Disappointing season or masterful rebuild?

[Hambone]

There has been much disappointment, anger, finger-pointing and blaming handed out by Lionbackers all year long with Buono and of course Chapdelaine being the usual villians. Buono has been accused at times of having lost it both in terms of coaching and personnel assessment. However as I sit back and reflect on the Lions' freshly finished regular season I'm finding less to be disappointed in and more to be pleased about with the Lions.

Only time will tell but I think what we've seen is a masterful rebuild of the BC Lions all in one season. The Lions have slowly been getting older every year over the past 3 or 4. I think the one year where Buono stood pat making few offseason changes set them back a couple of years. Normally you like to tinker and turn over a certain portion of the roster to integrate more youth. Take a year off from that process and eventually you have to take a big hit to make up for lost time. If BC was going to try making a run at the Grey Cup in 2011 it was time for them to go into the shop for a major overhaul. In undertaking this overhaul I believe management knew there would be bumps and inconsistency along the way. That should not be totally expected with so many rookies and young players added all at once. I expect inconsistent play was something Wally knew he's have to put up with as the team took time to gel but I don't think he ever envisioned being 1-6 entering the bye week.

Even if the Eskimos prevail and knock BC out I see far more positives coming out of this season than negatives. Despite the major overhaul we finished at 8-10, same record as last year. The CFL always is a tale of two seasons, pre-Labour Day and post-Labour Day. Pre-Labour Day BC was 1-7. Starting with the Labour Day visit to Montreal they've been 7-3 since. In my eyes the 1-7 portion of the record is very much part of the price a team has to pay when making so many changes. The 7-3 is a reflection of the talent assembled and an indicator of what we can expect moving forward. Sometimes you have to take one step back before you can take 2 forward. The first half of the season was that step back. More often than not that one step back while rebuilding takes a couple of years. BC might have pulled it off in half a season.

I took a look at the depth chart for today's game. What did I see? 4 rookies; 9 starters 26 and under; a sophomore starting QB; a 23 year old receiver who was the star of the game; a 22 year old starting left tackle. The short side secondary was manned by 23 & 24 year old rookies. Then I looked at the backups. Among them Jesse Newman was the grizzled veteran at 28. George is 27. Davis is 26. Messam and Mitchell are 25. The other 11 are 23 or 24. Over on the 9 game DL are the likes of Lee and Geathers at 23 & 24. All 9 players on the PR are 25 and under. Over the past season or two this team has morphed from a veteran-laden crew to one loaded with youth who should only get better and get better quickly.

In many ways I think many Lion fans have been so caught up with the poor start in the standings they've failed to see the transformation of this team. Yes maybe the roster moves could have been less drastic. However I think such a tact might have helped secure a playoff spot we'd be no further ahead in making an inevitable rebuild. It could've led to 2 steps backwards next year instead of 1 back this year and 2 ahead next year. That management has rebuilt this club with young, hungry, talented players who could be the nucleus for years to come AND still came out of it 8-10 (playoff spot yet to be determined) I think warrants a lot more recognition than has been granted so far.

When I look at this roster loaded with young talent I come away thinking that the season actually has been a success despite the losing record. When I start thinking about how good this team can be in the future I find it much easier to accept what happened in the first half of the season.

[1greatmysticbushape]

exactly.

[Lionheart]

Disappointing season.

[CatsEyes]

Very well said, Dale! I have seen the transformation as well and am very excited about this team's future.

[tigerrr22]

Moving forward the O-Line and the OC are the only concerns I have for the Lions. The O-Line is aging and banged up. They led the league in sacks allowed too. (How many QB's do we need to see concussed?) Also it took way too long for the OC to realize how challenged this O-Line was as so many Lionbackers kept on screaming for blitz packages and being more than a zero complexity vanilla offence through the first 8 games of the season. Chap needs to be replaced. The Casey Printers experiment was a stall in seeing the offence start to improve consistently too. He made it tough for the O-Line with his confusion on when to run, throw or get rid of it in passing situations. Casey could not run, due to injury, and that didn't help our O-Line season stats either.

I still don't like the play calling on offence either. Too many predictable runs into a wall, by Robertson, on first down. (Today in Hamilton included.) Also, instead of the fake play action after a handoff just play action roll and pass. (Or let Lulay run if the defence bites on the fake handoff.) Or how many times do we see the Lions in 2nd and 9 only to throw a 5 yard out to the side line. Or try other plays well short of the first down marker in second down? Other than this I think that the season has been a disappointment and a masterful rebuilding year all in one. Don't be surprised if the Lions find their way to the Grey Cup in Edmonton too. They just might be defending Grey Cup champs trying to repeat at home in 2011!

I'm cool with Buono staying on, in any capacity he sees fit, but the O-Line needs an import or two and the OC needs to be a better play caller that has a better grasp of his offensive unit from day one of training camp until the end of the season. Also Travis Lulay is the guy to lead this team into the future. He's a good QB and his potential is that of being the best QB, since Doug Flutie, in BC!

Dominic In Vancouver

[joe kapp22]

Incomplete rebuild with a Satisfying season.

We still have some holes, but we do not have any character questions, we have young players and some still servicible Vets.

I think Buono did a great Coaching job, but it easily could have been better, I think they got a trunk full of young talent, but had some Veterans who disappointed more than the Rookies did, that is the sort of season it has been.

[B.C.FAN]

It's been tremendously satisfying to see the rebuilding effort pay off. The team had to endure questions about its mental discipline, confidence, talent, inexperience and coaching. It did that in coming back from a most disappointing start to the season. The coaches and players deserve a lot of credit for overcoming adversity and proving themselves against long odds. There are three games left and the Lions are the hottest team heading into the playoffs. The good times have just begun.

[Rick James]

One could naturally presume that a very young team could also be a very SMS friendly team as well. Possibly Wally may be in the market for a Non-Import stud.

[Hambone]

One could naturally presume that a very young team could also be a very SMS friendly team as well. Possibly Wally may be in the market for a Non-Import stud.

Not to mention dumping the biggest salary commitment for next year about 6 weeks ago.

[cromartie]

I expected an 8-10 season with a first round playoff loss and will be pleasantly surprised if those expectations are exceeded. And while I agree with you on the nature of the season, I don't get the impression that this was the objective from the outset (though, in light of how 2009 ended up, it should have been). Robertson and Printers were not guys you plug in if your intent was to rebuild. I'm glad it's turned out the way it has for all of the reasons you've mentioned. Shivers has done a great job providing talent.

But how to use that talent remains a problem. I am unhappy with the coaching staff and will be disappointed if there isn't some degree of realignment in the offseason (barring some sort of miracle run ala Wally in 2001). But it's not all bad, and I appreciate you banging that drum.

[WestCoastJoe]

Exciting football down the stretch. Hard hitting. Lots of players to root for. Compelling stories with these players, who come from all over to play high octane CFL football.

Most people will agree that the CFL is a QB driven league. It looked from TC last year that Travis Lulay could be a special QB in this league. Some "normal" rough spots this year, but now I think we see what he can do with his arm, legs, composure and confidence. Just about ideal IMO for the CFL.

Some impressions on where we are at ...

#1 The football as played in their better games down the stretch is enjoyable.

#2 It's Braley's team. Wally is his guy, "full stop," as Braley says.

#3 Making the playoffs is the key in the CFL.

#4 Through these playoffs and into next year, can we challenge for the Cup? That is key.

#5 Through his hard work and desire for success, I think Wally does adjust eventually.

#7 O Line for now and next year, will it be good enough? Pass pro? Run game?

#8 Offence? Passing game? Good enough? Run game? Good enough? Scheme? Play calling?

#9 Rush end which seems to be a necessary element for top CFL defences?

#10 Improved in game decisions?

#11 No seemingly bizarre personnel decisions (projects) which none of the public seem to understand, and which are ended after a few games.
........

Most of the elements are present. There will be changes I am sure. The ownership is there. The money is there. The product on the field needs to be competitive at the top level. The coaching needs to be state of the art.

From all these items, there are many questions to be determined. We thought last year was the "rebuilding" year after the 8 and 10 record. And we thought Wally didn't need a "rebuilding" year with a losing record of one year, let alone two.

Biggest question I see: will the coaching we see as we go forward be state of the art? All weapons used? Adaptable? Entertaining? Effective? Can the coaches we have now provide that? We'll see.

[Lionheart]

Having said all that in the aboves.. why was I left with the most frustrating angst? I was pissed off, disappointed, BORED... at half time I went to do dishes.. for me, that is almost reason to commit hari kari over. What a shame.

For our biggest win at the most important time I am left wanting somehow and I can't put my finger on it.

[WestCoastJoe]

Having said all that in the aboves.. why was I left with the most frustrating angst? I was pissed off, disappointed, BORED... at half time I went to do dishes.. for me, that is almost reason to commit hari kari over. What a shame.

For our biggest win at the most important time I am left wanting somehow and I can't put my finger on it.

It might be all the questions, all the uncertainty. What if we play very poorly vs the Riders? I would not say we can be sure we have all that we need or want with this team.

Or that any changes will be made if they need to be.

Or that we don't back slide next year.

I'm kind of just rolling with it. As long as they play hard and entertain the fans, I am not too bad with it. If we can't contend then I just have to tune out to some extent.

[cat_daddy]

WCJ,
I'm with you. I don't know if all of the correct pieces are in place, but it has been fun to watch for the last couple of months.

I think the O-Line has come so far and are able to gel with the continuity they have been afforded by keeping the same players in place for the last few games. Travis looks like he could be special....wide receivers make some great catches...the 'D' mans up when needed.... fun to watch.

It is a work in progress, but gosh it so much better now than that 1-7 start....

[PigSkin_53]

A very carefully weighed and considered, well thought out post Hambone.

Your best ever!