Bombers 41 - Lions 19 -- Post-Game Stats and Comments

[TheLionKing]

he was pretty pedestrian in the first game... hes onbviously scared to throw a pick and wont go long intermediate... Ds know that , and now hes missing guys 5 yards away... bad coaching making him too worried about making a mistake

Yes he was. In the first game, he was decisive; if his read wasn't there, he didn't hesitate to run with the football or throw it away. Tonight he was like a deer in the headlights, he was indecisivive throwing without getting properly set up.

[TheLionKing]

Buono post game

https://www.bclions.com/2018/07/07/post ... beginning/

[David]

Although it is early in Jarius Jackson career as an Offensive Coordinator, I am less than thrilled. No real difference in Khari Jones' offence. Why are they ignoring Manny Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham ??

Not only Manny and Burnham, what about Rainey too? They haven't figured out how to use him, other than well-telegraphed sweeps that even a grandmother knitting a sweater with one eye on the game can see coming.

Give him the damn ball in space, put some blockers in front of him and watch him put on the after-burners!


DH

[WestCoastJoe]

We hire a new GM, Hervey. But arrange to keep the HC, Buono, for one more year only. Buono was also the GM for years. Unusual arrangement. It creates a lame duck situation. Why make this awkward arrangement? Was it Braley's preference? Probably. It would have been better to start the coaching staff from scratch.

The unusual arrangement is functioning as one might expect, poorly.

The HC does not do Xs and Os, but does keep the philosophy extremely simple, focusing on execution.

The DC has been easy pickings for pretty much any offence for years.

The OC is in his first year. He revamps the offence, but seems to have left out longer passing plays downfield. Jennings, who threw for over 5,000 yards in 2016, is shell shocked.

The O Line, seemingly stocked with talented athletes, is its usual schmozzle. Cut blocks, with the OL on the ground, as DL waltz past on the way to meeting at the quarterback.

Wally has survived as almost a good luck charm for Braley.
.........

Washington has had to go for years. It seems like Wally foisted him off on Tedford, back in 2015.

I am thinking Jarious is not ready to play chess with DCs around the league, or to match the creativity and perfomance of the likes of LaPolice or June Jones, or Dickenson, or Trestman.

O Line? Schmozzle.

3 games in, and it is a train wreck.

Can it get worse this year? Lulay, as potential saviour, could get hurt. Or we might find he canmot run this offence either.

Batten down the hatches. This has the makings of one of the all time ugly years.

I recall the words of Harry Neale, in the midst of many losses with the Canucks. He said they could not win on the road. They could not win at home. His greatest failing as a coach, he said, was that he could not think of any place else to play.

[Honour Dewalt]

Well it's not worse than 2011 right now, and I think I remember how that turned out. It can be turned around.

[VictoriaFan]

sad when the kicker is the best player in the game, he even made 2 tackles on kick returns. Love the cut block fail for a sack when the 2 dline guys just waltzed around the oline clowns to sack Jennings, good job Dorazzio

[DanoT]

I want next year's new HC to come from outside the organization and it looks like my wish will be granted.

I am willing to give Jarious Jackson a mulligan for the first half of the season because he is a rookie OC and he gets no help from his HC.

Jennings just does not seem to be in his comfort zone at all with this Offence. He was off on a few long passes and then no more long passes.
How about designing an O that gets the ball to Manny and Burnham beyond the first down marker?

This loss isn't just about Jennings and Jackson as the DBs look worse than last year.

For a Lions fan the game was just about unwatchable. I taped the game and then pressed the skip button on the remote after every play so I could get through the ordeal more quickly.

[pennw]

Well it's not worse than 2011 right now, and I think I remember how that turned out. It can be turned around.

You are right , it could be turned around like in 2011 . We do have Lulay here still , it could be turned around if Lulay got fully healthy and stayed that way for the rest of the season .
As for Jennings he seems to be the teflon guy around here . No matter how bad he plays , he's beyond criticism with some . It's the coaches /OL/Receivers/OC/DC , but never Jennings.
Some have correctly observed in the past how much better the entire team played when Lulay came in for a 4 game stretch last season . Others seem in denial . Last night Jennings could not hit the broad side of a barn . Early in the game there was a stretch he badly over threw the receiver 4 plays in a row , the last of which got picked in double coverage . On all of those he had good protection , no pressure just all bad throws . 2 of those the receiver was wide open and would have been a TD on one and at least very close to the goal line on the other . That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game and it all just went down hill from there . as for the OL they looked alright blocking for JJ24 early in the game . Pretty hard for the rest of the team to get anything going when they are let down by the QB every time there is opportunity .
The biggest knock on the coaching /GM in all this is not having recognized the starting QB is not what at level he needed to be earlier. Some how I just don't see Travis being able to go a whole season anymore if he where to get healthy again. IMO it's time to bring Ricky Loyd onto the active roster and start developing him under Lulay . Don't see anything in Fajardo either. Or start shopping for a starting QB.

[pennw]

sad when the kicker is the best player in the game, he even made 2 tackles on kick returns. Love the cut block fail for a sack when the 2 dline guys just waltzed around the oline clowns to sack Jennings, good job Dorazzio

I saw that too , not saying there wasn't lots of blame for others in the game . our D was terrible too , especially some of our DBs . Young looks like a liability .

[DanoT]

We hire a new GM, Hervey. But arrange to keep the HC, Buono, for one more year only. Buono was also the GM for years. Unusual arrangement. It creates a lame duck situation. Why make this awkward arrangement? Was it Braley's preference? Probably. It would have better to start the coaching staff from scratch.

The unusual arrangement is functioning as one might expect, poorly.

The HC does not do Xs and Os, but does keep the philosophy extremely simple, focusing on execution.

The DC has been easy pickings for pretty much any offence for years.

The OC is in his first year. He revamps the offence, but seems to have left out longer passing plays downfield. Jennings, who threw for over 5,000 yards in 2016, is shell shocked.

The O Line, seemingly stocked with talented athletes, is its usual schmozzle.

Wally has survived as almost a good luck charm for Braley.
.........

Washington has had to go for years. It seems like Wally foisted him off on Tedford, back in 2015.

I am thinking Jarious is not ready to play chess with DCs around the league, or to match the creativity and perfomance of the likes of LaPolice or June Jones, or Dickenson, or Trestman.

O Line? Schmozzle.

3 games in, and it is a train wreck.

Can it get worse this year? Lulay, as potential saviour, could get hurt. Or we might find he canmot run this offence either.

Batten down the hatches. This has the makings of one of the all time ugly years.

I recall the words of Harry Neale, in the midst of many losses with the Canucks. He said they could not win on the road. They could not win at home. His greatest failing as a coach, he said, was that he could not think of any place else to play.

Harry Neale was a high school gym teacher, hockey and football coach at Westdale Secondary in Hamilton in the mid 60s when I was a student there, so thanks for reminding me about some stuff that I havn't thought about in decades.

Neale coached the junior football team and I was his last cut the year I tried out. The team was crappy and I would have mostly been a bench sitter. His decision made my mother happy.

Harry Neale was the king of the one liners, but back then for insecure teenagers his snide remarks could be brutal.

Neale was also coach of the senior hockey team and they beat everybody.

[Don Miller]

I have been a fan since 1959 and this is the worst performance on both sides of the ball I have seen. Zero pass rush? Where is the improved Offensive line? Jennings is lost, he can't read defences and looks to Burnham or Manny. The defensive backs were chasing all nite and playing off the Bomber receivers. We were the nail and not the hammer. Never thought I would say this but Chap ball was more exciting! This is why I no longer drive in from Chilliwack to the games. The bombers will change it up a little next week and I doubt we will be up for the challenge.

[maxlion]

As for Jennings he seems to be the teflon guy around here . No matter how bad he plays , he's beyond criticism with some . It's the coaches /OL/Receivers/OC/DC , but never Jennings.
Some have correctly observed in the past how much better the entire team played when Lulay came in for a 4 game stretch last season . Others seem in denial . Last night Jennings could not hit the broad side of a barn . Early in the game there was a stretch he badly over threw the receiver 4 plays in a row , the last of which got picked in double coverage . On all of those he had good protection , no pressure just all bad throws . 2 of those the receiver was wide open and would have been a TD on one and at least very close to the goal line on the other . That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game and it all just went down hill from there . as for the OL they looked alright blocking for JJ24 early in the game . Pretty hard for the rest of the team to get anything going when they are let down by the QB every time there is opportunity .
The biggest knock on the coaching /GM in all this is not having recognized the starting QB is not what at level he needed to be earlier. Some how I just don't see Travis being able to go a whole season anymore if he where to get healthy again. IMO it's time to bring Ricky Loyd onto the active roster and start developing him under Lulay . Don't see anything in Fajardo either. Or start shopping for a starting QB.

Before the season, it was widely believed that Montreal was the weakest team in terms of QB talent. It is still early, but after 3 games, Jennings trails Drew Willy in total yardage and passing efficiency. Moreover, Jeff Mathews was brought in cold after both of Montreal's top 2 QBs were injured, and he also has outperformed Jennings. And this is with the much maligned Khari Jones as offensive coordinator and a patchwork offensive line.

Football is a complex game with many interrelated components, and it is easy for a casual fan like myself to fixate on the QB. That said, it is clear that Jennings is incapable of helping this team right now.

[Fred.Fonce]

I have been a fan since 1959 and this is the worst performance on both sides of the ball I have seen. Zero pass rush? Where is the improved Offensive line? Jennings is lost, he can't read defences and looks to Burnham or Manny. The defensive backs were chasing all nite and playing off the Bomber receivers. We were the nail and not the hammer. Never thought I would say this but Chap ball was more exciting! This is why I no longer drive in from Chilliwack to the games. The bombers will change it up a little next week and I doubt we will be up for the challenge.

While watching that sh$t show I thought exactly the same thing. Remember the 38-1 Esk-Lions Western Final in '77? That was bad, but the players never gave up. Last night, they quit on the coaches, and they quit early.

Would love to be a fly on the wall:

Hervey - Boss its time to go.
Buono - Boss, I agree, you didn't bring in players that can execute.
Hervey - No, I mean you.
Buono - I don't think so.

[WestCoastJoe]

Jennings is a wreck. It must have been obvious to the coaches in practice. But they had to go ahead and just hope he would be OK.

The decision for next week is very difficult also. This fan does not think Fajardo will fair all that well either. Lulay might be able to make it work, but he is not ready physically.

I would recommend that Fajardo get the start. Maybe even mix in some time for Jennings.

There is no way they cut JJ10 loose at this time. Many a QB has gone through a crisis of confidence. Many would say that QB is the toughest position is sports to play. And I would agree. So much of it is mental. But then just look at the physical demands also. What we have seen is a case study in destroying a quarterback, unintentionally. That 5000 yard season was not a mirage. Comeback win against the Bombers not a mirage. Finishing the 2015 season strongly, with Tedford and Cortez, not a mirage. But now he is a wreck.

JJ7's offence also has the jury out. You cannot expect to feast on just short passes. One can see that Wally would not want interceptions, but you must risk them. You must push the risk factor. Jarious loved the long ball when he was playing. One cannot help but think that Wally wants the quick passing game. And no doubt Jarious was hoping it would help Jennings relax instead of getting swarmed by the defence. Mixing in the various run/pass and RPO stuff has made it even more difficult to pick up. And those elements do not seem to suit JJ10, as Blitz has discussed.

Defence? Oh boy. Can't stop the run. Can't stop the pass. Other than that, OK. LOL This is not new for Mark. It has been that way for years.

If a coordinator had to take the hit, it might have been better to jettison Mark W rather than Khari. But ideally, in the view of some fans, both had to go. Along with the OL coach. And, yes, along with Wally.

Offensive Line? Much discussed on here over the years. It has been like a laboratory for experiments, but no results are ever found to be satisfactory. Change of philosophy. Change positions of comfort to another position. IMO over focus on minute details, so that the athletes become distracted and unsure.

And last year Wally abdicated his position of leadership when he walked out of the locker room, delegating the pregame speech to Rolly. It looks like he has lost the room again. (Gassers for the team? Pointless IMO as far as fitness. As punishment, not that onerous, as some guys eat them up, but the players do get the message. You have been bad. Making OL jog the gassers? Pointless IMO. Those guys are built for earth moving, not sprinting.)

The team will carry on. We will probably even win some games. Football is kind of funny, like that. Opponents start to take you lightly. You have talent. You make some plays. Momentum builds. And you win some. But it is very unreliable.

When things go bad, the weaker in character players start to act up, or give up, and go through the motions. Not a guy like JJ24 though. He is very tough mentally and physically.

Will Wally start Fajardo? I expect so. As noted, maybe Wally will give both QBs time, the way Chris Jones does. Not ideal.

But this is what we have.

Just IMO ...

[WestCoastJoe]

Hervey - Boss its time to go.
Buono - Boss, I agree, you didn't bring in players that can execute.
Hervey - No, I mean you.
Buono - I don't think so.

Good description of authority dysfunction.

A recipe for disaster. Let's mix in a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Easy as pie. Not.

Final year for the Head Coach. A recipe for lame duck status. And, if Braley still owns the team next year, he will try to prevail on Wally to stay once again. LOL