The Lions may be the only western team that doesn't make the playoffs this season. A far cry from my pre-season expectations for that team.
The Lions may be the only western team that doesn't make the playoffs this season. A far cry from my pre-season expectations for that team.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS FOOTBALL CLUB
GREY CUP CHAMPIONS: 1914, 1921, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1983, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2012, 2017, 2022
It's us vs the rest of the country
Lions have 4 of their last 6 at home, 3 against East teams. If Jennings can find his form, they'll be a playoff team.
BC Lions 2017 seventh round draft pick, Jordan Herdman, is contributing to the team as special team member with 15 ST tackles, tied for fifth in the league and just 1 ST tackle out of third place. He has also made 2 DT in brief play as a LB. By comparison his sixth round pick twin brother, Justin, of the Argos has 3 DT as a LB and 1 ST.
Last edited by jerrym; 09-24-2017 at 01:20 AM.
Free agent signing LB Tony Burnett discusses his long journey to the BC Lions below:
https://www.bclions.com/2017/09/25/s...-tony-burnett/
Uncertainty continues over both whether Buono will be back next year and when Braley will sell the team.
http://3downnation.com/2017/10/03/le...d-lions-buono/
Travis Lulay discusses how he sees Jonathan Jennings problems this year below.
http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...d-081949efe3dbWhen a quarterback is in harmony with his surroundings and has confidence in his abilities he doesn’t think. He just reacts.
He trusts his first read. If that isn’t there, he knows when to check down and when to throw it away; when to escape and when to step up in the pocket. There have been times in his career Lulay has had that feeling, when he’s commanded the time and space of the quarterback position. But he’s also known the other side and this is how he explains that feeling. “You either trust the throw or you think ‘Should I throw it?,’” the Lions’ injured quarterback said as he leaned on crutches at the team’s Surrey practice facility. “But by then, it’s too late. And I mean it’s milliseconds. That’s the difference. Milliseconds.” ...
So are those milliseconds the difference between the Jonathon Jennings of 2016 and 2017? Maybe it’s that simple for the Lions and their young quarterback and this is all part of the learning curve for someone trying to master the most difficult position to play in team sports. At least it had better be because the alternative for the player and the team will be a lot harder to explain. ...
But it’s funny. For all the uncertainty facing the Lions, a healthy and productive Jennings goes a long way toward answering a lot of their questions. The team’s position is Jennings’ struggles this year are the natural order of things for a young quarterback; that, in offensive coordinator Khari Jones’ words, he still has, “the mindset, work ethic and the skills to be a very good player in this league for a long time.” ...
In that outing, Jennings threw for 345 yards and directed an offence that produced 480 total yards yet, inexplicably, produced just one touchdown in a crushing 24-23 loss to the Tabbies. Unfortunately for the Lions, the larger picture provided by Jennings on the season isn’t nearly as flattering. In the games where he’s taken the bulk of the snaps, the Lions are 3-6. Jennings also has the lowest efficiency rating of any starting quarterback, the second-lowest overall rating and he’s thrown 12 interceptions against just six touchdown passes. ...
“When you see a guy look hesitant it’s a bit of a confidence issue,” Lulay said before adding. “It’s funny because (Jennings) skipped some steps, right? From the outside, it might look funny but it’s part of playing the position.” ...
But, while maintaining Jennings’ upside is still “through the roof,” the veteran still suggested the younger player’s travails start with that vexing confidence thing. “You injure your shoulder and it affects your throwing and your rhythm; all the things you built through training camp,” Lulay said. “And there’s the confidence thing. Seeing four picks on paper (Jennings threw four interceptions in his first game back from injury in Regina) is a challenge mentally. “You see four picks on paper and it’s, ‘man, what happened? We were we so good last week. Is it all me?’”
What's happening in BC is remarkably similar to what happened to another CFL city, a story that we all know all too well.
http://nationalpost.com/sports/hocke...9-b49c83d52e16It starts at the top with Braley’s incessant dithering over the sale of the team. It’s in the board room where president Dennis Skulsky is here on a part-time basis. It’s in the general manager’s office where Buono is likely in his last year and goes right down to the field where Buono is also coaching in what’s likely his last year.
All that incertitude has now found its way onto the field. I mean, how do you build trust and confidence in a team’s direction when the franchise’s key positions are manned by lame ducks? How do you sell your vision to the players and the fans when everyone is aware you’ve got one foot out the door. ...
The Lions have a number of problems, but they can’t begin to address them until they put an end to this organizational ambiguity. I have the utmost respect for Buono and he’s fully deserving of every accolade he’s earned in an incredible career. But he also knows how this works. This isn’t about his 272 career wins or the five Grey Cups as a coach or the Halls of Fame to which he belongs. This is about 2017 and this franchise’s future.
• That said, it’s interesting to monitor the reaction to the Lions’ travails this season. People are frustrated. They’re angry. They’re exasperated. But they’re not indifferent and that says something. There’s still a connection to this team in this province and while that relationship has been strained this season, it still exists. It will be hard to win those fans back. It would be almost impossible if they stopped caring.
Former Argo Jeremiah Johnson is having a career year in BC. He needs only 23 more yards in his four remaining games to beat his previous best seasonal rushing performance and is fourth overall, only 106 yards behind second place RedBlack William Powell, with three games in hand over Powell. He is one of the few Lions who seems to be trying on every play.
Last edited by jerrym; 10-14-2017 at 02:36 AM.
In his second year, National WR Shaq Johnson is having a breakout season going from zero reception yardage to 501 yards, but more important is his 18.6 yards per catch, indicating that the Lions have a new deep threat, as suggested in the title of the following article: " 'Sneaky strider' Johnson works to become Lions feared Shaq attack".
http://nationalpost.com/sports/footb...9-d4462f3ff374Johnson is listed at 5-10 and only 178 pounds. ...
What Johnson lacks in that physical element, he has made up for with athletic ability, which has helped him to a promising sophomore campaign with the struggling Lions. ...
After impressive showings at the CIS level and Canadian junior football, Johnson ran a 4.39 time at the 40-yard dash at a regional CFL combine before being selected by the Lions. But he can see similarities to Simon in how both reach that top speed.“That’s how I grew up. If you look at my tape, I don’t spring out super fast to you off the edge. It’s more my stride length,” said Johnson. “I really gain on you once you see me face-to-face rather than watching me on film. That’s what I’ve been told. I’ve just started believing that I’m a sneaky strider.”
In a season short on positives for the Lions, after a promising 5-2 start dissolved into a 6-9 record by the middle of October to put them on the brink of elimination from playoff contention heading into Saturday’s home contest against the Edmonton Eskimos, one of the few bright spots has to be the development of Johnson as a receiver in the offence. ...
His yardage total is a distant third to what teammates and fellow receivers Emmanuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham have been able to post this year, but Johnson has gone from the sidelines to a contributor in the offence in one year, providing a deep threat on certain occasions.
The Lions have added Domtre Wilson, a past winner of Texas high school's "Mr. Football" award, to their expanded PR. He went on to play primarily as ST at Ohio State, but was also a RB/WR at times.
https://www.bclions.com/2017/10/17/m...brings-skills/
Because of injuries and the opportunity provided to tryout new players provided by missing the playoffs, the Lions are likely going to insert five players from their PR as starters against Winnipeg to get a better idea of what they have going into next season.
Despite Jeremiah Johnson being the third leading rusher before last weekend, Wally replaced him with Chris Rainey, who then gained 106 yards rushing and 89 in receptions. With BC out of the playoffs, Buono may be exploring possible changes in the running game for next year.
Marco Iannuzzi has announced that he will be retiring after the BC Lions seasons ends Saturday with a game against the Argos. In the interview with Cam Tucker below he discusses why he is retiring with a year left on his contract and what his plans are.
https://www.pressreader.com/canada/vancouver-sun/20171101/281535111251908Q What went into your decision to retire? ...
I’m looking forward to not feeling like I got hit by a car every weekend. Looking forward to spending more time with my family. My eldest daughter had made a few comments to me regarding some kids get to go on holidays at certain times of the year in the summer and it kind of made me realize that we really haven’t had a true family summer together at all. Everything just sort of played together ...
Another important part is I wanted to do it on my own time instead of having the organization call me up to tell me they were going to release me. I wanted to leave when I wanted to and not when I was forced out the door. As far as it goes, I think about 95 per cent of guys are forced out and only five per cent get to go out on their own time and I wanted to make sure it was my decision. ...
I wanted to leave when I wanted to and not when I was forced out the door. As far as it goes, I think about 95 per cent of guys are forced out and only five per cent get to go out on their own time and I wanted to make sure it was my decision.
Q Was it a difficult decision? ...
It’s really not bittersweet. It’s just sweet. I’ve enjoyed my career. I’ve put everything I could into football, my whole life into football. Football gave me a lot. But why, at the end, should I give so much back to football … why do I have to go out when I’m too slow to run anymore, you know what I mean? ...
To be honest, it wasn’t a difficult decision because I gave it so long. I didn’t put it on one single day. I just started thinking what if I retired and woke up that way, went to practice and made a checklist. OK, I’m going to miss laughing around with the guys in the locker-room. I’m definitely not going to miss when this happens. I’m definitely not going to miss when this happens. I’m going to miss here. And you just tally up all those things. ...
Will you remain in the business of football in any way?
Definitely not on the football operations side. I’m ready to move on from football operations. But I’m quite interested in the business side and I’ve made that aware to the various parties that are looking to buy the team. Would I love to come in and be the next president of the Lions? Absolutely, I’d love to. Would definitely want to go that direction. ...
Not only do we, as an organization, owe it to the fans to put together a better product on the field, but we owe it to create a better atmosphere, whether it’s family areas, whether it’s for young people to come and have fun. I just think we can be more of a hub to get people together to have a good time and I just see so much potential in this city.
Q What is your favourite memory from playing football?
I don’t think it’s a memory. I think it’s a confidence I’ve got from football and it’s just being put in so many situations … whether it be you come off an injury, you get put on the starting lineup, you get put down off the starting lineup, you’re winning lots of games, you’re losing lots of games. So, just been in so many situations that I feel like I have a confidence in everything else I’ve done in life.
The Lions looked lost on the field against the Argos on Saturday and their comments after the game show that they are questioning themselves about their entire season.
https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/06/jennin...-lost-control/Quarterback Jonathon Jennings put into words what many of the BC Lions were feeling as they packed their belongings Monday. Many were still searching for answers over why a Lions team with so much potential missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996. “I’m going to take away a feeling of being embarrassed and just disappointed in what we accomplished,” said Jennings. “We knew we had the talent. We had more talent than we displayed on the field. We just lost grip of it. We just lost control.” ...
Even Wally Buono, the Lions’ coach and general manager, couldn’t answer if he will be back coaching next year. “That’s something I have to come to grips with myself,” said Buono, who has won more games than any other coach in CFL history. “As of today, I can say to myself I might never coach again, and I would be OK with that. ...
“The season that could have been, that should have been, that wasn’t,” said receiver Bryan Burnham, who led the Lions with 1,202 yards and seven touchdowns. ...
Jennings was intercepted a league-high 19 times and tossed just 16 touchdown passes. He threw for over 3,600 yards and his 65.7 completion ratio was one of the lowest in the league.
“It’s been extremely difficult,” said the 25-year-old who missed four games with injury. “It’s been one of the most trying things I have been through in my life. ...
“For what ever reason we weren’t able to make critical plays at critical times,” said middle linebacker Solomon Elimimian, who finished 144 tackles to break his own single-season record.
Besides Lulay, the list of pending free agents includes receiver Manny Arceneaux, offensive linemen Cody Husband, Kirby Fabien and Antonio Johnson and defensive backs Ronnie Yell, Loucheiz Purifoy and T. J. Lee.
Even worse news for the Lions is that David Braley has told Buono that he will be the owner for the 2018 season. How much lower can this franchise go?
Cameron Dukes + Dan Adeboboye + Kevin Mital + David Ungerer + Damonte Coxie + DaVaris Daniels + Dejon Brissett = Unstoppable Force
Matt Baker reviews five games below that went a long way towards determining the Lions fate this year.
https://www.bclions.com/2017/11/09/b...-results-2017/
BC Lions have an extensive list of free agents, which when combined with their last place finish this year and the uncertainty about whether Wally will be back, means that major changes are likely.
http://3downnation.com/2017/11/14/ex...tracts-ending/Quarterback
Travis Lulay – international
Mitchell Gale – international
Receiver
Emmanuel Arceneaux – international
Nick Moore – international
Shaquille Johnson – national
Offensive line
Andrew Jones – national
Antonio Johnson – international
Hunter Steward – national
Jas Dhillon – national
Cody Husband – national
Kirby Fabien – national
Defensive line
David Menard – national
Maxx Forde – national
Alex Bazzie – international
Ricky Foley – national
Craig Roh – international
Bryant Turner Jr. – international
Louie Richardson – national
Linebacker
Mike Benson – national
Adrian Clarke – national
Defensive back
Chandler Fenner – international
Buddy Jackson – international
T.J. Lee – international
Ronnie Yell – international
Loucheiz Purifoy – international
One I would love to see the Argos pick up is Shaq Johnson who had 521 yards on 30 receptions. His 17.4 yard average per reception indicates he could become a great deep threat. Being only 24 and only in his second year, he could become a very good National deep threat. Coming from Brampton suggests he might be interested in returning to Toronto.
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