Biggest Game of the Year in Toronto

[swervynmerv]

Last year BC was playing Toronto with an unknown Bethel-Thompson at the helm. I expected the Lions to win big and we know how that turned out

Here’s hoping history doesn’t repeat itself!

[B.C.FAN]

Last year BC was playing Toronto with an unknown Bethel-Thompson at the helm. I expected the Lions to win big and we know how that turned out

Here’s hoping history doesn’t repeat itself!

I also recall Zach Collaros having a career breakout game against the Lions in Toronto in 2013, completing 21 of 25 passes with 3 TDs. There are no easy games for the Lions in Toronto.

[pennw]

Last year BC was playing Toronto with an unknown Bethel-Thompson at the helm. I expected the Lions to win big and we know how that turned out

Here’s hoping history doesn’t repeat itself!

And it was an unknown back-up QB that out smarted our "very experienced" defensive coordinator last game also . As long as we have Stublar as DC I won't get my expectations to high .

[pennw]

Last year BC was playing Toronto with an unknown Bethel-Thompson at the helm. I expected the Lions to win big and we know how that turned out

Here’s hoping history doesn’t repeat itself!

I also recall Zach Collaros having a career breakout game against the Lions in Toronto in 2013, completing 21 of 25 passes with 3 TDs. There are no easy games for the Lions in Toronto.

Rich Stublar was our DC then too .

[pennw]

2013 Lions had an oustanding roster on defence , and still choked when it really mattered . DL was Khreem Smith , Eric Taylor , Jabar Westerman and Keron Williams . Linebackers were Anton Mackenzie , Soloman Elimimiun and Adam Bighill . DBs were Korey Banks , Dante Marsh , Ryan Philips , Cord Parks , Josh Bell , Ryan Philips , Lyn-J Shell and J R Larose . You couldn't ask for a better roster , yet the DC could not make a great defense out of them .
Still hoping the DC proves me wrong or at least with Claybrooks input the D can at least become respectable .

[yukonlion]

I think the Lions have a wierd history of playing badly against new QBs.."Ray made his debut relieving Maas in the Saskatchewan game and his first start against the Lions, throwing for four touchdowns. " (from 2002)

[swervynmerv]

2013 Lions had an oustanding roster on defence , and still choked when it really mattered . DL was Khreem Smith , Eric Taylor , Jabar Westerman and Keron Williams . Linebackers were Anton Mackenzie , Soloman Elimimiun and Adam Bighill . DBs were Korey Banks , Dante Marsh , Ryan Philips , Cord Parks , Josh Bell , Ryan Philips , Lyn-J Shell and J R Larose . You couldn't ask for a better roster , yet the DC could not make a great defense out of them .
Still hoping the DC proves me wrong or at least with Claybrooks input the D can at least become respectable .

I firmly believe if Sol E doesn’t get hurt in the 4th Quarter of the West Semi Final against the Riders, we win that game and go on to the Grey Cup.

[TheLionKing]

2013 Lions had an oustanding roster on defence , and still choked when it really mattered . DL was Khreem Smith , Eric Taylor , Jabar Westerman and Keron Williams . Linebackers were Anton Mackenzie , Soloman Elimimiun and Adam Bighill . DBs were Korey Banks , Dante Marsh , Ryan Philips , Cord Parks , Josh Bell , Ryan Philips , Lyn-J Shell and J R Larose . You couldn't ask for a better roster , yet the DC could not make a great defense out of them .
Still hoping the DC proves me wrong or at least with Claybrooks input the D can at least become respectable .

With the exception of JR Larose. That guy couldn't catch a beach ball if it was thrown 3 feet from him.

[pennw]

2013 Lions had an oustanding roster on defence , and still choked when it really mattered . DL was Khreem Smith , Eric Taylor , Jabar Westerman and Keron Williams . Linebackers were Anton Mackenzie , Soloman Elimimiun and Adam Bighill . DBs were Korey Banks , Dante Marsh , Ryan Philips , Cord Parks , Josh Bell , Ryan Philips , Lyn-J Shell and J R Larose . You couldn't ask for a better roster , yet the DC could not make a great defense out of them .
Still hoping the DC proves me wrong or at least with Claybrooks input the D can at least become respectable .

I firmly believe if Sol E doesn’t get hurt in the 4th Quarter of the West Semi Final against the Riders, we win that game and go on to the Grey Cup.

Your entitled to your opinion , as am I . I don't buy that at all , that Solly going down lost the game for BC . BC still had all-star LBer Adam Bighill to fill in . Bighill was a 5 time CFL allstar , including that year . He was also CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player twice . BC also had Anton Mackenzie who was still a very good linebacker back then as well as a whole load of oustanding DBs , including Korey Banks to stop nothing but "up the gut runs" by Darian Durant that won the game for the Riders who trailed by 9 points late in the 4th quarter . Same play over and over and over with NO adjustment by Stublar to stop it . We had the lots of great players who could have stopped that had the DC not gotten in the way . The loss was rightly blamed on Stublar and the firing for it was very well earned.

[yukonlion]

Yes, I remember a story after the game that Durant saw the flaw in BCs D and asked for the quarterback draw to be called and BC never adapted... hopefully Claybrooks can see whats happening on D and make stubler adjust. Be interesting to see if JJ keeps the same offenc eor goes back to his old RPO, thats what he did last year. An even started out with 2 quick 2 and outs in the 3rd Q last week but they went bakc to the more diversified O

[D]

If we can't beat the Argo's it's going to be a very long season

[JohnnyMusso]

With Montreal winning tonight, Lions and Argos are the only 2 teams left without a win. I expect it to be a close game and my feeling is Lions either squeak out a win or lose a close one. If they lose, expect more negative feedback and rightly so. If they win, hope they can carry that into the next game and beat the Eskimos.

[David]

With Montreal winning tonight, Lions and Argos are the only 2 teams left without a win. I expect it to be a close game and my feeling is Lions either squeak out a win or lose a close one. If they lose, expect more negative feedback and rightly so. If they win, hope they can carry that into the next game and beat the Eskimos.

This game gives me the willies. Argos are playing at home and with Montreal winning (and Hamilton losing) they will be going balls out to keep pace with the Als.

It's going to be sticky and humid in T.O., something we always seem to have trouble with when travelling east early in the season. If you've never experienced an Eastern summer, it can just zap you of energy.

Also, the Argos could use losing Franklin as a source of motivation and rally around Bethel-Thompson. They have offensive weapons. Can their defence play any worse than the first two games? Doubt it. Who's going to replace Burnham if he can't go. What will he be like at say 70% if he can?


DH

[Lion Guy]

If we can't beat the Argo's it's going to be a very long season

This.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions are boldly going where no CFL team has gone in recent memory in their quest to notch their first victory of the year: They're starting four Canadian receivers alongside Duron Carter. With Bryan Burnham injured, former Blue Bomber Rashaun Simonise draws into Burnham's No. 1 slotback position, which normally lines up on the boundary side with Carter. Fellow Canadians Lemar Durant, Jevon Cottoy and Shaq Johnson complete the starting lineup, backed up by Mexican receiver Gerardo Alvarez. Rookie American Marquis Bundy has been activated from the practice roster to back up Carter.

There's also a shuffle of Canadians on the offensive line. Brett Boyko returns from the 1-game injured list to start at right tackle, while David Foucault moves ahead of Hunter Steward to start at left guard. Jean-Simon Roy starts at centre for the second straight game, while Sukh Chungh remains at right guard for the fourth consecutive game.

There are no changes to the starting defence, where Canadian Anthony Thompson again starts at field corner and Jordan Herdman-Reed at middle linebacker.

The changes again give the Lions 10 Canadian starters, the ratio they had at the start of the season before inserting American Branden Dozier at safety last week in Calgary.