Bombers 23 - Lions 13, Blog, Post Game Stats and Comments

[sj-roc]

Apparently at last night's game, BC TDs were outnumbered even by the rainbows 2 to 1.

[David]

* 4th quarter epitomized the season for me: we settle for a field 22 yard goal (should have been a touchdown instead *sigh*) to close within a touchdown. Should have been a massive momentum shifter, right? However, we look completely sloppy on the ensuing Winnipeg drive and a couple of plays later Lirim Hajrullahu kicks a 21-yard chip shot to make it 23-13. Effectively game over.

* sack total (4) was very deceiving last night. There were times that Willy had the equivalent to a commercial break to pick out receivers. We need a disruptive defensive tackle in the worst way. David Menard might be our best pass rusher but Michael Brooks is getting better every game.

* until this team becomes more confident in itself, best not to gamble longer than 1 yard. Right now, they're lining up tighter than a sailor's knot.

* pretty sad that a case for team MOP at this point could very well be made for its K/P Leone.

* almost as sad as watching Lulay struggle. One drive he looks like Tom Brady out there. The next, it's Marcia Brady. I have to think the change in mechanics is compromising his ability to hit the long ball accurately. Chris Jones must be licking his chops.


DH

[SammyGreene]

It was a horrible loss to the Bombers. The Bombers came into the game with the CFL's worst offence and without their best receiver in Nick Moore. Still, our Lions couldn't defeat the Bombers and played poorly to boot.

Here are some post game thoughts.

OFFENCE

Our offence played poorly once again but that was not the fault of the blocking of our offensive line or Andrew Harris. Our offensive lien opened holes for Harris all game and gave Lulay amble time to throw the football on most plays. Harris was also a threat coming out of the backfield.

But our passing attack sucked and our scheme is terrible.

I began this season excited because I believed Tedford was going to implement an H Back offence. I wasn't excited about Cortez coming to B.C. because he is a spread offence devotee and the spread offence reached its best due date many years ago. However, with Tedford having imput into the offence and working with Cortez before in California, I believed we would have a different offensive scheme. l I was also excited about Malone coming to B.C. and Dorazio leaving as well. Dorazio had always coached our running game (not Chap or Jones who only called the running plays when OC's) and during Dorazio's tenure we had given up the most sacks in the CFL.

Gives me JaquesBall (not ChapBall) any day over this offensive scheme. The running attack is well designed this season. Lots of pulling guards, some misdirection, and its a good blocking scheme. But why are we in a boring spread offence rather than the HBack offence that was promised. What we have is a tight end who plays slotback in a spread offence. We don't use the tight end as an HBack, who can lead block for the run, line up tight, go in motion. Our offence does not use motion, except for the waggle and does not move receivers around to create matchup advantages. The problem is not just Lulay and the recievers. This is a more boring scheme than Chapdelaine ever had, even in his worst days, before he changed his offence in 2011.

As for Travis Lulay, this is not just about his shoulder injury. He has had many struggles with accuracy, even in his best days. When he is on with his mechanics he can be really on but when he is off, he can be really off. Lulay's strength has always been being able to get outside to throw the football or extend passing plays or take off downfield. Lulay's shoulder injury may be adding to his problems regarding accuracy but accuracy problems at times, due to mechanics, including challenges throwing the deep football have always been there. He has always had great chemistry with Harris coming out of the backfield in the passing attack. If you go back to Lulay's MOP season, a lot of his success was due to well designed misdirection/motion plays and sprint out plays, with receivers wide open or hitting Harris out of the backfield. Lulay has never been a great pocket quarterback. Chap moved Lulay around a lot...not enough to please us, but a hell of a lot more than this. Cortez does not design plays for Lulay to do his best things...come off misdirection play action and roll out or throw the sprint out pass. No OC can't do that all the time but you have to mix things up and especially for Lulay, whose mechanics are best when he is moving and therefore throwing off his front foot. Lulay is back to not stepping into throws or throwing off his back foot.

The second problem is that Cortez is trying to implement a vertical passing attack that doesn't have the type of receivers to run it. Cortez tried the same thing in Riderville last season and it was not successful there, with Saskatchewan recievers, and it was the reason they got rid of him plus Cortez was also stuck in the spread and keeping his quarterback stuck in the pocket.

Against the Bombers we had numerous opportunities, with Harris running the football so well, to go with misdirection play action on first down and semi-boot Lulay, buying more time for receivers to get open and for Lulay to have a pass/run double threat option and didn't do it.

The problems on offence are scheme, predictability, lack of motion, Lulay's lack of accuracy, lack of speed in our receiving core, a vertical passing attack that doesn't suit them or Lulay. This offence does not look any different, except for a big tight end lining up as a wide slotback, than Khari Jones offence from last year. Its the old spread offence and its boring, boring, boring.

DEFENCE

It didn't matter what we did on defence....we looked awful doing it. Washington tried to mix it up more to no avail. He rushed 4, he rushed 3, and he blitzed more than usual. Of course the blitzes were mostly poorly designed and executed and came at the very worst times. Willy saw the blitzes coming like looking at a Greyhound bus driving down the road and most often burned the blitz when we attempted it.

The Bomber offence, the worst offence in the CFL, without Nick Moore and a nicked Drew Wilie burned us with big plays time and again and the Bomber's offensive scheme was more innovative and better designed than our offence.

The fact is that our defense has lost its aggressiveness and its confidence more and more under Mark Washington. It fell apart at the end of last season and it has not recovered. For example, Cord Parks, who was a dynamite corner under Stubler looks like a different player in the same spot under Washington. Personnel is being used poorly, from using Roh as a defensive tackle, Westerman as a defensive end, and only having one of our two best pass rushers (Bazzie, Smith) on the field at the same time to using Bighill as a deep defender. When we blitzed Bighill last night it led to a sack. Bazzie got a sack off a three man rush. Brooks made some big plays but he doesn't have a tackle beside him to compliment his play.

This is not just about having a new short side defensive halfback in Lee. Phillips and Parks are out of sorts. Yell, in his first 3 games this season has not been the corner who played so aggressively and so well when he was first inserted into the lineup last year. This defense is taking all the spirit out of the players.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Leone kicked the hell out of the football. But inserting Antolin made no difference to our punt return game. The fact is that McMann is still coaching our return teams is a testament to our Leos not making the kind of changes we needed to make in our coaching staff this season that were needed.

WRAP

Tedford had a big job in front of him. We knew that. But at least we expected more innovative offence. A boring spread offensive passing attack, a passive defense that is now a bend, break, and bend over defence, some weaknesses in personell and poor use of personnel, and poor return team play are all factors in our Leos team playing poor football at this time.

Hit this one out of the park as usual Blitz.

I am an extremely frustrated Lions fan right now. It was bad enough watching that passive defence getting lit up week after week. Now we get to watch a stale and struggling offence on top of it.

Shocking to think the offensive coordinator is upstairs in the spotter's booth and the inability to make any kind of adjustments once teams have adjusted to the early success.

Very disappointed in Tedford right now after being so enthused when he was initially hired and weeks leading into the season.

For starters, his No. 1 mandate should have been to identify the best young QB and begin him on the fast track for development to eventually replace Lulay.
Afterall, one of the reasons he was hired was his reptuation of working with QBs. Now 6 weeks into the season and Jennings has yet to see the field other than short yardage situations. Now he has apparently been passed by the 34-year-old Beck on the depth chart. Really? Can't believe this is the same franchise that at one time developed Casey Printers, Buck Pierce and, yes, Travis Lulay.

[MexicoLionFan]

Excellent reviews by BCFAN, Joe and Blitz...thank you very much. Blitz the Lions offence seemed to be more creative and flexible during the earlier part of the season and did design some plays to take advantage of Lulay's strengths, but as they begun to struggle as a group I think that Cortez panicked and went back to VANILLA on offence, hence much more of the boring, predictable spread. No matter how much football changes with bigger and faster athletes, the principles of the game will never change. If you possess a good OLine that can control the LOS, you should always be tearing it up offensively...we aren't and that's both on our skilled players and the coaches. Because I can promise you that in 2 days I could sit down with that offence and design a system that took advantage of the LOS, created confusion in the defence and made plays down the field vertically. Its there...its all there but we are not taking it. As Blitz mentioned, with a potential game changer in AC Leonard as a true H-Back or even Tight End, we SHOULD be causing all sorts of problems for defences. Instead, Cortez is lining him up in the slot and making things EASY on defences because Leonard's game isn't designed to create space, its designed to make teams pay for giving it! So once again, I am calling for a PRO STYLED OFFENCE that uses Leonard in a VARIETY of roles (FB, TE, HB and Slot) where he creates mismatches and imbalance that we can take advantage of. As an OC wanting to help a vet QB struggling with his game, the best thing to do is go back to the pro set, run the football, use motion, and lots of PLAY ACTION where receivers are often chucked free off the LOS making for simple reads and quick throws. The WORST thing you can do is to throw him deep into the pocket out of the spread and ask him to be Peyton Manning...Travis Lulay never was and will never be a deep pocket QB...that's simply not his game, especially now with his damaged shoulder! Guys, you hear this comment all the time, but its so true...this isn't rocket science...its football 101. Go back to the Pro style offence that Tedford won a PAC10 championship with and take advantage of our OLine and All Star RB and help Lulay out...it literally would be that simple.

Defensively, I took a TON of heat on this site last year for calling out Mark Washington's Defence as a CHEAT that was going to be exploited LONG BEFORE it started to happen. What took teams so long to figure it out was beyond me, but its right there to see. Washington asks Biggie and Sol to act as DBs in the pass game creating effectively 3 to 4 DLinemen, and then 8 or 9 DBs in two layers. I will grant you this, its confusing to look at as a QB wanting to do the "normal" thing, but once you take a step back and understand what is being offered, you become like a kid in a candy shop because really, this Defence gives you oodles of time to sit back and TAKE what they are giving up for free! How the F$CK can a defence with Adam Bighill, Solomon Elimimian and the other talented backers be LAST in the league against the run???? Simple, they are NOT BEING ASKED TO BE LBs! They are being asked to be passive turnstiles that say to the opposition, "thank you, may I have another!" WTF??? Adam Bighill and Sol E. are the two BIGGEST HITTERS and most intimidating defenders in the league! FEAR is how you beat most offences and younger QBs...and defensively you NEVER want to constantly just "give things up" because you never want offences and QBs to find their rhythm, but that's EXACTLY what Washington does game in and game out. I get the fact that the rules changed this offseason is pass defence, I get that he might be a little concerned about the "adjustment period" for his DBs to pick up the new rules, but instead of being passive about it, BE AGGRESSIVE. Don't give QBs time to take advantage of this rule...put the fear of getting pounded into their minds instead of setting them up, above the field of play, on a pedestal where they can see everything unfold without fear of being hit. When you constantly ask your defence to BACKPEDAL off the LOS, you are taking their NATURAL INSTINCTS AWAY from them and after awhile you witness what you saw last night...DBs that don't want contact and "Ole" instead of tackle. When you ask you DLinemen to be blocked and unsuccessful ALL GAME LONG what do you think they grow to expect? How do you think life works? People who KNOW that they can accomplish something, do it, those that aren't sure rarely succeed...those that don't believe ALWAYS FAIL! Why do you think that seemingly innocent story of the little train that "knew he could" has lasted for millennia, BECAUSE ITS TRUE! How do hunters ensure they will capture there prey? They "release the hounds" because it causes TERROR! Think of Buddy Ryan's 46 Defence in CHI...teams lost to the Bears BEFORE the game even started out of terror of playing that Defence! And why? Because they all dropped off into pass coverage asking Singletary and Marshall to play like Ryan Phillips??? You know the answer. The problem is, you simply can't just "turn it on" with pressure, because our defence no longer possesses ANY CONFIDENCE or passion. Besides, Washington DOESN'T KNOW THE FIRST THING about designing mismatches and creating pressure. His attempts to blitz are JUVENILE at best and telegraphed. To create constant pressure you have to control the LOS with the DLine, and that simply isn't happening. Sure, you can "fake it" creatively (just look at Chris Jones in EDM at the start of last season), but you must be creatively stunting up front causing OLinemen to move and be out of position...WE DON'T DO THAT...Mark Washington makes it incredibly easy for opposing coaches to prepare for his defence and that's the GREATEST SIN of any Coach! You must give opposing Coaches so much to think about and worry about during the week that all they do is WORRY ABOUT YOU instead of focusing on themselves, and that' s just not happening with Washington!

Special Teams are great because of Ritchie Leone...what a kicker, but he is likely only going to be here for one season...take Leone away and our Special Teams are HORRID and they have been horrid ever since Chuck McMann showed up! So let's see, we get rid of our old OLine coach and now our makeshift group look like All Stars...we keep our old DC and STC and those units stink to high heaven...I wonder what gives??? Jeff Tedford is a GOOD football coach and a man of pride. That game last night was a disgrace on many levels and Tedford is smart enough to know where the problems are...either he demands of Wally the true ability to control the ON FIELD PRODUCT or his coaching career in BC will be a short one because under Wally this franchise has allowed ROT to set in, and its spread EVERYWHERE across the team, and only wholesale idea changes and some key personnel moves will change it! Because unless Jeff Tedford starts to take an interest and level of control over his Defence and Special Teams, we are soon going to join SSK for dead last in the league!!! Wally WAS a HOF Coach and GM, he is no longer...either the Lions accept this as a franchise and move on, or they continue to punish themselves, because the game on ALL LEVELS has passed Wally by!

[dat]

The Lions defence after having the luxury of being on the sidelines most of the first half opened the second half by getting scored on from midfield. Still no rush, the only pressure came when they were forced to blitz. People complained about JR Larose at safety last year however I don't see any improvement this year. The tackling from all the DB's looks terrible. Thinking of some safeties in the past like Barron Miles or Nelson Martin or Tommy Europe you could count on some big hits or interceptions. This group is invisible. As someone at the stadium said last week, " can you even name anyone on the Lions D other then Solly or Bighill ? " Even if you can when was the last time anyone other than those two made a play ? Now the offence, Lulay started off hot again and then was shut down. When things aren't going well why not let Jennings come in for a few series ? This team definitely needs the addition of a few good players, especially on defence. If not it looks like its going to be a long year. DAT

[B.C.FAN]

* pretty sad that a case for team MOP at this point could very well be made for its K/P Leone.

This may warrant its own topic later in the season, but for me the Lions' offensive, defensive and special teams players of the year are clear cut and are all worth the price of admission.

Offence: Andrew Harris
Defence: Adam Bighill
STs: Richie Leone

It would be nice if someone else stepped up but those three players are carrying the team and may be the best in the league in their respective categories.

[MexicoLionFan]

* pretty sad that a case for team MOP at this point could very well be made for its K/P Leone.

This may warrant its own topic later in the season, but for me the Lions' offensive, defensive and special teams players of the year are clear cut and are all worth the price of admission.

Offence: Andrew Harris
Defence: Adam Bighill
STs: Richie Leone

It would be nice if someone else stepped up but those three players are carrying the team and may be the best in the league in their respective categories.

I agree.

[WestCoastJoe]

How to fix this mess?

It might take time.

It will probably take the removal of all the old elements, including the venerable Wally Buono.

Presumably the Head Coach of a team gets to keep the coaches he wants. A new HC could be prevailed upon to keep some of the old guard. That is what appears to have happened here.

Anyone that looked at the tape of last year's defence when it started to break down, and especially in the playoff loss to Montreal would have had serious doubts about the defensive system of Mark Washington. And yet Mark W was retained. The results on the field did not merit it, IMO. It would seem that Wally sold Jeff Tedford on the merits of his protégé, Mark W.

Mark W is the DC, the DB coach, and a former DB. In his time here has he developed a Safety? No. We brought in free agent J.R. LaRose with unsatisfactory results. We brought in free agent Chris R, with unsatisfactory results so far. We have tried drafting some, with unsatisfactory results.

And it is not just defence. The judgment of personnel seems to have gone downhill since the departure of Kelly Bates. Someone sold the idea of bringing in Chris R as Safety. Doesn't look good. Someone sold the idea of drafting a very raw project in the first round this year, in a very deep draft, way ahead of the ratings of other teams. Any sign of this young player contributing now? Any hope of seeing this player contributing in the near future?

Even with the American talent, we seem to have been deficient in evaluating receiving talent (Where are the speed burners?) and possibly D Line talent.

Free agents? Ummm ... they have been choosing to go to other teams. We have been losing out on offers made to free agents. Too cheap? Maybe. Poor handling of veterans? Maybe. Have we released veterans to save money on the budget? And yet those veterans have not been adequately replaced?

STs have been subpar for a long time now. New blood was needed in the coaching ranks.

Some of the fans are saying these things. They almost seem sacrilegious. But even if the fans don't say them, the results on the field will bring about such change anyway.

Too early to say these things? Sacrilegious to say these things? Well, they just might need to be said.

Just IMO ...

[Toppy Vann]

If you want to know what's going in any organization OR team listen to the conversation and the messaging.

The HC sets the tone and it's not quite right with the Lions. He's instilled the confidence in his team to the point they're starting good and mailing it in shortly after on the OFF. The mad DC is tinkering with even Westerman chasing a REC on coverage - a WTF moment for TSN crew.

Players and fans bought the Messiah announcement that the might Jeff Tedford had only to appear here and he'd be winning all his games.

HC sets the tone and builds a core group of team leaders that help instill this performance (do your job and do it right on every down and even off field) oriented culture that leads to wins.

Two things though -

1. The culture is seriously wrong and seems to be a continuation of last year. Remember Paul M's comments?!!

2. Scheme and personnel issues on both sides of the ball:

> DEF - hard to see MW fixing this mess but he could stop with Bighill dropping in coverage. You cannot win by trying to put it on two stars in ANY sport. This is amateur hour at its most basic. Get folks into their natural positions where there strengths work.

> OFF - no motion - another Bart Andrus situation. Where's Cortez's brain in this. Note who Milanovich gave the game ball to - his OC Marcus Brady - made a big deal of it for the comeback v the Lions.

Coaches must get this right.

[dat]

Listening to Farhan Lalji on Team 1040 commenting on how he believes the Lions D mishandled this year, subjects like Bighill making deep drops into the safety area etc. Couldn't agree more. He's a linebacker, let him stop the run or hit receivers on short routes, track down the QB when there is a broken play or good coverage. We remember how good he was the year he played in the middle when Solly went south. Then we have DE Roh playing inside, DT Westerman at the end spot and last years sack leader Bazzie hardly ever on the field at the same time as Khreem Smith. How about putting Westerman back inside and rotate Smith, Roh and Bazzie at the ends. The defensive end spot is a lot about speed and the DT spot a lot about size and strength. Brent Johnson was the epitome of a quick defensive end who would sprint by the edge blocker and cause havoc. Scouting and coaching have also been addressed. This years staff was supposed to make better adjustments than last year. The Lions have had a lead after the first half the last few games and then been completely shut down on both sides of the ball in the second half. As for scouting other than Leone and AC Leonard they haven't come of with many good finds the last few years. Then some questionable draft picks the last few years. Why not take someone who looks like they can play right away or soon regardless of position ? A lot wrong in the organization obviously, the Lions look light years away from the last West division champ teams. Been watching the Leo's since the early 70's and trying to think of a more porous defence. If I knew the answers to everything I'd probably be giving Braley a call.
DAT

[TheLionKing]

I'm as frustrated as anyone but how many fans expect anything than growing pains with a new coaching staff, huge turnover in player personnel. As frustrating as this has been (and it's only 5 games into the season) trust me when I say I've seen a lot worse. I can still remember the days when NFL cuts will be coming in by the boatload, some get to play a couple of games and then get cut and never to be heard from again. Lions would be picking up rejects from other CFL teams to fill out their starting roster.

[B.C.FAN]

Been watching the Leo's since the early 70's and trying to think of a more porous defence. If I knew the answers to everything I'd probably be giving Braley a call.
DAT

As for porous defences over the years, the first five games of 2015 resemble the first five games of 2011, with Mike Benevides as DC.

2011 YARDS PER GAME - FIRST 5 GAMES (CFL RANK)
Rush 129.6 (last)
Pass 304.4 (last)
Net 417.0 (last)

2015 YARDS PER GAME - FIRST 5 GAMES (CFL RANK)
Rush 130.6 (8th)
Pass 308.4 (last)
Net 424.6 (last)

The good news is that the 2011 Lions turned it around after the fifth game, due mainly to some personnel changes in the secondary, and led the league in defence for the rest of the season, finishing second overall in most categories and first overall in fewest points allowed, winning the West Division and the Grey Cup.

[dat]

Just for thought - a look back at when when the Lions had a great pass rush in years past. This year according to stats the Lions have 9 sacks after 5 games, an average of less than 2 per game. I was at the game in 2006 when Brent Johnson and the Lions D terrorized Montreal QB Anthony Calvillo by sacking him 12 times. The Lions are on pace for 32 sacks in an 18 game schedule for an average of 1.8 sacks per game. Lions team records - in a 16 game schedule the Lions had 86 sacks in 1984 and 87 sacks in 1982 for an average of 5.4 sacks per game. That would translate to 97 sacks in an 18 game schedule. Of course its easy to criticize and stir the pot but you can clearly see they haven't done what they've needed to the last few years in getting pass rushers. Scouting, free agency, drafting. So compared to those teams this years team is on pace for one third of those totals. Clearly one of the reasons we're last in D stats. Although having said all that anyone watching the games can clearly see lack of pressure up front is one of the issues. DAT

[maxlion]

I'm as frustrated as anyone but how many fans expect anything than growing pains with a new coaching staff, huge turnover in player personnel. As frustrating as this has been (and it's only 5 games into the season) trust me when I say I've seen a lot worse. I can still remember the days when NFL cuts will be coming in by the boatload, some get to play a couple of games and then get cut and never to be heard from again. Lions would be picking up rejects from other CFL teams to fill out their starting roster.

Agree with this. This is a young team. The team needed a re-set after last year's debacle, and I see some good things from Tedford and staff--starting with good protection of QB. Like the no huddling too. Unlike many, I also like the 3d gambles. Gutsy, exciting, and good rationale in my view. I have lots of questions about our personnel, but see this year as a necessary transition which will set us up well in the future.

[WestCoastJoe]

From Lowell Ullrich ...

Lions have sprung leak on defenceJuly 30, 2015. 11:33 pm • Section: The Fifth Quarter 0 23

“We weren’t prepared for Willy taking off and run and he took advantage,” Lions linebacker Adam Bighill said. “We did not think he was going to run out on us.”

He did, however, simply because the Lions lined up and allowed the immobile Winnipeg runner to run right at them to the tune of 72 yards, part of a game in which the Bombers ran for 131 yards in all.

Not prepared for Willy running. Who is that on? Well, it is on the DC. And that is Mark Washington.

It is not a matter of execution.

"We had long fields a lot. Special teams wise we gave up too many penalties again,” (Tedford) said. “When we did get in the red zone we turn the ball. We can’t turn the ball over in tight games. They didn’t we did and that’s a recipe for a loss.” Pass the beer cups. Another bailout will likely be necessary next week.

STs have been underwhelming, aside from the individual brilliance of Leone.

The decay in this organization, that has happened during the tenure of Wally Buono, will not go away quickly. Old style thinking. Trying to surround oneself with familiar coaches who see it your way, whether or not that way is long outdated.

Long, uphill battle for Tedford, saddled with remnants of the old regime.