Who starts in the Playoffs?

[Don Miller]

DD did not lose the GC game last yer. GEroy dropped a sure touchdown pass. Outr defense couldn't get even close to Damon Allen. We should have run the ball more as AW had a good game. Dave did not lose that game. He has the experience but is I think a little fragile.

[clermontfan]

Dickenson will start. How can you mess with almost 75% passing completion? Although Printers is the more entertaining to watch. Printers will leave next year. I don't think his rejection of a 3 year 1 million dollar offer will help his cause with Wally

[AC/DC Rocks]

^Uganda, cool ^

Printers can scramble out of trouble faster than Dave can, and if our O-line can only provide 3 seconds or so of blocking and no one is open yet, then who do you think should start. Seems pretty obvious to me, the guy who can run for his life and pick up the first down.
Dave is a great QB but you have all heard him he needs more protection, he admits he's not fast.

[LFITQ]

I'm going to change directions here on this question and maybe add a little Lions history into the mix as well.

Instead of worrying about who starts (directly) should we not look at who is better to come in off the bench?

Who do you think is the better guy to come in after a few quarters and get the job done if the first person isn't getting it done?

Is Casey better off starting because he isn't as good at coming in after sitting for awhile on the bench (ala his shoulder injury getting too cold to come in and be effective)? Or is Casey the better guy to come in off th ebench if Dave isn't getting it done in order to provide a major change in the direction of the offence?

Rather than looking at who is better to start - I think it might be important to look at who is better to come in off the bench in case they are needed.

All we have to do is go back to 1994 to see this in action. Remember ladies and gentledudes - Danny McManus was NOT our starting QB in 1994. We had a tandem of Danny Mac and Kent Austin with Kent listed as the #1 QB. Few people remember that when talking about 1994. It was actually the guy coming in from the bench that got us to the Grey Cup (along with 30+ other guys :lol: ).

The guy coming in off the bench might be more important than who takes the first snap ...

[Rammer]

I'm going to change directions here on this question and maybe add a little Lions history into the mix as well.

Instead of worrying about who starts (directly) should we not look at who is better to come in off the bench?

Who do you think is the better guy to come in after a few quarters and get the job done if the first person isn't getting it done?

Is Casey better off starting because he isn't as good at coming in after sitting for awhile on the bench (ala his shoulder injury getting too cold to come in and be effective)? Or is Casey the better guy to come in off th ebench if Dave isn't getting it done in order to provide a major change in the direction of the offence?

Rather than looking at who is better to start - I think it might be important to look at who is better to come in off the bench in case they are needed.

All we have to do is go back to 1994 to see this in action. Remember ladies and gentledudes - Danny McManus was NOT our starting QB in 1994. We had a tandem of Danny Mac and Kent Austin with Kent listed as the #1 QB. Few people remember that when talking about 1994. It was actually the guy coming in from the bench that got us to the Grey Cup (along with 30+ other guys :lol: ).

The guy coming in off the bench might be more important than who takes the first snap ...

The better QB coming off the bench is the QB that reads what the D is doing better. DD is the designated bench sitter, IMHO.

[Shi Zi Mi]

IMHO, you start the mobile QB who can avoid the rush and tire out the opposition DLs and LBs.......after the opposition rush has tired, then put in your pocket passer.

Also, the success of the starter will go a long way in determining when this should happen.

[Grinder]

I've stayed away from posting on this site because of all of the all of the Printers doubters/Dickenson die hards. Props to Blitz, he has added some unbelievable posts this year. This is a huge game for Casey and I hope he can handle the cold. Did he get to play in the cold last year? I don't remember him playing on the prairies at this time of year and he certainly didn't play in the Grey cup. Not that the Lions will have to play in the cold again, but it will be interesting as even Flutie had trouble with the cold. In the end I've resigned myself to just let Wally do what he wants, because in the end, the defense needs to get back to what it was did last game and the first time BC and Edmonton played this year - dominate.

[Lion Guy]

Hey JohnHenry....

[Blitz]

While I often generally agree with Blitz's inciteful treatices, I don't agree with the gist of his current post, essentially that you need a running QB to be successful and the Lions can't win with Dave Dickenson...

Geez..John Henri...I know I write long posts but I always thought I kept them to the length of a sports newpaper article and not a 'treatice'! Just use the scroll bar and read the first and last line or none of it!!

You also could never question DD's heart and character...unfortunately the same could not be said about CP...

That's not what Casey's teammates say!! Geroy calls him a leader and a magic man who energizes the team. Ryan Thelwell said that playing through his torn ligaments in his foot was incredible, Jarious Jackson said he was in a lot of pain and didn't know if he could play in the last drive against Montreal and they said "Just one more drive Casey".. Wally recently said that you couldn't question Printers toughness and reminded us how tough he was to play with his injury last year.

I believe most posters who said Casey Printers was faking his injury have realized that he wasn't. He's answered the call.. injured.. every time he has suited up this year and had to come in surprisingly as the starter against Edmonton, started against Saskatchewan, and came in off the bench against Hamilton, and the second half of the Winnipeg game, before starting the last two games...all with an injured arm and few practice reps. I doubt, in those earlier games, with no practice reps or pre-season he was 'showcasing' himself for the NFL as some have said...not the best way to showcase oneself.

The fact that he didn't want to sign the contract should not mean we dis' his character. There is unhappiness about his not wanting to sign and I'm not happy about it either. However, it certainly begs another question. What would make a young man turn down a contract like that..and offering it meant the Leos had him in their future plans. It makes me think there is another reason and the reason, I don't believe, was wanting to go to the NFL. That wasn't his original plan and I think he's smart enough to know that he is not going to go the NFL and be a starter or even a backup. I think the NFL is an option based upon circumstances here in B.C.

Look at the quarterback situation in Edmonton. Jason Maas was the starter and got injured...and they brought in 'raw rookie Ricky Ray' as Matt Dunnigan called him. He played so well as a rookie they parked Maas on the bench and when Maas came back they continued on with Ray. Ray left for the NFL and Maas played very well. Ray wanted to come back to the CFL and they parked Maas on the bench.

When Ray didn't want to renew his contract, and instead go the NFL, his character wasn't attacked. Substitute Maas as the original starter and Printers as Ricky Ray and I can just imagine the things that would have been said here.

Many players leave for the NFL, or consider it, and they don't undergo the criticism that Printers has. Carl Kidd left for the NFL, wasn't criticized when he didn't renew his contract, and was welcomed back. Clermont listened to offers and seriously considered it in the off-season. If any player on the Lions didn't want to renew his contract and said he was going to consider the NFL and then was injured I wouldn't think he was faking an injury, especially if I saw him play without practice reps and in obvious discomfort.

Also, many of the great CFL QB's are dropback pocket passers. I don't think you need a running QB to be effective, (i.e. Ricky Ray, A. Cavillo, DD, ect). This often how your starting QB gets injured when he tries to dippsy-doodle through opposing defences because he is so mobile. A running QB is often a double edged sword.

I agree with you John Henry...that you can still win with a drop back quarterback with limited mobility but its harder to do that consistently. I don't consider Cavillo a drop back quarterback...he can very effectively rolling out. I do agree that Ricky Ray is. So was Danny McManus and he won a Grey Cup with Hamilton and helped us win one too. It's just that you need a very good offensive line and top recievers to do it because you're more limited. You're either forced to throw too quickly at times...as McManus does or hang on to the ball too long as Dickenson does, being the cause of our high sack total. As for quarterbacks getting injured running...most quarterbacks do not get injured running the football. They usually get hurt with a hit just after they've thrown a pass, or when they are sacked... and get a leg caught underneath them.

Casey Printers came to camp injured this year and now Dave Dickenson is coming back from another injury. It's been rare that they have both been completely healthy, if at all, for the last two years. It's only hypothetical, but if they had both been totally 100% to begin the season I would have started Dave Dickenson and stayed with him as the starter. I've said numerous times that I believed "Dickenson was the present and Printers was the future" Even with an MVP season Casey Printers didn't play a whole season last year and even with his games this year he hasn't played a whole 18 games in the CFL. I would have gotten him into games whenever possible and very slowly, over this year and moving into next, made the transition. I believe, with no enforced salary cap, and the increased attendance revenue from Leos crowds (and Printers brought in a lot of young fans) we could have signed Printers with a compromise...but I still believe there is a different reason why he hasn't signed.

The following year, if both healthy I would have moved Printers into the starting position and brought Dave in from the bench, where, in a two quarterback system, I believe he would have been invaluable. If Casey's situation is resolved and he signed here next year it's still what I would do...have Dickenson be the starter to begin the season, begin the transition process over a year and a bit, and still have a great two quarterback situation. Based upon their injuries over the past two years I think you still need them both unless Buck can develop more quickly than a rookie usually does.

We may see it from different viewpoints but I respect your opinion John Henry...and you have no argument from me that we can still win this year with either. The question is...who do we best win with...or how do we use both to our best advantage to win!

[Stresd]

CP gets the Start(s) no question about it.

Dave had his chance at the big dance, after CP got us there and didnt get it done.

It's CP's turn, I think he's the man for the job. As he keeps on proving he is a big game guy.

Especially if he can pull of a big win in E-town, on the road tommorow..

And if he Doesnt????

[stansz]

like now?

now who starts?

CP goes deep wayy to often...where was jc?? i saw AW open underneath tons of times..but he CP chose to go deep....which sorta payed off at the end...


now who woudl u start?

[LFITQ]

Sorry but I think I just made up my mind on who I want to start - and that will be DD ...

I want DD to start because he knows what 10 yards is.

CP was trying for the home run ball FAR too often ... And don't say it is the schemes - it was simply his reads - there were several times where he had a guy shorter that he chose not to go to.

But I also have to question Chapdelaine - early in the first half Safety Wiltshire goes down so what does Chaps call? 2 running plays.

[stansz]

mine was just a rhetorical question....somehting to think about


as i have stated before....CP should have gone underneath a lot more....

[Rammer]

Sorry but I think I just made up my mind on who I want to start - and that will be DD ...

I want DD to start because he knows what 10 yards is.

CP was trying for the home run ball FAR too often ... And don't say it is the schemes - it was simply his reads - there were several times where he had a guy shorter that he chose not to go to.

But I also have to question Chapdelaine - early in the first half Safety Wiltshire goes down so what does Chaps call? 2 running plays.

''WE are just setting them up for the return meeting, we are stretching that D so we leave marks upon them.

CP still has to start, let him tire out that D line, and then bring in DD if needed, like around the time we get in the red zone, CP didn't look good there.