Sometimes the football gods decide to give some of the most talented and dedicated players a few tests of adversity, when things have been going too much their way. The football gods want them to know that life can't always be easy or smooth or the important lessons won't be learned along the way. Adversity also keeps them humble and grounded. It makes them even better, forging them into steel, if they can take it.
Those football gods have tested Jennings. They want him to learn that you can't always defy the odds and not pay a price and that you can't always lead your team to a last minute game winning drive. They want you to know that throwing for over 422 yards in a game, with stunning throw after throw, doesn't always lead to victory. They also want you to clearly understand that Interceptions can hurt. The football gods want that lesson engrained because it wasn't. The football gods know as a young quarterback, you have achieved impressive early success in your pro career. They know that you will be a much better quarterback, in the long run, if you can learn from adversity, as well as success.
Those same football gods want you, Chris Rainey, to know, that even with your incredible talent you are not always going to be the hero. No matter how many exceptional returns you make or how many big plays you contribute on offence, life isn't always going to go your way. Its not easy to contribute over 250 yards to your team in a game, also be your team's leading rusher in that game as a rotational tail back, and then have all those tremendous plays be thrust into the background as you're criticized for being stopped on a third and one.
Instead of giving you a deserved break, the football gods also test you again. Instead of rewarding you for blowing by a defender for a pass reception touchdown or juking defenders out of their cleats on a kick return, that appears like its going to be a game winning touchdown, the unpredictable can happen. Lumbala appears out of nowhere and his helmet knocks the football out of your hands. The football gods want you to know that life can be arbitrary and unfair.
The football gods also want to test you, Bryan Burnham and Manny Arseneaux. Both of you had mind blowing games in Winnipeg. Bryan Burnham, you're 200 yd. plus receiving game had not been accomplished since the great Geroy Simon did it in 2007. The football gods put you in that vulnerable position, to allow Loffler that powerful hit on you, causing you to fumble, to remind you, once again, that you got to where you are through hard work/dedicated effort and that success can be fleeting. They wanted to emphasize that when you are on the mountain top, you can forget that there'll always be valleys in life.
Manny, you had over 150 yards of receiving in Winnipeg and made incredible catch after catch too. This last game, with only 2 receptions for 16 yards, was a way for the football gods to reinforce how badly the opposition hates the 'Manny Show' and what they're willing to do and will be willing to do in the future, to put it off the air. The football gods wanted you to realize how much harder you'll have to work to get open in the future. They want you to run your routes even sharper. They want you to realize that there will always be envious people in life who will do anything to thwart your success.
Even more so, the football gods wanted you, Wally Buono, to know that being a legend, even in your own words, doesn't guarantee future success. You were having a very good season turning this team around. You were enjoying the praise and basking in the accolades of your return to the sidelines.. Your young quarterback was leading your team to last minute game winning drives. Life was good. A home playoff game was on the horizon. The football gods wanted to give you a message that the world is changing at an ever increasing rate these days. Past success doesn't guarantee future success. Same old' can mean going backwards. The lesson of evolution is that those who adapt win. The wise adapt even more quickly these days.
The football gods have recently reminded our Leos that success and happiness is not the 'absence of adversity'. It's the ability to deal with adversity and come out the other end wiser. The fooball gods have hopefully taken a rest now, as our Leos prepare for the Eskimos.
I'm not going to focus this week on the opposition - the Edmonton Eskimos. Lately we've been beating ourselves so I'm just mostly just going to write about us.
The Eskmioms run a combination West Coast/Spread offence. They will often line their receivers up as tight ends and throw off that formation. They have Reilly, Bowman and Walker as their main threats. They ran a lot against us last game. John White is a quality back. Mark Washington will figure it out or not.
Defensively, Mike Benevedes likes to rush four and play zone defence. Their defense is not overly complicated but its improved a lot lately. Khari Jones needs a better game plan against it than the last time we played them.
Our Lions are 1-5 this season against Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg — our main rivals in the West. They all have more than enough talent that we can't afford to be outcoached, as we have been previously, against these teams. If we want to beat Edmonton, we need our coaching staff to step up and we need our players to not turn the football over, to tackle well, and to get some increased pressure on the quarterback.
We also need to play well in the fourth quarter. We've won four close games this season with game winning drives. We're 6-0 this season when wev'e outscored the oppisition in the fourth quarter. We're 0-6 when we've scored less points that the opposition in the fourth quarter. Our six losses this season all were due to being outscored in the fourth quarter.
Lets have a closer look at this upcoming game, with a focus on Leos.
OFFENCE
1. Offensive Turnovers
Our offence has put up some impressive passing numbers over the last few weeks but turnovers have really hurt our offence. We threw four interceptions last game and had two lost fumbles. Jennings threw two interceptions in his previous game. If we want to get things turned around, we have to do a much better job in this area. The interceptions are not all on Jennings. Many factors are a part of the equation, from scheme, the encouragment of throwing into double coverage and making plays, lack of short outlets, Jennings being hit while throwing, deflected passes off a receivers hands, etc.. We need to start playing more sound, balanced offensive football.
2. Our Running Game
Our early season success came not only from our passing game but also from our running game. Anthony Allen averaged 2.5 yds per carry in his last game in Winnipeg. Rainey was our leading rusher in that game. Jeremiah Johnson averaged 3.9 yds. per carry last game with the average fattened by one longer run. The introduction of the jet sweep to Sinkfield netted 21 yards on his one carry.
Khari Jones/Dorazio introduced a number of new running plays agaisnt the Bombers and there was improvement but we're having our usual mid to later in the season problems with our running attack. We need to continue to adapt our running game but more importantly, we need to scheme it better, in terms of blocking scheme.
3. The Sinkfield Factor
We now have all the tools in our arsenal, in terms of talent for our passing attack. Burnham and Arseneaux are two of the best reeivers in the league. Shawn Gore's return from concussion gives us another quality option. Gore had a 30 yd. touchdown pass against Winnipeg. Chris Rainey is another dangerous threat when he rotates into the game.
Sinkfield was our leading receiver against the Bombers last game. He also had a 21 yard run and was being used for kickoff returns - a wise move that can pay dividends.After a few struggles, Sinkfield is now starting to look much more comfortable in our offence.
We have an abundance of offensive weapons. There is no need to throw into double coverage on intermediate routes in the future. A deep ball is different. If a team wants to double cover Manny or Burhham, we have two other excellent options in Sinkfield and Gore as well as Rainey when he is in the game.
4. Use of our Tailback/Fullback in the Passing Attack.
We're tipping off every time we want to throw the swing pass to our taiback in the flat and that is why the play is being unsuccessful, even to the speedy Rainey. We need to chip with the tailback and then send him on the swing pass to the flat. We need to integrate Johnson and Allen better into our passing attack. A play action pass and then hitting the tailback in the open area vacated by the linebacker is the way to do it. Harris lived off that play here and is still liviing off it in Winnipeg.
The tailback screen is a good play that we need to use. The misdirection, throw back fullback screen pass to Lumbala would be a great option, especiallly with Rainey in the game. Khari did use Rainey on a fake swing pass with Jennings hitting the slant pattern last game. It was another new addition of a play that showed good sense.
5. Moving our Recievers Around More
One thing Chap did really well was move our receivers around. He did that, mostly, to get Simon away from double coverage. By sliding Gore inside and Arseneaux outside occasionally on some pass plays we can get favorable matchups and avoid Arseneax getting triple coveage with a linebacker, defensive back and safety. On the wide side, in the five receiver set, it would make sense at times to shift Sinfied inside to use him on a short crossing route to utilize his speed, as well as mix things up.
The notion of using Adekolu for some rotational resps would also be wise. On pass plays like second and shorter, shifting the big target of Adekolu, who has great hands, inside for a possession type route would make a lot of sense, giving Jennings another very good option for that type of play. Burnham could shift to outside slot, while Sinkfield moves outside and clears the area with his speed. Of couse that will never happen.
Jones used a lot more motion last game and it's something he should also continue against Edmonton's defense, which is prone to motion.
DEFENCE
Where does one start? We can't keep playing the same defensive style and expecting a different result.
1. Take Away the Opposition's Strengths.
You can't play the Eskimos offence straight up. A lesson should be learned from how often Harris hurt us in the Bombers series. Bowman and Walker need to encounter a defense that double covers them, in one way or another. We also need to focus on White and Reilly running the football. That means we dont' take Bighill out of the mix by playing him as a deep safety.
Mark Washingtoin, If you don't understand how to shut down a couple of big play receivers look at the game tape of how the Bombers too away Burnham and Arseneaux last game. Copy it. We're not looking for original ideas. Just get it done.
2. Defensive Pass Rush.
We need to look at how we are using our personnel. Darius Allen is giving us nothing. We need to give Menard more reps because he almost always creates pressure. We should dress Bryant Turner Jr. in place of Allen and rotate him into the defensive tackle position. Westerman is playing well but rotating Bryant Turner Jr. with Brooks makes sense, especiall against pocket passing style quarterbacks. It also will allow us to keep our interior of our line fresh agaisnt the running game. We really should be using Uko but its too late now.
3. Secondary Personnel
I have no idea what Mark Washignton is thinking from both a personnel perspective or a scheme perspective. First of all, playing two rookies who didn't even get into the lineup until mid-season or later, on the boudary side is highly questionable. We should have moved a very good cover guy in Phillips to the boundary side and Fenner to the wide side so both Gaitor and Fenner were playing beside a defensive back with experience.
But if Washington was hell bent on playing both rookies on the tough boundary side (shorter throws for a quarterback, no nickel back), then he should have left Gaitor at half back and inserted Fenner at corner for the following reasons: 1) if Yell returns before the end of the season, it would only mean one change 2) Gaitor was playing well at boundary halfback and it meant two changes 3) weakness at boundary halfback, using zone defence, gives us more big plays than corner. If Fenner did not work out at corner, he could insert Jeremy Harris.
So, what does Washington do now at this juncture of the season, being as what has been done is done. He should seriously consider starting Harris in place of Fenner. Fenner is strugling. Better to make the change now, with three games to go, so Harris could at least have some experience before the playoffs.
4. The Cover 2 and Cover 3 Approach
Using Bighill as one of our two Cover 2 safeties or our Cover 3 middle safety is not smart. Bighill is a very good cover linebacker but he is not a defensive back. We also need him as a linebacker to do the variety of things that are his strengths - covering the flat and hook areas, tackling tailbacks and running quarerbacks and blitzing. The Bombers expolited our flats, with screens and play action, using Harris, when Bighill was playing deep safety. Other teams will do the same.
If Washington feels the need to use a Cover 2 to give Fenner help, there are better ways. He has other options. The first is to use Purifoy there. The second is to take a lineman out of the game and insert Thompson there or Fraser. If he wants to rush four and use 7 defensive backs on a long passing down, he can take a linebacker out but it would be better to use three defensive lineman and blitz either Sol E. or Bighill to get the four man rush. So Washington can switch personell ( Harris for Fenner), or use a different strategy for Cover 2.
For a Cover 3, we have three National safeties sitting on the bench in Thompson, Parker, and Fraser. Pick two of them add play them beside Edem for a Cover 3 instead of dropping Bighill from his linebacker spot to middle deep safety. I would choose Thompson and Parker and leave Edem in the middle. This is not rocket science.
Another way is for Washington to completely change his strategy. Blitzing a couple of defenders can also provide less time for a receiver to get deep against Fenner. Or he could blitz Fenner. The Bighill approach is not the answer. It wan't last year either and we finally abondoned it. But if something doesn't work, why not use it again.
The Bombers mandate a probing, grasping defence, a reflection of head coach Mike O’Shea, who has his men attacking, rather than waiting for enemy mistakes to happen.
I won't hold my breath in terms of the 'aggressive' approach Washington has said he would use in the past and this season too.“O’Shea and Richie Hall (D-coordinator) are always stressing, ‘Strip the ball away, strip the ball away,’” said defensive end Jamaal Westerman. “When the defensive line brings pressure, and there’s a turnover, we feel we caused it. Quarterbacks don’t react well under pressure. And, when the ball is in the air, our DBs do a great job of attacking it.”Winnipeg leads the CFL with 28 interceptions, three times the number produced by the Lions. The Bombers’ number of forced turnovers — 54 — is also more than double B.C.’s total — 23."
Words are easy, actions count.
Covering the Tailback
When the oppostion has a tailback that is highly utilized in the passing attack (eg: Messam, Harris) it doesn't make sense to have our linebackers helping out in the hook zone areas and leaving the flat open for the tailback.
To shut down a tailback who is an asset for the oppositions passing attack you either cover him man to man with a linebacker or one of your two linebackes attack him on the side the tailback runs his swing pattern. You have to give up something to get something. You give up inside help on short passes over the middle to take the tailback pass out of the game. We would not do neither against the Bombers and Harris had a field day.
Here is a simple fact for Washington. John White has caught 57 passes this season, only one pass less than Anfew Harris, who leads all CFL tailbacks in receviing. White is Edmonton's third leading receiver. We don't need Sol E. and Bighill helping out with the possession hook zones. Bowman and Walker don't run a lot of routes in there. We need to focus on covering White instead, with one linebacker, while spying Reilly with our other linebacker. Bighill doesn't have the speed to cover Bowman or Walker deep anyway, so don't use Bighilll as a safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS
What can one say about Rainey. He's special. A good thing is that we've inserted Sinkfield as the second return man instead of Shaq Murray Lawrence. If Sinkfield returns a kickoff or two, that can help keep Rainey more fresh for punt returns and offence.
What can one say about our kickoff coverage team? They are not special. We need to get this fixed. We might not be able to fix Leone's field goal kicking (praying to the football gods is the only hope) but this is one area that we can do something about.
Leone's punting is always a good thing. However, Wally having Leone punt on the opposition 44 yd. line in the first half of game, on third and less than one yard is not. Leone can hit from 50 yds. He is probably better from that range than inside of 35 yds. He kicked a 52 yarder last game while missing from 35 and 30, in our last two games. He is probably better from that range than inside of 35 yds.
I won't even mention kicking a field goal, on third and less than one, on the opposition's 5 hard line, early in a game as not being a good thing (or a good percentage thing either). Its not high percentage football. Its not even conservative. Its fearful.
WRAP
We're now a third place team in the West. There are only two good places to finish tin the standings - second place in the West, where we get a home playoff game or being the cross-over team. The outcome of this game will help determine the direction we should go in.
I predicted our Leos would finish 4th this season. I badly want to be wrong.
I believe in playing to win. It doesn't do any good to limp into the playoffs to avoid playing Calgary. We can't completely control the outcome of the standings anyway.
We just need to focus on playing good, smart, sound football against Edmonton. Let the football gods be with us!
Go Leos!
