If I were to assess the current Lion struggles it would begin with Wally. The release of several key vets over the past two seasons have gutted the leadership and the infield play. Tedford while not showing a progression with the current group that I fully expected, was saddled with McMann and Mark Washington (also the biggest disappointment). Both of those coaching positions have put the Lions at the lowest level statistically of all 9 teams, which is on Wally's shoulders.
In Washington I would think that he is in discussion with Wally and we see the old school Wally D concepts that use to rely on the superior players Wally was blessed with. Right now, the talent of the DL can't get to the QB and can't run stop, that is even with Bighill and SolE (prior to injury).
In the end the saddest part is that I was hoping for a playoff berth, expecting the team to get better as the season moved along under Tedford. At this point I don't see any of the three facets of the Lions game improving. The ST's lone bright spot that salvages field position for the Lions has been Leone, but our return game hasn't found first gear let alone 4th. The O while showing sparks of success early in the season seems to have been figured out as of late, key on Harris, force Lulay to throw underneath or try and hit the long bomb and the two and outs begin to pile up. I can think of at least three INT's that were better catches against us than any of our own receivers have caught. The receivers simply don't fight for the ball enough, or position themselves to fend off the defenders. The D loses the line of scrimmage battle every game, that puts way to much expectations on the rest of the D to stop first downs from piling up against the Lions. The bend and don't break D doesn't work if 2nd downs are always short yardage situations.
In the end Wally has always counted
![:beauty: :beauty:](./images/smilies/beauty.gif)
on having superior talent to execute game plans. It is up to him to find that talent now, and that hasn't been case over the past couple of seasons. The other teams in the CFL are much better than they use to be at it, and they are willing to find the next generation of coaching to innovate their game plans. I could sit back and watch the Lions at 3-5, as long as I began to see areas of concern improving, right now that isn't the case, even with one of the few health by starting QB's in the league. I hazard to think where the Lions might be if Durrant and Riley were in the games the Lions have won.