaking for me. I really feel for the guys.

[B.C.FAN]

Five plays that killed the Lions:

3 Jennings interceptions = 17 Hamilton points
1 Orange missed interception = 7 Hamilton points
1 Posey drop at halftime = 7 missed B.C. points

If you take those five plays away, it's a 17-16 game for B.C. I'm not saying it should have or would have played out that way but those five plays were back breakers.

[Pistrinus]

Knevel played well at left tackle

[Rammer]

Five plays that killed the Lions:

3 Jennings interceptions = 17 Hamilton points
1 Orange missed interception = 7 Hamilton points
1 Posey drop at halftime = 7 missed B.C. points

If you take those five plays away, it's a 17-16 game for B.C. I'm not saying it should have or would have played out that way but those five plays were back breakers.

Awe so it does come down to execution.

Teams jumping the Lions routes are common, Lions DB's missing INT's are common, and finally Lions not finishing drives for TD's isn't exactly uncommon either.

Funnier yet was the poor onside punt attempt. No other team would execute that play as poorly as was displayed by the Lions. Actually I have to give credit to the Lions coaches for trying it, it showed us what we already know, as poor teams are the only ones who try trick plays.

[firstandgoal]

Five plays that killed the Lions:

3 Jennings interceptions = 17 Hamilton points
1 Orange missed interception = 7 Hamilton points
1 Posey drop at halftime = 7 missed B.C. points

If you take those five plays away, it's a 17-16 game for B.C. I'm not saying it should have or would have played out that way but those five plays were back breakers.

Football is all about “plays”. You have X number of plays on offense and defence during a game. I fail to understand the point of hypothesisizing that it would be a different game if we could subtract certain plays.

I would have won lotto Max last night if I could take away some the numbers I picked ....

We stunk. If it wasn’t those five plays there would have been five others.

[B.C.FAN]

Football is a game of momentum. As badly as the Lions started the game, they had chances to get back into it. They just buried themselves instead.

[KnightofCydonia]

Five plays that killed the Lions:

3 Jennings interceptions = 17 Hamilton points
1 Orange missed interception = 7 Hamilton points
1 Posey drop at halftime = 7 missed B.C. points

If you take those five plays away, it's a 17-16 game for B.C. I'm not saying it should have or would have played out that way but those five plays were back breakers.

I might also add the first Hamilton TD at the start of the game. I don't think it should have counted (like many other fans here thought at the time). Maybe we would still have given up points on that drive, but such a seamless, quick-hitting TD drive really set the momentum for the rest of the game. Ti-cats got the car rolling and the Lions never caught up.

[Lion Guy]

The coaches do nothing to help. You have to give your players a chance. Assess what is going on and adapt. These coaches have no idea of that concept. They have a blinders on game plan and that's all they do. Then, when the players can't perform because they have no chance, the coaches yell poor execution. That makes no sense.

Nothing will change until Buono goes.

It's funny because I watched the Kavenaugh fiasco on TV. I couldn't help but think that the entire old fogey GOP members reminded me of the Lions coaching staff. The other young fresh Democratic side the entire leagues coaching staff. Relics is what we have. Perhaps tomorrow in church they can decide it was just poor player execution

[Blitz]

Interesting - just watching the TSN game between Winnipeg and Edmonton and Dunnigan talked about Winnipeg needing to get back to using Andrew Harris more and talked about the importance of the running game for a quarterback.

Dunnigan said the same thing was needed in our game against Hamilton - when you don't run the football or can't run the football, you just make things tougher for your quarterback. Dunnigan emphasized the importance of 'balance' for an offence.

So, we can't run the football, we can't pass protect for Jennings, our receivers are well covered and the defense knows our scheme and is jumping our plays. Not an easy scenario to deal with for our offensive players - in fact, very, very difficult for them.

Oh, I forgot...all they need to do is execute, make plays, not make mistakes because 'our coaches are doing a good job" (Wally's quote|) and his only accountability is 'putting players on the field (his words too)

Its not just quarterback play. Jeremiah Johnson - 3 carries for 6 yds. (2 yd. average) and Chris Rainey (4 carries for 13 yds). Total: 7 carries for 19 yds. by our tailbacks. Our to receiver was Jeremiah Johnson as our best receiver was Ricky Collins with 37 yds. (and he got 27 of those yards in mop up time with Fajardo)

No starting offensive player - offensive lineman, tailback, quarterback or receiver had any success today and the why is easy to figure out. Just look at the sidelines and who is leading us.

[Sir Purrcival]

It has been no secret that I haven't been the biggest fan of the Lions for the last few seasons and this is exactly the reason why. They had silenced me somewhat in the last few weeks because they managed to string some wins together. Looked like they were maybe turning a corner but instead I think it was a U turn. I was listening to the radio during the game and before the 1st quarter was over, I had to change the station. However, I see Edmonton got a drubbing tonight at home thanks to the Bombers so I guess it was going around today.

Nevertheless, we find ourselves out of a playoff position tonight and I think it is out of our hands again. At the end of the day, reasons don't really matter. Wins count, playoffs matter, and we don't have enough of the former to likely garner the latter. At this point, we can't afford to lose any more games and frankly, I don't think this team is good enough for that to be a reality.

[David]

Football is a game of momentum. As badly as the Lions started the game, they had chances to get back into it. They just buried themselves instead.

The Posey drop in the endzone to end the half didn't help. At least 10 points could have given us a ray of hope for the second half. Instead, we came away with nothing on that long drive. Completely demoralizing.

The other upside to Braley selling this team? No more team dinners at the Braleys! I don't know what those guys gorge on, but whatever it is it doesn't help them (I'm thinking it's turkey meat and double scotches, as they always play so damn sluggishly the next day).


DH

[JohnnyMusso]

Read tonight, Buono was doing a TSN interview yesterday and had no idea his players danced on the logo. He said he probably would never have let them do it. He also said if that was the difference then his players will never dance again.

[David]

Honestly, the coaches should be made to run gassers this week while the players watch. That, I would pay to watch.

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think the players danced on the logo in a premeditated act to incite. To me, it was much ado about nothing. Apparently, it's something they make the rookies do every year. I think they had just gathered at centre field and it broke out. The logo just happened to be there. It's not like they were maliciously "stomping" on it. But if they knew it was going to piss off their opponent, they should have raised their game instead of coming out flat.

And why isn't anyone blaming the Lions' media personnel? The video didn't get filmed and uploaded by the players, I can assure you that. The problem is these days, teams are too busy looking for "viral moments" that common sense gets in the way. Buono didn't know? Why am I not surprised.


DH

[WestCoastJoe]

Read tonight, Buono was doing a TSN interview yesterday and had no idea his players danced on the logo. He said he probably would never have let them do it. He also said if that was the difference then his players will never dance again.

Nobody watching the teenagers? LOL

They are on the game field without a coach watching?

It has never been discussed strategically, as in ''No Chalkboard Material' to fire up the opponent?

Hey, these guys are pros; they should know better. Nope. They are amazing athletes, oftentimes with juvenile impulses. Some are mature, responsible athletes, as with Lulay. Others are overgrown, privileged, fun loving teenagers, who have yet to hold down a normal, grinding job. Ya gotta know what you are dealing with.

In the Lombardi era, they did room checks. Otherwise many guys would party all night, And some did anyway, sneaking out.

No idea? I didn't know to close the barn door.

Have pro athletes ever trashed hotel rooms?

Avoid trouble by structuring it. The logo dance was a collossal screwup. But it probably would not have mattered anyway.

As noted in the GDT, the coaches, and some players on the sideline, looked like dead men walking.

Should they have been prepped? Obviously, yes. It was a leadership issue. Should Lulay or other vets have stopped it? You gonna stop a train? Ah, lighten up; we're just having some fun. No damage. A guy like Joe Kapp maybe could have stopped it. Or maybe Joe would have been dancing too, depending on the coaching situation. Who cares? Party 'til the bomb drops. Yee haw.

''North Dallas 40'' by ex-player Pete Gent painted a picture. LaVerne Barnes, wife of ex-Lion Emery Barnes, painted a picture. Jim Bouton of the New York Yankees painted a picture.

Our guys are angels compared to some pro teams back in the day. But even football ''angels'' need guidance.

When the 1964 GC champion Lions fell apart later, Kapp had more authority than the coaches. He sent a FG team back off the field and called his own play. LOL The team was dead. Every one could see it. Dance on the logo? Very bad sign.

Our guys needed prepping by the staff. Easy to do? Nope. How to keep the motivation up after a miraculous comeback? Very tough. Isn't Wally an authoritarian figure? Yes. But perhaps he has lost the room. Our record ain't too good lately. No gassers last week. Next week? (Grass drills ala Lombardi were real torture. Gassers seem like nothing. Grass drill by Lombardi: Run in place. Down. Up. Repeat. Until a certain number of players puked.)

Just imo ...

[Rammer]

It has been no secret that I haven't been the biggest fan of the Lions for the last few seasons and this is exactly the reason why. They had silenced me somewhat in the last few weeks because they managed to string some wins together. Looked like they were maybe turning a corner but instead I think it was a U turn. I was listening to the radio during the game and before the 1st quarter was over, I had to change the station. However, I see Edmonton got a drubbing tonight at home thanks to the Bombers so I guess it was going around today.

Nevertheless, we find ourselves out of a playoff position tonight and I think it is out of our hands again. At the end of the day, reasons don't really matter. Wins count, playoffs matter, and we don't have enough of the former to likely garner the latter. At this point, we can't afford to lose any more games and frankly, I don't think this team is good enough for that to be a reality.

I'm in the same category with regards to the Lions. I will add that this game would have had a few more Lion fans watching than usual. Potential paying fans down the road, but this showing will kill most of that and even some who have been on board paying for games. I do think that the Lions can afford to lose a game or two down the stretch, just not vs the Eskimos who seem to be one upping us recently on the how to lose impactful games. Bombers, Eskimos, and the Lions all have 7 losses, only one team looks to be missing the playoffs. It will be the worst Western crossover team that I recall making the Eastern playoffs.