Lions @ Stampeders -- Post Game Stats and Comments

[maxlion]

What did Wally see in Printers, Wynn, Pierce, Jackson, Lulay and Reilly that they didn't see in Jennings? Why wasn't a journeyman ever brought in as insurance for Dickenson who was frequenty hurt? And it's not like Beck has Kevin Glenn's resumé in this league. It completely contradicted what the organization had done for years despite having a very fragile No. 1 and the dire need to develop a future starter.

Printers was a 3rd stringer in his first year, only completeing 2 passes all year long. Jackson was on the practice roster for over a year before getting any game action. Pierce didn't start a game until week 16 after injuries to Dickenson and Printers. Lulay didn't start a game until his second year. Reilly spent most of a year on the practice roster and another as the 3rd stringer before getting a chance to start a game when Lulay got hurt.

By these comparables, Jennings is being fast tracked.

In 2004, Casey Printers stepped in for an injured Dave Dickenson for the first 3 games of that season and then started the rest of the way until the Grey Cup game. He are right maxlion….Printers was the 3rd string quarterback in 2003 and only had 2 reps before he started in 2004.

Buck Pierce was the 3rd string quarterback behind Dickenson and Printers in 2005. Jarious Jackson was the third string quarterback in 2007 and only played after Dickenson and Pierce got hurt. Jackson had never started a game until 2007 and we won 9 of our last 11 remaining games in that season. Lulay got his first start for us started for us in 2009, only due to injury.

You are right about all your points maxlion

But all of them, Printers, Pierce, Jackson, Lulay never had to sit and wait behind a 34 year old untried and unproven quarterback.

None of them had to wait their turn because a Kevin Glenn was traded for. We developed our own quarterbacks in those days. We developed some good ones.

Its not whether Jennings is being fast tracked or not. He’s young and has potential. Printers, Pierce, Jackson, and Lulay were young when they got their first CFL starts. Their development was not held back by a an older or a veteran quarterback who was not going to be our future.

Well, it's a fair point that Beck was also unproven. And that we need to get back to developing qbs. My point is just that almost all good qbs needed time to develop, and very very few have been put into action as quickly as Jennings. It would probably be in our best long term interests to keep him in a back up role for the rest of this year.

Interesting you mention Glenn, who Mitchell and Tate played behind for 2 years in Calgary before getting a chance.

Not all of our QB problems are Buono's fault. Lulay's injuries are the main reason. It's very hard to develop qbs slowly and properly without being protected behind a strong #1.

[Blitz]

I agree maxlion that it is best to develop quarterbacks slowly and properly. With quarterbacks getting injured more and more ( even though our rules have continued to protect them more and more) the backup quarterback needs to be ready.

While quarterbacks benefit from learning the system, observing a good number one, etc. quarterbacks can also benefit much more quickly from game reps. Quarterbacks just don't benefit from practice reps.

Casey Printers had only 2 reps in 2003 before getting into action in the first 3 games of 2004. By Game 4 he was the starter and by the end of that season he was the MOP.

Travis Lulay became an MOP in basically his first full season as a starter.

You will probably argue that players like Printers or Lulay, or Trevor Harris and Zack Collaros played well because they had a season or more of development behind a strong #1 and perhaps you are right. But perhaps they were ready to play sooner than they got the opportunity. When a quarterback has talent, his learning curve is best served by playing.

In the specific case of Jennings, sure it would have been preferable to insert Jennings for mop up duty or when a game was lost first and then have him take a series or two rather than being thrust into action like he was last week.

But Jennings was not going to learn much about the CFL game from Beck. We should have been developing a young quarterback In Beck's spot last season. Why we went into 2014 with Lulay, Glenn, and Beck is more than an interesting question. At least that third string quarterback position last season should have gone to a young quarterback, who now would have had a season and a half under his belt learning from two CFL veterans, rather than just a little more than half a season.

[JohnHenry]

Unfortunately, the Lions considered Beck a "veteran" QB they could rely on if Lulay faltered, due to his NFL experience. In reality the NFL ruins QB's for the CFL. The longer a QB stays in the NFL the more useless he becomes. In the CFL, QB's need to be spontaneous and resilient, not robotic.

[B.C.FAN]

Not sure who will take the blame but there was miscommunicaton between Olafioye and Harris. Calgary showed six-man pressure so Olafioye blocked down, perhaps expecting Harris to pick up the DE. Harris probably read the middle linebacker. When he didnt come, Harris released out of the backfield. In the end, neither Olafioye nor Harris blocked anyone.

Good analysis of the play. A couple of other observations:
- Beck surely must have seen the Stampeder coming, and should have stepped up in the pocket or bailed out. Instead, he
just stood there in passing position. Brave for sure, but not too smart.
-The Stampeder lead with his helmet and should have been penalized.

Tedford has laid the blame on Beck for missing the hot read, according to Mike Beamish. He should have released the ball early.

In only his second CFL start, Beck was clobbered last Friday in Calgary when he failed to make a “hot” read — finding a receiver to dump the ball off in a hurry when the rush gets too heavy. Coming off the edge, Stampeders defensive end Freddie Bishop had a clear shot at the Lions quarterback, who was caught with the deer-in-the-headlights look.

“The quarterback’s eyes need to be on the ‘hot’ — and he (Beck) missed the hot,” head coach Jeff Tedford explained Tuesday, after the Lions returned to the practice field. “John’s eyes really weren’t where they needed to be.”

Vancouver Sun artice