"Out-played, out-schemed, out-coached" - Lowell Ullrich

[WestCoastJoe]

Truth hurts: Embarrassing, ugly loss

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Truth ... story.html

'out-played, out-schemed, out-coached:' At least Buono and the Lions are being honest about it

By Lowell Ullrich, Sports ReporterAugust 23, 2009

The further they go, the more things become abundantly clear for the Lions. As the losses and humiliating performances mount, the more many connected with the CFL team seem reconciled to their fate.

All they could do, after fullback Fred Reid and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers ran for 393 yards in a

37-10 pounding at B.C. Place Stadium Friday that was the worst defensive performance of its kind by the Lions in 282 games dating back to the 1993 season, was be honest.

"I'm so embarrassed, it hurts," said linebacker JoJuan Armour.

"I don't know how to say this in a good way because I know it'll sound terrible, I don't think we are a good team per se right now," linebacker Korey Banks said.

"I've never seen a performance like that in my life. To let a guy do what [Reid] did it's embarrassing. He made us look like a junior team," said defensive lineman Aaron Hunt.

"We almost made history," said coach Wally Buono, after Reid ran for 260 yards from 26 carries in the third-best individual performance in the league of all time.

When you consider they had held Toronto tailback Jamal Robertson to eight yards in their previous game, you might say the Lions actually did accomplish something special.

Even more unique is the fact Buono is starting to admit he is out of answers, though he still will stay clear of the central thought that his offence can be easily defended and players like Banks are miscast because the Lions don't have better linebackers to allow him to return to the secondary.

"Out-played, out-schemed, out-coached; you can say all of that," said Buono.

Well, you couldn't say they were guilty of sloppy tackling. They were guilty of no tackling at all.

The day did not begin well when defensive tackle Jeremy Gibbs had to be scratched because of an eye infection and the Lions were forced to debut rookie Jonathan Williams.

The day ended with Williams getting a front-row seat on the eventual reintroduction to the league of an effective two-back offence by the Bombers. The Lions had no clue how it could be stopped.

"I think we figured it out after they had about 300 yards," said Hunt.

Offensively, the Lions began with a game plan which made it seem as they were already down four touchdowns and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Continuing a disturbing trend, the Lions got a first-drive touchdown on a superlative one-handed catch from Emmanuel Arceneaux, but quarterback Jarious Jackson was eventually reduced to being a scrambler, and not an effective one.

Martell Mallett didn't get his first carry until 3:45 of the second quarter and Geroy Simon's first of two catches wasn't registered until 5:46 of the third. B.C. finished with five turnovers.

But the Lions' biggest problem is that the run defence, which looked so promising two games ago, was an outright nightmare Friday.

"That game was [Winnipeg] saying 'you can't stop this.' Either that or they think we're a soft team," said Banks.

And the beatings could continue. No player airlifts are planned, no alterations to their overall scheme is being contemplated, and the idea of cancelling a scheduled bye-week break for additional practice would just create "anarchy,' Buono said.

"Maybe the guys were in the bye week already," said slotback Geroy Simon.

Though the Lions will play their next game Sept. 4 against 7-1 Montreal no worse than two games out of top spot in the West Division, several truths have emerged that don't require anyone in the organization to fess up any more.

B.C. has now dropped three games combined to Winnipeg and Hamilton, greatly reducing its crossover prospects. They also don't deserve a postseason spot at this stage anyway.

Jackson said it best.

"I hope everyone comes back hungrier," said the quarterback, showing no effect of a late-game hit to the head.

He was one of many who were finally being honest.

[WestCoastJoe]

Even more unique is the fact Buono is starting to admit he is out of answers, though he still will stay clear of the central thought that his offence can be easily defended and players like Banks are miscast because the Lions don't have better linebackers to allow him to return to the secondary.

"Out-played, out-schemed, out-coached; you can say all of that," said Buono.

Time to get some answers. Time to consider a change in schemes, and even philosophy. Admitting they were out-schemed is a recognition of reality. But having no plans to adapt their schemes is pulling your head back into the shell.

Martell Mallett didn't get his first carry until 3:45 of the second quarter and Geroy Simon's first of two catches wasn't registered until 5:46 of the third. B.C. finished with five turnovers.

Against the best rushing attack in the league why not try to establish the run and take time off the clock. Mallett has been a productive runner.

And the beatings could continue. No player airlifts are planned, no alterations to their overall scheme is being contemplated, and the idea of cancelling a scheduled bye-week break for additional practice would just create "anarchy,' Buono said.

You can't go back on time-off plans. But no contemplated change in schemes is disturbing. I put the results against the Bombers on inadequate scheme, not on the players.

[WestCoastJoe]

... from Mike Beamish's article ...

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/brea ... story.html

One missing element the Lions hope to add for next game is defensive end Nautyn McKay-Loescher, who aggravated his injured hamstring in practice a week ago. He hasn’t played since July 24.

“The value in him is that he could at least give the guys a breather,” Buono said. “We didn’t have that Friday.”

And what about Gary Butler? Can he not provide a breather? Or is he just a project? Someone's idea of a guy, who with coaching for a long-time could become a player? Are there not skilled, experienced players who could step in at defensive end? Even the other guys at Training Camp showed some skills. Either of the Mitchells would be more useful than Gary Butler IMO.

It’s football terminology, a first objective of defence in which every player on the front four has the responsibility of controlling a gap to limit an opponent’s running game.

Gap cancellation was just one of the many fundamentals ground up by the Blue Bombers last Friday at BC Place, a game in which Winnipeg tailback Fred Reid ran for a team-record 260 yards in a 37-10 stampede over the Lions.

Gap cancellation. Against a sophisticated zone blocking scheme such as shown by the Bombers, gap cancellation will get you exactly what we saw. Obliteration. Hunt and Williams constantly double-teamed with chip blocks. Hard for a player to cancel a gap against a double-team. My hat is off to Hunt and Williams. They took a ton of punishment. Rather than giving the O stationary, predictable targets, IMO it is better to attack the LOS.

Against zone blocking, IMO you must attack the LOS in as many ways and with as many people as you can. Mix it up. Show 5 men on the line. Show 7 men on the line. Show 8. They can still drop back (or attack). Use run blitzes. Blitz the safety, the DBs. Stunt. Loop. Use some 3 - 4. Have the front 4 slant hard into the gaps. Take things away. Above all, attack. Do not be passive, simply trying to control a gap against double teams. That is suicide by passivity. That is too conservative. That is so predictable that the O Line knows exactly where each lineman will be and what assignment he has. That is a poor scheme.

[OV - 54:40]

The Lions might have tried throwing in a bigger linebacker like Yurichuck to help stop the bleeding but maybe he needs more "time to develop" still; loading up the box with more DBs (like maybe a bigger, better tackling safety in Crawford) might have been an option too, but maybe we shouldn't be questioning the coaches so much as they just want to win and will do what's best.

[The_Pauser]

What's quite disturbing is this has become a common theme this season: out-played, out-schemed, out-coached. While the results of the Calgary game was unacceptable, it was easier to swallow because it was really the first real embarassment we suffered this season (losing to Hamilton was bad, but hey, they're a better team this year). Now, being embarassed twice now in our own building, that cannot be accepted whatsoever and is a very tough pill to swallow. What's even more disturbing is the fact that the coaching staff seems content to do absolutely nothing and just let the team and the fans suffer. Absolutely pathetic.

[Rammer]

What's quite disturbing is this has become a common theme this season: out-played, out-schemed, out-coached. While the results of the Calgary game was unacceptable, it was easier to swallow because it was really the first real embarassment we suffered this season (losing to Hamilton was bad, but hey, they're a better team this year). Now, being embarassed twice now in our own building, that cannot be accepted whatsoever and is a very tough pill to swallow. What's even more disturbing is the fact that the coaching staff seems content to do absolutely nothing and just let the team and the fans suffer. Absolutely pathetic.

The Winnipeg game was toughest, we couldn't stop the same play over and over and over, well that and that we couldn't produce on O after the first TD. If you consider that Calgary is known to have the ability to walk on anyone, we accept that moreso. However the Bombers are at the bottom of the league, playing in our house, so that result Friday night has to wake up the Coaching staff. At this point I don't expect the Lions to do anything this season, a playoff date would be a bonus, a positive playoff run would be my wildest dream.

So with a smaller ST base, don't expect the crowds to increase once LD rolls over, the two games vs Montreal may well set the table for 25K crowds at best for the remainder of the home tilts. When the crowd drops by 6K in average and more like 10K over the last half of 09 vs 08 potentially, things have to change.

[B.C.FAN]

At this point I don't expect the Lions to do anything this season, a playoff date would be a bonus, a positive playoff run would be my wildest dream.

There are no dominant teams in the West this season. Everyone has been inconsistent. The Lions are just two points out of first place, and all playoff spots are up for grabs. I still hope the Lions finish the season much stronger than they started.

[Rammer]

At this point I don't expect the Lions to do anything this season, a playoff date would be a bonus, a positive playoff run would be my wildest dream.

There are no dominant teams in the West this season. Everyone has been inconsistent. The Lions are just two points out of first place, and all playoff spots are up for grabs. I still hope the Lions finish the season much stronger than they started.

Everyone else in the West has played the Als at least once, the Riders and Esks have played them twice and while only two in front of us, the Esks also have a game in hand. Since the Als are head and shoulders above everyone else, we are in a difficult position as I see it.

[Hambone]

The Lions might have tried throwing in a bigger linebacker like Yurichuck to help stop the bleeding but maybe he needs more "time to develop" still; loading up the box with more DBs (like maybe a bigger, better tackling safety in Crawford) might have been an option too, but maybe we shouldn't be questioning the coaches so much as they just want to win and will do what's best.

By bigger I assume you mean must mean taller. Splitting hairs here but Yurichuk is the lightest Leo LB. He is a bit taller thus a bit lankier. If bigger is what you want you should be advocating Nande instead of the rookie NI.

[Rammer]

The Lions might have tried throwing in a bigger linebacker like Yurichuck to help stop the bleeding but maybe he needs more "time to develop" still; loading up the box with more DBs (like maybe a bigger, better tackling safety in Crawford) might have been an option too, but maybe we shouldn't be questioning the coaches so much as they just want to win and will do what's best.

By bigger I assume you mean must mean taller. Splitting hairs here but Yurichuk is the lightest Leo LB. He is a bit taller thus a bit lankier. If bigger is what you want you should be advocating Nande instead of the rookie NI.

The problem there is that Nande hasn't been on the 42 man roster, Yurichuk has been around. Honestly, I would have considered going with an entire crew of the available LB and DL, just to stop that debacle.

[PigSkin_53]

“That was embarrassing right there"..."That was embarrassing on every level."

Not half as embarrassing as it was for the fans that came out expecting to see an exciting football game. One that we should kicked their asses in at home, instead we got ours kicked and the coaches embarrassing themselves, in front of what’s left of the fan base who paid good money to be entertained by competitive CFL football game, but went away devastated for their support.

“And it's hard to understand why you'd allow that"…"We knew they ran the football," said Buono.

Then why didn’t you game plan around that knowledge Wally, why did you just stand on the sidelines like you always do chewing on the inside of your cheek, instead of making sure the necessary adjustments were attended to during the game, and at the half by your vaunted protégé?

Why Wally? Why won’t you be man enough to stop blaming the players, and start taking responsibility for the disastrous disarray the team has been allowed to fall into on your watch?

[Gerry]

“That was embarrassing right there"..."That was embarrassing on every level."

Not half as embarrassing as it was for the fans that came out expecting to see an exciting football game. One that we should kicked their asses in at home, instead we got ours kicked and the coaches embarrassing themselves, in front of what’s left of the fan base who paid good money to be entertained by competitive CFL football game, but went away devastated for their support.

“And it's hard to understand why you'd allow that"…"We knew they ran the football," said Buono.

Then why didn’t you game plan around that knowledge Wally, why did you just stand on the sidelines like you always do chewing on the inside of your cheek, instead of making sure the necessary adjustments were attended to during the game, and at the half by your vaunted protégé?

Why Wally? Why won’t you be man enough to stop blaming the players, and start taking responsibility for the disastrous disarray the team has been allowed to fall into on your watch?

You know, the tone of this post sucks. Your posts in general suck.

If you don't like that criticism, consider that I am more qualified to offer that tone to you than you are to offer it to Mr. Buono.

[Solar Max]

Then why didn’t you game plan around that knowledge Wally, why did you just stand on the sidelines like you always do chewing on the inside of your cheek, instead of making sure the necessary adjustments were attended to during the game, and at the half by your vaunted protégé?

Why Wally? Why won’t you be man enough to stop blaming the players, and start taking responsibility for the disastrous disarray the team has been allowed to fall into on your watch?

If it makes any difference, some of us were witness to the "Debacle under the Dome" last Friday evening.

From what I witnessed, very, very few players on that D can tackle or follow the play. I cannot say if the game plan was flawed or not given that I have not seen it, but in the end, the Defence MUST tackle the ball carrier.

That didn't happen very much on Friday..at least anywhere near the LOS. What I saw were deficiencies in personnel, and deficiencies in execution; there may have been a faulty game plan, but I don't know that. Some of these guys are over their heads imo, and some aren't playing to potential. It's sickening to see the team quit in both this, and the Calgary game.

These guys don't tackle, plain and simple. They got caught in scrums, they got thrown around, blocked, and manhandled. When they had a handle on the ball carrier, he mostly slipped out of the first and second tackles. That's not on Wally, imo.

You can't practice tackling at game speed, we're told; ergo, this one won't get fixed until the players decide to fix it, just as they did in 2006 after Coach Ritchie's rant.

Who will rant this coming week, before Montreal exerts their will?

[mrs.joesports]

If it makes any difference, some of us were witness to the "Debacle under the Dome" last Friday evening.

From what I witnessed, very, very few players on that D can tackle or follow the play. I cannot say if the game plan was flawed or not given that I have not seen it, but in the end, the Defence MUST tackle the ball carrier.

That didn't happen very much on Friday..at least anywhere near the LOS. What I saw were deficiencies in personnel, and deficiencies in execution; there may have been a faulty game plan, but I don't know that. Some of these guys are over their heads imo, and some aren't playing to potential. It's sickening to see the team quit in both this, and the Calgary game.

These guys don't tackle, plain and simple. They got caught in scrums, they got thrown around, blocked, and manhandled. When they had a handle on the ball carrier, he mostly slipped out of the first and second tackles. That's not on Wally, imo.

You can't practice tackling at game speed, we're told; ergo, this one won't get fixed until the players decide to fix it, just as they did in 2006 after Coach Ritchie's rant.

Ditto. It's hard to determine if the game plan would have been effective or not when you have players that weren't not even doing the basics well.

[PigSkin_53]

“That was embarrassing right there"..."That was embarrassing on every level."

Not half as embarrassing as it was for the fans that came out expecting to see an exciting football game. One that we should kicked their asses in at home, instead we got ours kicked and the coaches embarrassing themselves, in front of what’s left of the fan base who paid good money to be entertained by competitive CFL football game, but went away devastated for their support.

“And it's hard to understand why you'd allow that"…"We knew they ran the football," said Buono.

Then why didn’t you game plan around that knowledge Wally, why did you just stand on the sidelines like you always do chewing on the inside of your cheek, instead of making sure the necessary adjustments were attended to during the game, and at the half by your vaunted protégé?

Why Wally? Why won’t you be man enough to stop blaming the players, and start taking responsibility for the disastrous disarray the team has been allowed to fall into on your watch?

You know, the tone of this post sucks. Your posts in general suck.

If you don't like that criticism, consider that I am more qualified to offer that tone to you than you are to offer it to Mr. Buono.

Slither back under the rock you’ve been hiding under for the last two seasons Gerry!