Blitz wrote:I looked at the game tape again and a few things stood out.
The first was how poised Jennings looked at quarterback, considering it was his first pro start. He played mostly against Calgary`s first team defence in the first quarter. He made some excellent throws. We had more passing yards than Calgary in the first half. Calgary also blitzed in the first half more than one would expect from a first exhibition game.
Secondly I thought the interior of our defensive line got very good push and penetration at times. Our pass rush was not mind blowing but we did get pressure most of the time. Calgary threw the football quickly on most occasions.
I was impressed with Josh Johnson, Tillman, and Lee on defense. On offence Burnham, Jeffers-Harris, and Vizzi all looked good in the slot and Collie ran some smart routes.
Our offensive line missed some blocks. Based on this game only, it was the weak spot of our team. Hopefully, with some changes in the starting lineup next game it will be better.
Patience is in order but I like our direction. We also looked like a more disciplined team. There was lots of communication on the sidelines between players, between coaches, and players and coaches. You could see the increased structure from last season. We have some areas to shore up and its going to be tough to get in the playoff in the West this season but overall, even with the loss n Calgary I feel much more optimistic this season than last.
I also looked at the game tape again, focusing on the offensive and defensive lines, linebackers and H-backs. T-Dre Player impressed me with solid, aggressive play at left guard in the second and fourth quarters. It was nice to see, considering the way he fell out of favour with the coaching staff after training camp last year.
As Blitz mentioned, there were some missed blocks but not all sacks and team losses were on the O-line. Cam Morrah was late to react to a safety blitz, resulting in a sack by Josh Bell. Travis Partridge needlessly drifted out of the pocket and into the path of DeQuinn Evans for a sack, when Josh Aladenoye had good protection. The Stamps ran a stunt that made Kirby Fabien look bad on a Deron Mayo sack and forced fumble, but I can't believe that was Fabien's responsibility. Josh Aladenoye chased the pinching end inside, forcing Fabien to try to chase down Mayo in the rush lane normally protected by Aladenoye.
I was disappointed the H-backs didn't get any touches. If Partridge had thrown underneath to a wide-open A.C. Leonard on his first series instead of forcing an ill-advised interception on the outside, he would have had a first-down and significant yards after the catch and Partridge might still have a job. In terms of formations, the H-backs were used primarily as slotbacks and downfield blockers. They also lined up as tight ends, especially in the short bunch formation, but the Lions did not run or throw effectively from that formation.
Defensively, one of the strengths of the Lions was the play of their four Canadian defensive ends. Jabar Westerman and David Menard got outside pressure, while rookie draft picks Ese Mrabure-Ajufo and Maxx Forde showed strength and toughness against Calgary's run game. The Lions had some great Canadian talent on the D-line in the days of Brent Johnson and Ricky Foley but I can't remember them ever going four deep, with all four players having legitimate shots at the roster.
The defensive tackle position was another story. Zach Minter, who was projected as a starter at defensive tackle, got blown up and pushed all over the field in the first half against Calgary's starting O-line. He did better in the third quarter against Calgary's backups with a strong bullrush sack that was credited to Alex Bazzie and good pursuit for a couple of tackles. The only inside linemen who made a positive impression were Jamarkus McFarland and Andre Monroe and that was only because they held their gaps. I don't have good feelings about this position group. A steady diet of Jon Cornish running behind Calgary's starting O-line would be deadly, even with Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill in the B.C lineup.
Linebacker play was much stronger. Josh Johnson at nickelback looked great, as did Bo Lokombo, who tied for the team lead with four defensive tackles and made plays all over the field while filling in for Adam Bighill at the WILL position, in addition to picking up a special teams tackle. Lokombo will be used in some defensive packages this year, especially against the run.
I thought Casey Chin looked good at middle linebacker in the second half and outplayed starter Alex Hoffman-Ellis, who often got caught out of position, resulting in some big Calgary plays. Chin showed great speed to chase down Calgary running back Keith Toston from the inside out and hold him to a one-yard gain.
With the quarterback position uncertain, the Lions will need strong defensive play to keep them in games as they did last year. Shoring up the interior of the defensive line should be their biggest priority if they want to be able to stop teams that run the ball effectively.
