BC Lions Thread

[jerrym]

DC Mark Washington is happy that the Lion defence limited Montreal to ten points. The qualifier is that it was the Montreal offence. Time will tell to what extent they have improved over last year's poor record.

Washington’s defence has given Lions fans plenty to be excited about to start this season. After giving up a long touchdown drive to start Saturday’s victory against the Montreal Alouettes, they locked it down tight and pitched a shutout over the final three quarters. The Alouettes offence only got into Lions territory twice over that span, something that will make any defensive coach happy. ...

Last season, Washington’s unit finished in the bottom third of the league in a few important categories including interceptions, sacks and total points allowed. The stated goals over the offseason were to beef up the pass rush and get more takeaways. So far, they have done just that.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/06/20/w...roved-defence/

[jerrym]

The Lions will be trying to get a monkey off their backs when they play Edmonton Friday as they haven't won a game at Commonwealth Stadium since 2013.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/06/25/slaying-the-dragon/

[jerrym]

Wally Buono talks about his career as he nears the end in his final season in the following article that includes a video.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4296773/w...c-lions-coach/

[jerrym]

Jonathan Jenning's inconsistency in maintaining drives is reflected in the fact that the Lions are last in both number of offensive plays per game (48.5) and average time of possession (26:30). He is also only 3/10 in passes over 20 yards following the pattern he established last year where he finished last in that category among starters.

[jerrym]

With Travis Lulay about to return from injury, Jonathon Jennings job is in jeopardy if he does not start improving.

“I don’t want to say he has, and I don’t want to say he hasn’t,” Lions head coach Wally Buono responded when asked if Jonathon Jennings’s development has plateaued. “We have to execute better offensively, but that starts at the quarterback position. His play has to be more consistent.”
That’s also something Buono has been saying, more or less, for more than a year, which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of his starting quarterback. ...

Jennings, who turns 26 later this month, is rapidly approaching the crossroads of his CFL career with the Leos. Two years ago, in his first full season as a starter, he seemed to be settling in for a long run as the resident franchise quarterback following a 27-touchdown, 5,226-yard campaign.
But, since then, he’s regressed to an alarming degree, and with the Lions facing a brutal schedule over the next month — and Travis Lulay close to returning — Jennings is now fighting for his job.

Unfortunately, that’s not his only battle these days. Jennings is also trying to unravel the mysteries of the offence installed by new co-ordinator Jarious Jackson. Let’s just say that has been a work in progress. ...

“This system isn’t one of the easiest to navigate,” said Jackson. “He’s having to make a bit of an adjustment.” ...

Jackson’s offence may be complicated but its core philosophy is simple: Be efficient on first down, open up the playbook on second down. The problem is the Lions are below the league average in yards-per-play on first down and a woeful seventh in second-down conversions. In training camp, Buono said the new offence should take the pressure off the quarterback. To date, it’s only added to the pressure on Jennings.

“When you understand all the ins and outs of an offence, it’s easier,” Jennings said. “You don’t have to think about it. You just go out there and do it. When you’re consciously thinking about it, it makes it tougher.” Jennings is asked if he’s in the latter camp more than the former. “A little bit,” he said. “And it’s all of us. We’ve all got to correct those details.” ...

“We’ve made some good progress the last couple of weeks,” Lulay said. “I’m looking to close that last 10 to 15 per cent window to get back to full health, but it’s been significant improvement the last six weeks.”
Now it’s up to Jennings to show his own improvement.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Jackson said. “Right now we’re just trying to get J.J. better. Right now this is his team.” Right now, the man said. He didn’t say what the future would bring.

https://vancouversun.com/sports/foot...d-3d6356ab3c4e

[jerrym]

Despite the recruitment of new talent in the off-season, the Lions so far hardly look better than last year's team:

a defence that gave up 517 yards against Edmonton;

Jennings had another game against Winnipeg where he could not develop any consistency in BC's offence, as reflected by his mere 105 passing yards, two interceptions and zero TDs;

the lack of any sacks against the Bombers;

the Bombers four sacks of Lion QBs;

the team clearly missing Adam Bighill, who the Lions did not have the money to resign upon his return to the CFL because they were already too close to their salary cap, and who, instead led the Bombers in DTs, had two interceptions and a TD return;

the inability to stop Andrew Harris, who had 101 rushing yards in just the first half, thereby helping Winnipeg to a large 28-3 lead before halftime;

and the Lions giving up 189 return yards against the Bombers so they were often in excellent field position.

[jerrym]

At #BCLions walkthrough: Travis Lulay to meet today w/ Dr. Bob MacCormack for medical update and to develop rep schedule for practice week; Wally Buono not naming QB starter yet as offensive assts. develop game plan. Plenty of #3DownRadio fodder Tuesday.

— Lowell Ullrich (@FifthQtr) July 9, 2018

[jerrym]

The BC Lions got some good news for a change: Travis Lulay says his 2017 ACL injury is 90% healed and he feels he could start for BC if Wally wants him to.

[jerrym]

BC gave up only 10 points in its first game, but that was against the inept Alouette offence. In each of the last two games they have given up 41. The problems on defence extend to both the run and the pass as the Lions have given up 876 yards through the air and 350 yards on the ground in the two games against competent offences. So far GM Ed Hervey's reconstruction of the defence in the off-season has been far from successful.

[jerrym]

Part of the problem with the BC defence is that despite adding Gerald Knapton, who averaged 8 sacks a year, and Odell Willis, who averaged 9 sacks a year, over the last four years, each has only one sack and no one else on the team has more than one sack on the team.

[jerrym]

BC's win over Winnipeg was costly as it resulted in CFL tackles record holder Solomon Elimimian being placed on the six game injured list and left former Argo RB Jeremiah Johnson doubtful for this week's game against Ottawa.

[jerrym]

Solomon Elimimian's non-fracture hand injury that put him on the six game injured list, has led to National Jordan Herdman, a seventh round draft choice, being his replacement at MLB in the next game. Ironically Elimimian coached Herdman when he was playing for Simon Fraser University and set a career tackles record in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

The job of trying to replace Elimimian was immediately handed to a former Lions seventh-round pick in the Canadian college draft, who has studied the all-star closely since Herdman took a roster spot as an understudy playing special teams last season. ...

Herdman got to know the player he will attempt to replace during his sophomore season at SFU in 2014 when Elimimian served as a part-time coach. Brother Abe Elimimian was SFU’s defensive coordinator that year, so taking the volunteer position didn’t require much thought.
Herdman will require considerably more thought when at work Friday. But after waiting for a chance few thought would come for some time he figures he’s ready to find out if he can be a defensive contributor in the CFL. ...

Herdman was a tackling machine during his days at SFU and had a pair of NFL mini-camp appearances as a result, playing in the Senior Bowl prior to being taken by the Lions. He was not a supreme tester, which caused him to fall in the Canadian draft, but his immediate superior insists he’s ready for the challenge ahead.

“We’re going to replace (Elimimian) with a player that’s been preparing himself for this time,” defensive coordinator Mark Washington said. “This won’t be anything new. It won’t be too big for him. He won’t have big eyes or anything.”

He may not have big eyes, but opposing tailbacks have been piling up big stats all season on the Lions. Ottawa has a supreme test in William Powell, who took over primary running chores once the Redblacks had dispatched Jeremiah Johnson, whose ankle injury means he will yield his Lions spot to Brandon Rutley Friday.

http://3downnation.com/2018/07/17/b-...mimian-injury/

[jerrym]

Trevor Lulay's comeback from injury has been remarkable.

Lulay had spent almost 10 months rehabbing his knee after having ACL surgery on it back in September. Now here he was playing the role of the winning quarterback when no one was even sure if he would start this week. Coach Wally Buono was quoted days before the game saying he didn’t know who would start against the Bombers. ...

Think about the uncertainty that has been following Lulay over the past year. On Sept. 8, 2017 Lulay tears up his knee on the team’s first drive against the Montreal Alouettes and his remarkable comeback season that was shaping up to be one of the feel-good stories of 2017 comes to a horrible end. Lulay goes under the knife soon after and is staring at nearly a year of grueling rehab without a contract. The Lions eventually sign him to a one-year deal about five months later.
A lot of us wondered before that deal if we had seen the last of the 2011 MOP and Grey Cup Champion. I wonder if he had the same thoughts as well. I wonder if Travis seriously entertained the idea of starting the next phase of his life. To go from those quiet, lonely moments of rehab where his football future was up in the air to helping his team snap a two-game losing streak is one hell of an emotional swing.

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/07/17/cauz-l...tory-one-ages/

[jerrym]

The bad news on BC blowing a game they should have won: the Lions took a holding penalty with the ball on the Calgary one and then gave the ball up on a turnover and had two time count violations, the last one helping to give the RedBlacks the ball back with two minutes left leading to the winning TD. The good news: further evidence that the old Travis Lulay is back in form. If they can eliminate or cut down on the basic mistakes, the Lions could well be in the playoff picture.

[jerrym]

National LB Jordan Herdman comments on the loss to Ottawa and his first game as a starter:

“We just didn’t execute and it and the end of the game where we had to make those key plays. If we fix those things, clean up a few things then we’ll be alright. Defence is a team game. We need to finish. We’ll be back and ready to go.”

Starting in place of the injured Solomon Elimimian, Herdman led the unit with 12 defensive tackles and said it didn’t take him long to get accustomed to the new role.

“I felt comfortable out there. I know that there are a few things we have to fix. I am going to watch film and do that.”

https://www.bclions.com/2018/07/20/r...ottawa-july20/

[jerrym]

Ed Hervey's comment on acquiring Shawn Lemon from the Argos:

“Shawn is one of the premier pass rushers in the CFL and he will be a great addition to our defensive line.” said GM Ed Hervey. “Winning the battle at the line of scrimmage is critical to our success and acquiring Shawn at this point in the season gives us a lot of options moving forward.”

Lemon has a pair of Grey Cup rings sitting in his trophy cabinet, earning the first as a member of the Stampeders in 2014 and the second with the Argos in 2017. The University of Akron alum also earned an East Division All-Star nod with Toronto in 2016 after posting a career-high 14 sacks across 16 games.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/07/24/b...trade-toronto/

[doubleblue]

Ed Hervey's comment on acquiring Shawn Lemon from the Argos:



https://www.bclions.com/2018/07/24/b...trade-toronto/

Maybe Ed should have said "was" instead of "is"

[jerrym]

Brandon Rutley has a torn ACL and has been placed on the six game injured list and is likely out for the season.

[jerrym]

Solomon Elimimian's wrist surgery means he could be out eight weeks.

[jerrym]

With RB Rutley out for an extended period, the return of RB Travon Van, who left TC to help his mother through a difficult period of dialysis, is particularly useful to a team that has former Argo Jeremiah Johnson still recovering from an ankle injury, although Johnson is likely going to start against Calgary this week.