1/3 of the season in the books: Opinions?

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DanoT
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Blitz wrote:
Now I don't feel as lonely in picking the Lions as serious Grey Cup contenders. B.C.Fan
You are a Lionbacker 'wise man' B.C. Fan! :thup: :thup:

I didn't expect Khari Jones and Mark Washington to be doing such a good job, scheme wise, with their respective units and am pleasantly surprised with their work so far.

Our Leos have been under the radar, according to an article and cfl.ca. They are not anymore!

Under the radar

I want to clarify something really quick. The BC Lions have a human highlight reel as a quarterback; they have one of the most exciting returners in football; they boast an exciting, deep group of receivers and are able to roll out the best linebacker combo in the CFL and they’re still flying under the radar? It’s hard to believe, but it seems to be the truth.

The 4-2 Lions are one of the early surprises of the 2016 season but they looked good once again in a 38-18 win over Montreal on Thursday. Even with one of the top records in the league to this point, though, the Lions don’t seem to be getting a lot of run. Perhaps they should be.

Jonathon Jennings is ridiculous. The stuff this guy is capable of doing while on the run is truly unmatched right now. His arsenal of talent was on full display against the Als as he literally made one mistake as part of a stellar 331-yard outing. Sure, Jennings is young and still has lots to learn, but he’s also one of the league’s best quarterbacks a third of the way through 2016.

The Lions have one of the league’s most exciting players in Chris Rainey. I know I get out of my seat every time he’s about to return a kick. Yeah, he wasn’t very busy against Montreal, but that doesn’t change how much of an impact he can make when he touches the ball.

BC has a dynamic receiving duo with Emmanuel Arceneaux and Shawn Gore and it sports just as important a duo on the other side of the football, too. Linebackers Soloman Elimimian and Adam Bighill form a devastating partnership in the middle of the field and have been as advertised so far this season.

The point I’m trying to make is this: one of the players I just highlighted fall into the “under the radar” category, so perhaps the team they play on shouldn’t be in that category, either. If BC keeps building on its 4-2 start, I doubt it will be for much longer.

cfl.ca

As we all know most of Canada does not pay very close attention to what goes on west of the Rockies. It seems that most of the CFL doesn't either.
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CardiacKid
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I will leave the voicing of opinions and assessments of our Leo's spirited play on the field to those far better equipped to describe and explain what has made our BC Lions the toast of the nation! Well they should be in my opinion....No, I am going to think about the fan experience.

I know we have been on a diet of home games (time this weekend to stuff my face! :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: ) so my opinions/observations (but not quite assertions) may not be valid in a few days. But here it goes...

-The game day program/leaflet/tri-fold is not really worth the effort. Might as well just give me a mimeographed page of the rosters and depth chart.
-The on-field entertainment in between the 1st and 2nd quarters is pretty......weak. You know, the 3 blind folded fans who attempt to kick a ball the furthest. That could use a little tweaking...right out the door. :wag: watching fans whack a piñata in between quarters would be more entertaining.
-Glad to see the t-shirt cannon is getting used more democratically and not so preferentially to the "1 percenters" ( I kid). Last year they dawdled down the sideline, never coming close to our section and using such an under-powered canon that it barely made the stands. Now it flies out the barrel as they run the length of the field.
-The food vendor(s) still advertise "churros" when they only serve 1 churro.
-I was very happy with the service I received from the Lions store when I screwed up an online order. Doh!
-the size restrictions of bags brought into the stadium limits how many different jerseys I can bring and wear over the course of a game. Plus it is bit of an actual pain as my wife and I often head straight to the game from the ferry with our overnight stuff...kind of embarrassing when security wonders why you brought toiletries to the game.
-The Felions are still wearing proper dancing shoes and haven't reverted to those boots that made them lead foots

Random jottings of my opinions of the year thus far.
Blitz
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I will leave the voicing of opinions and assessments of our Leo's spirited play on the field to those far better equipped to describe and explain what has made our BC Lions the toast of the nation! Well they should be in my opinion. CardiacKId
The topic of why our Leos are having such a good start to the season is being asked on cfl.ca, as well as Lionbackers. In an article 'The Weekly Say - A Question for Every Team' that question is asked.

Certainly, our Leos defense has given up the least points in the CFL so far.

The article identifies four factors 1) The Return of Wally Buono 2) the elite play of the defense 3) the continued progression of Jonathan Jennings, and 4) offensive line play and asked fans to vote for the one they believe has been the most important.

What’s the biggest factor in the Lions’ turnaround?

The BC Lions have turned back the clock like it’s 2011, the last year they played in and won a Grey Cup Championship.

It’s a far cry from the third or fourth-place finish many pundits had predicted this CFL off-season, but should a 4-2 start that has the Lions competing for top spot in the West really come as a surprise?

After all, Wally Buono, the CFL’s all-time wins leader, is back behind the bench. Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill are on the field and healthy, forming a black hole in the middle of the Lions’ defence that swallows anything in its path. Offensively, meanwhile, the Lions and young Jonathon Jennings are explosive as anyone out there.

Four wins this season have everyone talking about the Orange and Black again like it’s for real, and it’s hard not to be convinced. But what’s the biggest factor in the team’s sudden resurgence?

Coaching has surely helped as the change from Mike Benevides to Jeff Tedford in 2015 to Buono now gives the Lions a new outlook – there’s no denying they’re a much more physically-opposing team to play against.

Yet such success also wouldn’t be possible without the resurgence of a defence that for the last few years has ranked merely middle of the pack; or the continued progression of 24-year-old Jonathon Jennings, one of the league’s bright stars under centre.

What’s most responsible for the Lions’ step forward in 2016 — one they’ve been longing to take?
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
Blitz
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What’s Different?
Matt Baker

Apples and oranges. That is how you might describe the mood in the Lions Den compared to this time last year. And although the club is only one win better in the standings, they were 3-3 at this point in what turned out to be a mediocre 2015 campaign, the feeling in that locker room after six games is that something special could be brewing. A prime example was the 14-hour delay players, coaches, staff and 50 fans who joined the trip on ‘Operation Orange’ had to endure before flying home from last week’s 38-18 win in Montreal. Instead of anger and frustration, the “ordeal” was rather upbeat and the narrative quickly evolved into perhaps what will make for a really funny chapter in the book that will be written about the championship 2016 season…. should it come to fruition.

Ryan Phillips, the longest-serving player on this roster, has seen a lot of ups and downs since arriving in 2005 and agrees the feeling in the locker room is night and day compared to last season.

“It’s always different when you’re winning, that’s just the reality of it,” Phillips said. “Success breeds confidence and we are a confident team right now. I feel like our ceiling is very high and that always brings a lot more positivity to the locker room. As the season progresses there are certain things that have to take place for your team to continuously build and move forward. I feel like we’re taking those steps right now.”

Other than the optimism, what else is different? Don’t think Wally Buono being back on the sidelines doesn’t have something to do with it. The CFL’s all-time winningest coach has clearly made his presence felt from the get go.

“It helps having a veteran, Hall of Fame coach,” Phillips added. “Wally is definitely going to make sure we instil the foundation and principals that are going to get us where we want to be. That’s always a benefit for us and a deficit for another team that may face us in the long run.”

Buono, being the humble man he has always been, refused to take all of the credit. “I’ve always said coaches aren’t winning games. The only credit you take is the fact you have a job to do and the guys have responded well to the coaches and myself. The whole Montreal thing was a good public sign of the guys responding well. We challenged them during the week about playing with intelligence, playing with integrity and winning a game that was very critical to us. That was as good as a game we have played all year.”

Phillips and the defence is a big part of it. Thanks to an explosive secondary which features dynamic rookie Loucheiz Purifoy mastering the nickel position, the Lions are causing more fits for opposing offensive coordinators than ever before. Purifoy earned CFL Player of the Week honours after his 47-yard fumble return helped seal a 38-18 victory over the Alouettes. Depth has been a big part of it as well; TJ Lee went down with a season-ending Achilles injury last month and the likes of Steven Clarke, Anthony Gaitor and Anthony Thompson have stepped in quite nicely.

On the defensive line, Alex Bazzie leads the CFL with six quarterback sacks, Jabar Westerman continues to get better and Mic’hael Brooks has continued his habit of making the big plays when called upon; just ask Drew Tate and the Calgary Stampeders on that goal line stand in the season opener. Everyone on the line has contributed. And of course, you cannot discount the ‘Team 100’ duo of Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill.

Elimimian is showing signs of getting back to the form that earned him both Most Outstanding Player and top defensive honours in 2014, while Bighill leads the club with 41 defensive tackles, ten more than Elimimian who sits second. Everyone on that side of the ball will tell you the same thing: Defensive coordinator Mark Washington has dialed up excellent schemes which have been a huge reason they are great at second half adjustments. They have allowed 65 points after the break, with 28 of those coming in the week six overtime loss to Calgary.

“I feel like that comes with a veteran coach that understands the ins and outs and what teams are trying to do to us,” Phillips said. “Mark has made the necessary adjustments. Even in that Calgary game, he made the adjustments but we didn’t make the plays. He’s been doing a wonderful job this year. The stats and our record speak for itself.”

On offence, there has been one big constant: Jonathon Jennings continues to get better. Yes, there was the career-high 429 yards passing in a week four victory in Saskatchewan, but the most impressive attribute has been his ability to bounce back from the Lions’ two losses so far. After each one, you started to hear suggestions that maybe he sit out the next game, but the second-year pivot brushed everything aside and made sure he and the team would be better. Not an easy thing to do in any sport. Offensive coordinator Khari Jones, back at his familiar position after coaching the receivers in 2015, has also noticed a big change in both the on-field play and locker room vibe.B.C. Lions wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux celebrates his touchdown against the Montreal Alouettes between teammates Bryan Burnham, left, and Geraldo Boldewijn during second quarter CFL football action Thursday, August 4, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

“The guys are just playing hard-nosed football and it started from camp and continued on,” Jones said. “That’s not putting anything against last year, but I think we kind of ebbed and flowed a little bit, whereas this year, each and every game you know what you’re going to get. So far, so good but we still have a long way to go.”

Jennings has also done a great job in using every receiver at his disposal. Manny Arceneaux, Bryan Burnham and Shawn Gore are each on pace for 1300 yards. The last time three Leos receivers surpassed 1,000 in the same year was 2005.

“He’s all the things you want out of a quarterback,” Jones added. “He trusts all those receivers and everybody we bring out there. He doesn’t have to look for anyone in particular but whoever is open he knows how they’re going to move and he knows where to put the ball so they can make it happen. It’s been a nice thing to see that relationship develop with all the receivers.”

We knew what The Manny Show was capable of. But having Burnham and Gore step up and play larger roles has been an outstanding bonus. You can say the same for Marco Iannuzzi who has used the occasional first-team reps to his advantage. The two-headed monster at running back has been a good experiment as both Anthony Allen and Jeremiah Johnson have been steady when called upon.

The offensive line, despite dealing with a few injuries and position changes of its own, has made the required adjustments and played a big role in creating running room for Jennings and the backfield. Coordinator Marcello Simmons has brought a new outlook to the special teams unit and after allowing three blocked punts in the opener against Calgary, they’ve done very well. Having Chris Rainey returning kicks will always give you an edge, and as of this week, Richie Leone is third in the CFL with his average of 47.1 yards per punt.

New and improved personnel, plus a complete change in attitude. Might it add up to something very special at the end of November? That remains to be seen, but it appears they will for sure have a say in what happens.

“The mood is definitely different,” Jones said. “Wally is not the winningest coach in CFL history by chance. He demands respect, accountability and all those things that you want in a team. It’s been great seeing him in action, seeing him apply his trade and seeing how the players respond to him.”

Plenty of factors. But as Phillips and company have pointed out, there is still two-thirds of the season left.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
Blitz
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The only real question mark, personnel wise, for this season, was Dillon Guy.

Here was an offensive lineman rated at least 7th going into the CFL draft. Many had him in the top 2 in terms of offensive line talent. He tore his ACF in his last season at Buffalo. He was projected as a third round NFL draft choice before that injury.

Our Leos worked him out before drafting him at #30 in the 4th round. He had some very good pratices at training camp but was assigned to our practice roster, as Wally choseJas Dhillon, a backup centre and guard for the active roster. Dillon refused the practice roster and the Riders picked him up.

I really wonder if we shouldn't have been more patient. Guy has the talent to become a top lineman in the CFL.

I wonder why we didn't put him on the 6 game injury list, instead of the practice roster, to begin the season.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
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