Leos/Stamps Keys to the Game

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Blitz
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Our 2-3 B.C. Lions have a real challenge on their hands this Friday evening when they take on the 4-0 Calgary Stampeders. John Hufnagel has gotten the Stamps off to a great start again, even with a fairly inexperiended quarterback at the helm. Rich Stubler's defense has given up the least points in the CFL so far this season and that has been the key to the Stamps undefeated record.

On offence the Stamps inexperinced Bo Levi Mitchell has the best quarterback efficiency in the CFL and no wonder. Calgary quarterbacks have had the advantage of a well blocked running attack and excellent pass protection for many seasons now.

Bo Levi Mitchell has been sacked 4 times this season, the least in the CFL. Kevin Glenn, who used to be afforded the same kind of protection in Calgary has been decked 21 times so far in a Leos uniform, the most this season. Those two stats tell an important story.

Lets have a closer look at the keys to this game and likely the keys to the success or not of this Leos season.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Offensive line play of our B.C. Lions has a long history under the Buono era, with Dorazio as our offensive line coach (as well as a co- offensive coordinator, offensive coordinator, and coach of our running game and pass blocking schemes) and most of that story is not a good one. Over the past 10 years our Leos team has been plagued most of the time with poor pass protection, an inability to be able to run successfully in short yardage situations, and terrible stunt and blitz pickup.

Dispite having some excellent quarterbacks with most being very mobile (Printers, Pierce, Jackson, Lulay) or smart in the pocket (Dickenson, Glenn) they have all taken a wicked pounding, often with defenders having unimpeded lanes to the quarterback. Our quarterback have been plagued with serious injuries during this era and missed a lot of games. Here are some stats regarding our pass protection over the past decade:

74 sacks – 2005 worst in CFL
56 sacks – 2006 – worst in CFL
32 sacks -2007 – least in CFL
33 sacks -2008 – 4th in CFL
40 sacks –2009 - 5th in CFL 2009
65 sacks – 2010worst in CFL
29 sacks –2011 best in CFL 2011
30 sacks –2012 2nd best in CFL - 2012
47 sacks –2013 4th in CFL
21 sacks – worst in CFL

The only seasons that we have done an adequate job or protecting the quarterback was in 2007, when Hufnagel came into B.C. for one season as an advisor to Dorazio and Kruck, we with power formations and ran Joe Smith a lot and in 2011 and 2012, when Chapdelaine changed the offence and used power formations on first down and used a lot of motion and misdirection bootleg play action for Lulay. However, in 2013, when defenses did a great job of preventing Lulay getting outside or we were forced to use a pocket style quarterback in DeMarco, we slid quickly again.

The reality is that our Leos offence is not going to be effective unless we do the following 1. Use power formations 2) Run the football a lot and successfully and 3) move the pocket or scheme away from blitzes.

The reason is quite simple. We cannot block effectively, from the spread formation, either for the running game or to protect the quarterback in the passing attack, with Dorazio as our offensive line coach.

Its not a question of offensive line talent or experience. Its a problem of offensive line scheme, assignments, stunt pickup and blitz pickup.

Travis Lulay may be able to return and use his legs to escape a lot but that is not the answer. The answer, for our offensive coordinator, i with Dorazio as our line coach, is to recognize that it is a weakness and design an offence that takes that into account.

There was nothing wrong with the spread offence (ChapBall) that Chapdelaine ran. Its a tried and true ofence that most CFL teams utilize today and have for quite a long period of time. However, it requires the ability to create quick holes inside for running backs with well designed blocking and it requires stunt and blitz pickup. Defenses have known for years and years that you can stunt and blitz us effectively and brutalize our quarterback, when we use the spread formation.

Chap loved the spread offence and it took him too long to move to power formations and misdirection play action passing (JaquesBall). But even Chapdelaine could not overcome a 2013 season when Dorazio couldn't even get Harris holes to run into using power formations and when defenses blitzed Lulay' from the outside and prevented him getting wide, Lulay was trapped too often in the pocket and the pocket is a very unsafe place behind a Dorazio offensive line.

I believed that Khari Jones would figure it out and he had some great advantages. He could see tape of last season. He also knew he had two excellent running backs in Harris and Logan, supposedly a new run blocking scheme that enabled Chap to call running plays that would actually get some decent blocking instead of loss or be stick in 2nd and 10.(Chap had almost given up on running the football mid-season knowing Harris would get stuffed and Jones should have been able to see that power formations, the ability to run inside and outside, with Harris and Logan in power formations, the new run blocking scheme. and the utilization of misdirection play action were the key to our offence this season. We ran for an average of over 200 yds. per game at the end of last season. The recipe was there for Jones.

So what does Khari do? He comes out mostly in spread formation sets in our first two games, our quarterback is under wicked duress as we get stunted and blitzed to death, and we lose. The next two games we go power formations, run the football very well, and we win. I'm thinking ok - the first two games were JonesBall and the second two games are KhariBall. I expect us to use power fomations against Winnipeg (the trend is your friend) and what do we do..go back to the spread again (JonesBall), Glenn is a human piñata, and we lose. Glenn has been sacked 21 times so far and almost every play he has been hit and pressured. It reminded me most of the 2005 and 2006 seasons, when Dickenson took his beatings and 2010, when Lulay and Printers were under siege.

The key to this game is not offensive line play. Its designing our offence around the Mad Professor Dorazio, until he finally hangs up the coaching cleats. In the meantime, with two excellent running backs and a pocket quarterback, it only makes sense to run the football a lot with power formations anyway and set up second and a quick passing attack.

CREATING AN IDENTITY

Our Leos 2014 team has not established an identity on offence or defense. All teams run a lot of the same stuff but all successful teams have an emphasis, a way of playing the game that says "This is who we are".

Dave Ritchie was an innovator and an aggressive defensive coach whose defenses created tunnovers. His defenses were also chamekion. ..he would rush 7 or 8 or 2 or 3. His defenses were like a Forrest Gump box of chocoaltes..you never know what you are going to get on each and every play but he would blitz with every defensive player, pass defenders went for interceptions, and pass rushers got after quarterbacks in a hurry.

Mike Benevdes was a passive defensive coach who usually only rushed four and played passive zone for most of his time. His defense was a bend but don't break conservative defense in the Buono mould. In 2011 Benevedes even started the 2011 season with a 3-4 defense that was a disaster. However, when we went with a 4-3, with a 5 man defensive rotation and finished 2011 with a 6 man defensive rotation, penetration became our defensive identiy and we won a Grey Cup that season due, in part to that change.

Rich Stubler was a defensive geru like Ritchie and Mathews. He came to B.C. in 2012 and created one of the best Leos defenses of all time in a regular season. He used sophisticated, well designed pass coverages and timely blitzes to pressure quarterbacks. That trend continued for a while in 2013 but without inside penetration, the inability to stop the run, and a weak outside pass rush, our defenders had to cover too long and our defense began to slide by season end. Eliminan was out for the game against Regina and our fourth quarter collapse meant his demise.

On offence, we had the most success offensively in 2007 with power formations, an emphasis on the run with Joe Smith and then Jarious went over the top when defenses cheated. In 2011 and especially in 2012, as well as late 2013, our offence really clicked with power formations, a running game emphasis, and misdirection play action.

Screw the 5 receiver set. Line up some big receivers as tight ends, use the fullback to block as well and run the football. Slip the tight ends out on patterns on occasions. We only throw to Arsenanault, Taylor, and Harris in the spread anyway and mostly ignore the outside recievers.

On defense, we have played our best over the past decade with pressure and disguised, aggressive pass coverages and not playing passive zone. Washington should know that and said that we would play more aggressivg this season.

The recipe is simple for offence and defense. On offence run with power formations, move the pocket with misdirection play action. On defense, we should be building an aggressive defense around the best linebacking core in the CFL in Eliminian, Bighill and Jamal Johnson (and Josh Johnson is a very good young one at nickel back.

So far this season we are the worst at getting to the quarterback, we have our linebackers playing back, and our only strength has been the talents of our defensive backs in mostly zone coverage. We also suck when we blitz with poorly schemed blitzes most of the time that get picked up. This is not the kind of defense that wins championships. We need to allow our linebackers to penetrate and play more aggressively and build a defense around them. We need to free Khalif Mitchell up rather than just using him to be a human wall to take on double teams. Mitcheell is best when he is allowed to penetrate.

SPECIAL TEAMS

I'll make this quick. We will never be special on special team returns as long as we have McMann. The only way we break punt and kick returns is when our returner can make something out of nothing.

WRAP

The keys to this game and this season are:

1. An offence based on power formations, a run emphasis, and misdirection play action. Lots of motion is critical. Lining up Logan and Harris as the middle slot back in trips right and left, with an empty backfield is a joke. Send one or both in motion to create speed and matchup confusion rather than line them up as sticks with their feet planted when the ball is snapped. You gotta get it to one of them quick, while moving, especially with an empty backfield, if this formation is to be used.

2. An aggressive defense based on penetration and built on aggressive linebacker play.

3. Prayers that our special return teams will take the bull by the horn themselves, some player will really step up as our 'return game leader', and we can get this part of our team turned around and take advantage of the talents or our return men.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
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notahomer
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It'll be interesting to see how the Stamps do their running game this week.

Special teams? I'd like to see less nylon. And, IMO, its obvious that Schmitt has made some positive extra yardage on his kickoffs/punts that McCallum just didn't get us last Friday......

As for our offence.... Hughes will probably have a MONSTER game. I hope not but we'll see. And how does a team that is struggled on the road against the Al's, supposed to shut down a solid D-line staffed by the Stamps? THunder/Lightning may help but we'll see.

No question this is a HUGE game. Divisional ones ALWAYS are but the Stamps are way ahead of the Lions and have already had their BYE. This is the time to what it takes, within the rules, to get by these Stamps.....
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notahomer
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Mike Beamish's take on Mitchell's diet, new left guard and Lulay's progress......

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/footb ... story.html


WOW! Mitchell has lost 17 pounds on a sushi diet!!! Okay! Whatever works.

Glad to hear Lulay is looking sharp. Maybe it'll help Glenn have his best day in Lions orange.
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WestCoastJoe
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Great review and preview, Blitz.

Interesting to see the years, the coaches, and the players. And the one constant, like a toothache. In his own world, safe, no play calling responsibility, able to run endless experiments, and yet much power and authority in the organization.

We could get swamped by Calgary. We might even win. Because talented players can figure stuff out, they can communicate, and sometimes they can get it done, with a win, despite counter productive coaching. As noted before, the coaching evens out to a degree, as the season progresses. Pretty hard to grade the players down and rip them when they get the job done, and we win. Did you get your man? Did you make the play? Yes. Sometimes that is all that matters. Not how. But did you get it done?

I cannot call this game. Hardrick at left guard. Who knows? Manny and Andrew are always capable of game breaking plays. As is Logan.

Gonna be interesting ...
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
TheLionKing
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Keys:

- Play of the offensive line. Has to protect Kevin Glenn

- win the turnover game

- Refrain from taking stupid penalties

- contain Nic Lewis, a Lion killer

- Ball control. Establish the run and run the football. Keep the ball away from the Stamps
Blitz
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WestCoastJoe wrote:Great review and preview, Blitz.

Interesting to see the years, the coaches, and the players. And the one constant, like a toothache. In his own world, safe, no play calling responsibility, able to run endless experiments, and yet much power and authority in the organization.

We could get swamped by Calgary. We might even win. Because talented players can figure stuff out, they can communicate, and sometimes they can get it done, with a win, despite counter productive coaching. As noted before, the coaching evens out to a degree, as the season progresses. Pretty hard to grade the players down and rip them when they get the job done, and we win. Did you get your man? Did you make the play? Yes. Sometimes that is all that matters. Not how. But did you get it done?

I cannot call this game. Hardrick at left guard. Who knows? Manny and Andrew are always capable of game breaking plays. As is Logan.

Gonna be interesting ...
You've often talked about offensive line development, quarterback pressure WCJ.

Here is a very interesting statistic that is also very revealing. I just added up all the quarterback sacks from 2005 to present time.

Guess which team has given up the most quarterback sacks from 2005 -2014. The stats include the 2005 season and this season to date.

Well, its our B.C. Lions with 492 sacks given up. So much for the Mad Professor being the best of the best. Just think of all the other teams and some of the bad quarterbacks they had, the high number of changes in offensive coordinators and Head Coaches they endured - think of the bad teams for so long in Hamilton and Winnipeg during that stretch or the tough season in Edmonton and still we are the worst. Here is a closer look:

B.C. .............492 sacks
Hamilton........441 sacks
Saskatchewan..417 sacks
Winnipeg........399 sacks
Montreal........399 sacks
Toronto.........369 sacks
Calgary..........339 sacks
Edmonton.......337 sacks

Obviously playing quarterback for the B.C. Lions or being an offensive coordinator for the B.C. Lions has not been an easy task.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
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notahomer
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Blitz wrote:...........Here is a very interesting statistic that is also very revealing. I just added up all the quarterback sacks from 2005 to present time.

Guess which team has given up the most quarterback sacks from 2005 -2014. The stats include the 2005 season and this season to date.

Well, its our B.C. Lions with 492 sacks given up. So much for the Mad Professor being the best of the best. Just think of all the other teams and some of the bad quarterbacks they had, the high number of changes in offensive coordinators and Head Coaches they endured - think of the bad teams for so long in Hamilton and Winnipeg during that stretch or the tough season in Edmonton and still we are the worst. Here is a closer look:

B.C. .............492 sacks
Hamilton........441 sacks
Saskatchewan..417 sacks
Winnipeg........399 sacks
Montreal........399 sacks
Toronto.........369 sacks
Calgary..........339 sacks
Edmonton.......337 sacks

Obviously playing quarterback for the B.C. Lions or being an offensive coordinator for the B.C. Lions has not been an easy task.
Thanks for posting (and researching!). That is ONE SCARY STAT, IMO!!! :dizzy:

Maybe there is a reasonable reason? I can't figure out what that would be though. For e.g. maybe Edmonton's struggling offence over many of those seasons had them take less offensive snaps, thereby less sacks? But the next 3 teams have been playing in or winning Grey Cups consistently, so that excuse doesn't wash.

What is obvious is that the Ticats, a long struggling team kinda rebounding over past few seasons, are clearly also a team SET APART by their sack totals. BUT, then comes along the BC Lions ANOTHER FIFTY SACKS given up behind them.

WOW! Again, thanks for posting Blitz, certainly food for thought........
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Just an incredible post Blitz...it may have been your best ever, and that's saying a ton...and as Joe said, with our talent, we could get blown out in this game, or we could win. The Stamps don't have Cornish...they don't even have his backup...we have a tremendous chance (with Mitchell back in) of making CGY a one dimensional team, and creating turnovers with Biggie and Sol...but it comes down to the TWO other parts of our team...Offence and Special Teams...if Jones thinks he can play the same offence he has in the first 4 games in CGY, against Stubler, then we will lose and Glenn will take another vicious beating...but if he goes power formations and gets both Harris and Logan involved, then we have a great chance...but without Schmitt, we are still in trouble with our S Ts...McCallum wasn't good enough last week, in a dome, and now it will be a summer night outside in CGY...yikes...

Let's see what happens, but a loss here could send the Lions into a tailspin...its a big game...thanks to everyone for their excellent comments, and especially to Blitz for making this such a great place to visit and enjoy football! Great job guys!
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TheLionKing
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Blitz wrote:
You've often talked about offensive line development, quarterback pressure WCJ.

Here is a very interesting statistic that is also very revealing. I just added up all the quarterback sacks from 2005 to present time.

Guess which team has given up the most quarterback sacks from 2005 -2014. The stats include the 2005 season and this season to date.

Well, its our B.C. Lions with 492 sacks given up. So much for the Mad Professor being the best of the best. Just think of all the other teams and some of the bad quarterbacks they had, the high number of changes in offensive coordinators and Head Coaches they endured - think of the bad teams for so long in Hamilton and Winnipeg during that stretch or the tough season in Edmonton and still we are the worst. Here is a closer look:

B.C. .............492 sacks
Hamilton........441 sacks
Saskatchewan..417 sacks
Winnipeg........399 sacks
Montreal........399 sacks
Toronto.........369 sacks
Calgary..........339 sacks
Edmonton.......337 sacks

Obviously playing quarterback for the B.C. Lions or being an offensive coordinator for the B.C. Lions has not been an easy task.
That's quite a condemnation on Dorazio's coaching and system. I am frankly surprised that Buono has allowed this to continue for so long.
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David
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TheLionKing wrote:Keys:

- contain Nic Lewis, a Lion killer
Nik Lewis will be a healthy scratch. Due to Cornish and Walter suffering from concussions, they have to play with one less International. He's it.

MexicoLionFan wrote:...but without Schmitt, we are still in trouble with our S Ts...McCallum wasn't good enough last week, in a dome, and now it will be a summer night outside in CGY...yikes...
Ricky was TEAM1040 today and expects to play. He's in pain, but he wants to do it for his teammates. He said it's all about "managing pain" at this point and it's "not likely to get any worse."


DH :cool:
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Two keys:

1. Play with intensity. Dean Valli said after last week's game that Winnipeg's defence played with more intensity than B.C.'s offence, and the difference showed in the line play. Football is a simple game. Talent and strategy don't matter unless the team plays with heart. Consistency of effort is one of the hardest things for young teams to learn, and is a major reason for the Lions' three losses, along with the second point below.

2. Win the turnover battle. Much has been made of Kevin Glenn's 8 interceptionss in 5 games, compared to just 7 in all of last season. Contrast that with the fact that no Calgary quarterback this year has thrown an interception. In fact, the last Calgary QB to throw an INT was Kevin Glenn. The Stampeders beat Edmonton last week on the strength of five turnovers, including the Esks' ill-advised fake punt from their own end zone. The Lions and Stamps have two of the top defences in the league. Neither team is likely to muster a lot of offence. Rich Stubler is a master of disguise. Glenn can't afford to cough up the ball. If he does, the B.C. defence has to come up with an offseting number of turnovers. It's no coincidence that Calgary has a league-best turnover ratio of +8 and is the league's only unbeaten team. The Lions are -3, which ranks seventh best of nine teams. They're -8 in their three losses and +5 in their two wins. Of the 92 points given up by the Lions, 34 have come off turnovers.

Here's a bit more trivia that doesn't bode well for the Lions, courtesy of the league statisticians. The Lions and Stamps split their 4 games last year, with each team winning twice at home. Kevin Glenn's career record as a starter at home is 51-26 (.675) but his road record is 32-49-1 (.396). As a starting visitor at McMahon Stadium, he is 0-8.

I still sense the Lions will buck the odds. I just think they'll want it more. Desperation is a great motivator.
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WestCoastJoe
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Blitz wrote:
WestCoastJoe wrote:Great review and preview, Blitz.

Interesting to see the years, the coaches, and the players. And the one constant, like a toothache. In his own world, safe, no play calling responsibility, able to run endless experiments, and yet much power and authority in the organization.

We could get swamped by Calgary. We might even win. Because talented players can figure stuff out, they can communicate, and sometimes they can get it done, with a win, despite counter productive coaching. As noted before, the coaching evens out to a degree, as the season progresses. Pretty hard to grade the players down and rip them when they get the job done, and we win. Did you get your man? Did you make the play? Yes. Sometimes that is all that matters. Not how. But did you get it done?

I cannot call this game. Hardrick at left guard. Who knows? Manny and Andrew are always capable of game breaking plays. As is Logan.

Gonna be interesting ...
You've often talked about offensive line development, quarterback pressure WCJ.

Here is a very interesting statistic that is also very revealing. I just added up all the quarterback sacks from 2005 to present time.

Guess which team has given up the most quarterback sacks from 2005 -2014. The stats include the 2005 season and this season to date.

Well, its our B.C. Lions with 492 sacks given up. So much for the Mad Professor being the best of the best. Just think of all the other teams and some of the bad quarterbacks they had, the high number of changes in offensive coordinators and Head Coaches they endured - think of the bad teams for so long in Hamilton and Winnipeg during that stretch or the tough season in Edmonton and still we are the worst. Here is a closer look:

B.C. .............492 sacks
Hamilton........441 sacks
Saskatchewan..417 sacks
Winnipeg........399 sacks
Montreal........399 sacks
Toronto.........369 sacks
Calgary..........339 sacks
Edmonton.......337 sacks

Obviously playing quarterback for the B.C. Lions or being an offensive coordinator for the B.C. Lions has not been an easy task.
Great post, Blitz.

Twelve years of this regime. Players come and go. Coaches come and go. Just one constant. And those stats tell a story. I think spin could be done. I think excuses could be made. Why bother?

And stats are one thing. How about unblocked defenders shocked to see an open avenue to Glenn? One second to be in his face.

How about a veteran O Lineman last year. Moves out from the line, no one to block, standing there looking around: What to do next? Unacceptable under normal ciccumstances.

How about O Linemen, year after year, so consscious of things to think about, habitually, that they cannot even fire off the line and move the smaller D Line enough for a short yardage plunge. They have forgotten how to fire off. They are more like: left foot here, hand position there, check what my partner is doing, consider the options. The farthest thing from instinctive play.

How about lack of development of national talent in the O Line over the years, especially prior to the drafting of Fabien and Norman? But now Norman seems to coming under heat: not executing. Why is Kirby Fabien not starting at left guard?

It is some kind of Merry Go Round. We have had an amazing number of guys play left tackle by this time. I will be surprised if Steward does not get relegated to backup duty at some not distant point.

How aboutd the boatloads of internationals brought in, after a cross USA search, good college resume, some with NFL experience, passing the scrutiny to get those invites, looking good on film, brought to tryout camps, looking good, brought to TC, looking good, and then ... Gone. To me it is a head shaker.

Twelve years. Much the same issues time after time. There is no vendetta here. This is fans watching their team, putting their life experiences into what they see, and making judgments. JC was criticized a lot, and finally cut loose. Kruck was cut loose without a second thought. Buratto was cut loose. Stubler was cut loose. Lots of coaches get released. So some look at the O Line product on the field for 12 years, with issues time and again, and look for a common denominator.

Best to stay silent? Why? Cruel to make such judgments? Why? Other coaches have their product examined. Benny is taking a lot of heat. Rightfully so, IMO. Our record is 2 and 3. We have not won a playoff game in his time as HC.

Quite often with a new HC, there is a house cleaning of the staff. That would have been tough for Benny. He has worked with some of these guys forever. And it seems a couple of the assistant coaches exist within the protection of Wally's teflon coat.

Does Khari design the run game, as blocked by the O Line? Does Khari design the pass protection duties of the O Line? Does Khari decide which O Line candidates pass the test, get to start? Does Khari decide if we go with more of man to man, simpler, power blocking system? Does Khari decide if we go with a more complicated, sophisitcated, thought-intensive zone blocking system?

Just IMO ... No vendetta. By all accounts our coach is a great guy. Just looking at the product, with lots of stuff to look at after 12 years.

Can we turn it around once again? Yes. Of course, we have done it numerous times.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
Blitz
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MexicoLionFan wrote:Just an incredible post Blitz...it may have been your best ever, and that's saying a ton...and as Joe said, with our talent, we could get blown out in this game, or we could win. The Stamps don't have Cornish...they don't even have his backup...we have a tremendous chance (with Mitchell back in) of making CGY a one dimensional team, and creating turnovers with Biggie and Sol...but it comes down to the TWO other parts of our team...Offence and Special Teams...if Jones thinks he can play the same offence he has in the first 4 games in CGY, against Stubler, then we will lose and Glenn will take another vicious beating...but if he goes power formations and gets both Harris and Logan involved, then we have a great chance...but without Schmitt, we are still in trouble with our S Ts...McCallum wasn't good enough last week, in a dome, and now it will be a summer night outside in CGY...yikes...

Let's see what happens, but a loss here could send the Lions into a tailspin...its a big game...thanks to everyone for their excellent comments, and especially to Blitz for making this such a great place to visit and enjoy football! Great job guys!
Thanks MLF...I guessed that we would have led the CFL in giving up the most sacks in the CFL over the past decade or so... but doing the research was a good exercise.

WCJ has made our offensive line play a focus of analysis for a few season now so hats off to him for keeping this aspect of our Leos team front and center. Thanks MLF for your focus on offensive strategy...you must have been a favorite of Frank Hindle. notahomer - you are correct...it is a scary stat.

While I believed that the spread offence was past its nadir and the way to play offence these days is to go multi-formational, using both power and spread sets, the shame of it is that, with our Lions long standing offensive line woes we have to use the spread offence less than anyone.

There is nothing wrong with the spread offence. Toronto won a recent Grey Cup using the spread offence and Cortez is a spread offence disciple..the Riders used the spread offence in winning the Grey Cup last year. Calgary uses a lot of spread sets with a single back in Cornish. The spread eliminated the fullback for a fifth receiver. The full spread offence is an empty backfield and six receivers. Calgary, with Hufngagel as the offensive coordinator in the 90's introduced it and killed defenses with the spread offence. However, defenses are more used to it now and are better at defending it, both with personell and scheme.

Really, MLF and myself should not have to be on Lionbackers screaming for only power formations. Our quarterback should have been able and should presently be able to get a reasonable amount of time to throw the football out of the spread offence but that is not going to happen easily - it never has nor have we been able to run the football out of the spread offence.

Chap took unfair heat the last 3 seasons. His offence was more dynamic than any offence in the CFL. He used a more dynamic running attack, with the most variety of running plays and used the most play action and moved the pocket more than any other CFL offence. It was a real challenge howerver for our offence to overcome our run and pass blocking and when we were successful it mostly came from scheme and talent at the tailback position for our run game and also schemeing the pass game with a lot of formation and motion, along with the abilities of Lulay.

I got into some heat on Lionbackers because I wanted Lulay to get the ball out of his hands faster. Should he have had more time to throw. Yes!! Was he going to? No!! Did he have to make plays with his legs too often? Yes!! Wev'e had some very good quarterbacks here in B.C. over the past decade and more but just imagine how good they could have been with some protection. Just imagine how many more drives would have been successful if we could run effectively in short yardage or down in the red zone. Just imagine how much better our quarterbacks would have looked playing behind Calgary's offensive line. Or vice-versa, just think how much worse Ricky Ray or Anthony Cavillo would have looked with Dorazio setting up the blocking. Cavillo's career would likely have been much shorter and Ray would likely not be playing.

We've had some very talented and dedicated offensive lineman play for our Leos over the past decade. But our offensive lineman have not progressed under Doraxzio and usually decline the logner they play for him. Angus Reid would have been an all-star every season playing for Hufnagel. Olifoye was the Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in his first season as a starting tackle. The odds of him winning the award again are slim. Matt Norman was better in his rookie debut than he is playing presently, not because he can't block but because our offensive line blitz pickup system makes him look like he often doesn't have it. Valli started at guard in our 2011 Grey Cup season and he played well. His play has regressed.

In the meantime Khari Jones had better start scheming and game planning better. Kevin Glenn may be wishing he was a backup in Ottawa right now than absorbing the punishment he is taking. Lulay would be smart to take his time getting back and wait for some of our offensive line woes to improve at least a little.

The way to beat Calgary is to run the football and make sure its second and short...Stubler will be prepared and wanting to kick our asses and he will if we think we can go spread and beat them. We have a real chance, with Cornish out to finally get our run defense to play better and put Mitchell in second and long more often. But Hufnagel knows how to block for the run and that is not going to be an easy task, even with Cornish out...so we need to penetrate and have our linebackers exploding up into any gaps and not getting blocked 5 yards downfield.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
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notahomer
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http://cfl.ca/article/morris-week-6-wil ... -bcs-pride

Jim Morris
CFL.ca

The BC Lions spent the week licking their wounds after reality bared its fangs and took a big bite.

The Lions' confidence was inflated after wins over Saskatchewan and Montreal, but that balloon was popped by a 23-6 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at BC Place Stadium last week. Like Cameron Diaz washed of her makeup, the Lions got a good look at themselves and it wasn't pretty.

A Lions’ offence that scored 67 points in its previous two games couldn’t manage a touchdown against the Bombers. Adding to the humiliation, the loss came on the same night the CFL's all-time receiving leader Geroy Simon was inducted into the Lions’ Ring of Honour.

"What happened was we went into (Regina) and we won, then we whooped Montreal and I think we got to thinking we were pretty hot stuff," right guard Dean Valli said about BC dropping to 2-3.

“It’s a humiliating experience. It will remind us you have to bring that maximum intensity and flawless execution every week or it's not going to get done. It's a bit of a kick in the ass saying you guys better come to play every week."
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Things won't get any easier this week when B.C. plays the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. Not only are the Stampeders unbeaten with four wins, they have the league's best run defence and are second against the pass.

The list of things the Lions need to cleanup against Calgary reads like a bad arrest record.

BC has allowed a whooping 21 sacks so far this year. That can partly be attributed to an under-construction offensive line that has seen three different left tackles used in four games.

Kevin Glenn, the quarterback the Lions were excited to get in a trade when they realized Travis Lulay hadn’t recovered from off-season shoulder surgery, has thrown eight interceptions and just five touchdowns. He tossed seven interceptions all last season.



Glenn has been forced to run for his life behind an offensive line that has trouble stopping its own water some nights. At times the quarterback and receivers, both adapting to Khari Jones’ new offensive scheme, haven't been on the same page.

Glenn also has been guilty of throwing into double coverage and not seeing open men. He hasn’t helped the sack total by hanging onto the ball too long.

Fumbles have also cost the Lions. BC has coughed up the ball four times this year.

"It's the same old thing," said head coach Mike Benevides. "You turn the ball over, you can't win the game.

“The game isn't that complicated. You have to execute, you have to make plays. You have to maintain the football. We have to be a lot better."

Penalties, many of them undisciplined, dead-ball fouls, have cost the Lions field position and resulted in drives starting in a hole. Against Winnipeg, BC was called 14 times for 122 yards. The Lions are third-worst in the league with 58 penalties costing them 482 yards.

Benevides said players have to decide which is more important, settling individual scores after the whistle or winning football games.

"Unless it matters to them it doesn't change," he said. "Sometimes an aggressive penalty or and offside, those things are going to occur."

"But when you get that many (penalties) and it starts hurting your field position, now you are fighting an uphill battle. You can't let that happen and we won't."

If the Lions hope to beat Calgary they need to get the ball to Andrew Harris more.

“ It?s a humiliating experience. It will remind us you have to bring that maximum intensity and flawless execution every week or it's not going to get done. It's a bit of a kick in the ass saying you guys better come to play every week. ”
- Dean Valli

The punishing running back leads the league in rushing (311 yards on 56 carries), yards from scrimmage (579) and is the Lions’ leading receiver (18 catches for 268 yards). Yet against Winnipeg he had only eight carries for 38 yards and three catches for 23.

Calgary will be without running backs Jon Cornish and Matt Walker, both out with concussions. This should help a BC defence that has played well this year.

It was the defence which stopped early Winnipeg drives, resulting in the Bombers holding a slim 9-6 lead at half time.

Veteran defensive half back Ryan Phillips preached patience, saying the offence will find its legs.

"We're still growing as a team," he said. "At the end of the day we're not here to point any fingers or anything like that."

"There will come a time when we don't play well as a defence and they (the offence) are going have to bail us out."

The defence could set the tone in Calgary with a big turnover or by scoring a touchdown early.

"We know the type of team Calgary is," said Phillips. "They are hitting on all cylinders right now. They are a confident team because they are winning. At the end of the day they can be exposed just like anybody else."

Benevides said this week will be a test of the Lions’ pride.

"If these guys need to be pissed off to play then I guess we should be pissed off," he said.

Harris said the Lions can't dwell on the mistakes they made against Winnipeg, but have to learn from them.

"We know where we made mistakes," he said. "We have to lick our wounds and get back to it."
Good piece. Probably talks more about what HAS gone wrong. The Lions HAVE TO win this one.......
TheLionKing
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David wrote:
Nik Lewis will be a healthy scratch. Due to Cornish and Walter suffering from concussions, they have to play with one less International. He's it.
A bit of good news for the Lions.
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