Lions at Argos Oct. 30, 2021

[B.C.FAN]

Lucky Whitehead has been cleared to practise and has been removed from the 6-game injured list and added to the roster. I don’t know how well he can catch so soon after hand surgery but he could be the spark the Lions need to reignite their passing attack. With Dominique Rhymes also practising this week, the Lions could give the Argos some new looks on Saturday and offset the potential losses of injured receivers Jevon Cottoy and Lemar Durant.

[SammyGreene]

Fantastic news on Whitehead and what a difference 24 hours can make. Must have visited the doctor after yesterday’s practice as he wasn’t even in practice gear and certainly didn’t catch any passes.

Fitness won’t be an issue. Should be an interesting last session in Surrey today to see if they will attempt to work him into Saturday’s game.

[B.C.FAN]

Whitehead wasn’t eligible to practise while on the 6-game list. Rhymes has served his full 6 games and is eligible to practise and be activated without penalty. The Lions have until Friday to declare their 45-man roster.

[B.C.FAN]

Matt Baker has posted a nice feature at bclions.com on the return of Lucky Whitehead.

https://www.bclions.com/2021/10/28/feel ... activated/

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions have posted their final injury report of the week. Jevon Cottoy, Lemar Durant and Nathan Rourke didn’t practise all week. Lucky Whitehead was described as “Limited” on Thursday.

https://www.bclions.com/injuryreport/

[B.C.FAN]

J.J. Adams reports on the return of Whitehead and asks Jordan Maksymic about the Lions’ lack of offence against Winnipeg last week.

“Unfortunately it’s not one big thing that we can put our thumb on, attack and change. It’s a bunch of little things,” said the Leos’ play-caller. “Obviously, it starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job putting plans together, got to do a better job on game day, getting the right calls in and then just across the board being more consistent and executing to a higher level on game day.

“I’ve just got to put the guys in a better spot to make plays. I mean, that’s my job. … And that’s what I failed at the last couple games and what I’m working hard to correct here in this final weeks.”

https://theprovince.com/sports/football ... s-fortunes

[B.C.FAN]

It's official. Lucky Whitehead is back in the starting lineup at his familiar boundary wideout position where he led the league in receiving before missing the past three games with a broken hand. Dominique Rhymes also returns after missing six games and takes over the inside slot position most recently occupied by Jevon Cottoy, who is listed as a backup despite not practising all week with a calf injury. Bryan Burnham, the only receiver who has started all 10 games so far, remains at his boundary slotback position and should get more room with Whitehead lined up alongside him. Jacob Scarfone and Shaq Johnson round out the starting receiving corps. Lemar Durant's troubled season continues. He moves to the 6-game injured list with a rib injury. There are no other changes to the starters on offence.

On defence, J.R. Tavai returns as starting rush end, backed up by Alex Bazzie. Austin Joyner, whose great debut at SAM was cut short by a calf injury two games ago, returns to start ahead of Anthony Cioffi. Jalon Edwards-Cooper moves to safety with Marcus Sayles remaining at field halfback. Hakeem Johnson, who has not been tested in two games, remains on the corner.

Lions' roster and depth chart

[SammyGreene]

How many different players have started at safety this season? Sayles, Thompson, Hardin and now Edwards-Cooper. I’m I missing anyone? What a black hole the position has been since the days of Barrin Miles.

Thompson started in 2018 was a late signing for 2019 training camp and started immediately before being replaced when the Lions acquired Dozier. Wins the position back in 2021 and now seems locked in as a back up again after a tough outing against the Bombers on Oct. 1.

Even with injury trouble with our national receivers they choose to stick with an American at safety. It adds up to a huge opportunity for Scarfone.

[B.C.FAN]

Safety is not a position for a rookie to the CFL. There are too many reads and calls that have to be made on the fly. The previous coaching staff made the mistake of trying to start American rookies at the position in 2019 and the current staff seems to be going down the same rabbit hole.

I thought Branden Dozier was the Lions’ most outstanding defensive player in 2019 when he eventually took over the safety position and led the team in tackles. He’s a great downhill run-stopper who saved countless touchdowns behind a weak linebacking corps. The Lions haven’t had anyone like him since.

Marcus Sayles was expected to stabilize a young secondary but he was invisible at safety. He was better at SAM. I hope he settles into the field halfback position where we was an all-star in Winnipeg but injuries have made that side of the secondary highly vulnerable to attack. Anthony Cioffi has the experience to play safety but has been exploited at SAM and lost his starting position.

[squishy35]

Bottom line is that the D-Line needs to have a much greater impact in the remaining regular season games. Without getting consistent pressure on opposing QB's as noted in the last 3 games, the opposing offence will rip our defensive secondary apart.

[PGSSS74]

On defence, J.R. Tavai returns as starting rush end, backed up by Alex Bazzie. Austin Joyner, whose great debut at SAM was cut short by a calf injury two games ago, returns to start ahead of Anthony Cioffi.
Lions' roster and depth chart

Pardon my ignorance, but what does the acronym SAM stand for? And on the roster chart, what does LS stand for?

And finally, what is the current import/Canadian ratio?

[DanoT]

On defence, J.R. Tavai returns as starting rush end, backed up by Alex Bazzie. Austin Joyner, whose great debut at SAM was cut short by a calf injury two games ago, returns to start ahead of Anthony Cioffi.
Lions' roster and depth chart

Pardon my ignorance, but what does the acronym SAM stand for? And on the roster chart, what does LS stand for?

And finally, what is the current import/Canadian ratio?

SAM is the short side linebacker. In the CFL most teams play a defensive back in the SAM position kinda like in the NFL when on passing downs they sometimes replace a LB with a DB and call him a Nickleback, only most CFL teams have a DB play the position full time.

LS=long snapper

7 Nationals (Canadians) must be starters, I forget as it is either 21 or 22 Nats must dress. A team's declared roster is 46 and I think an hour before gametime 1 guy is declared a healthy scratch.

[SammyGreene]

Weather forecast at game time: 10C and drizzle so exactly what the Lions have been practising in for the past few weeks. No excuses.

If offence returns to early September form then just hand Whitehead the Team MVP award. The defence is what it is. All the pressure on the offence to get back on track today.

[TheLionKing]

Here we go again.

[Larry Key]

Wow, Reilly just looks horrible first series.