Now we have to defeat the Riders at home to lock everything up so that we can host the West-Semi Final. Our Leos, the only team to defeat Calgary this season, when they had Bo Levi at quarterback, has a real chance at a Grey Cup berth. From a talent perspective, we can compete with Calgary. Calgary is resting a lot of players and that can have its benefits and its downside.
But first we have to defeat the Riders. This is a dangerous game. We could take the Riders for granted, after beating then handily in their final game at Mosaic. G.J. Kinne is expected to get some time at quarterback, along with Durrant. Its easy to forget that the Riders had won four games in a row before their last two losses.
Lets have a closer look at this game.
OFFENCE
Khari Jones has made some very good changes to our offensive scheme over the past couple of games. Some of those changes went unnoticed, due to some dropped footballs in Regina. But Jones has added a number of crossing pattern pass plays to adjust to defenses playing us more man coverage, with either two or three deep safety. He's begun to move our receivers around more (Many and Burnham together, Sinkfield and Manny together, more four receiver sets to the wide side) and use more formations and motion. Last game, he used a lot of two back sets.
One formation against man/cover 2 that we are not utilizing is the bunch formation. We've used it on some converts and got a receiver wide open but we've hardly used it in other situations. The bunch formation was designed to confuse man defense and also get defensive backs running into each other or screening each other off. A wider bunch formation (not tight) is a very good way to attack press man especially.
The revitalization of our running game has also made a big difference. We struggled with our running game against Winnipeg in both games. The addition of the jet sweep to Sinkfield has also added variety to our run offence. Perhaps not this game but in the playoff, we need to use the zone read option. Defenses attempt to plug the inside and swarm our tailback on the zone read.
The defensive ends crash down. The zone read option, especially against man defense, would allow Jennings to get outside, after a fake to the tailback, to either run with tons of space ahead, or to throw downfield, or come back underneath to the tailback after the fake. A good running game also sets up misdirection, semi-boot play action well. Semi-boot misdirection play action has gotten us some big plays lately. Travis Lulay lived off that play in 2011.
If teams want to play us Man/Cover 2, its essential that we run the football successfully. Running the football successfully also brings the defense out of Man/Cover 2, as it did against the Riders in the second half of last game, and sets up our deep and deep intermediate throws again.
The key is this: If the defense goes Man/Cover 2, we hit them with the run and a lot of crossing patterns. We also need to throw in a draw, quarterback draw, and screen. We also need to isolate the tailback on the linebacker, but not with the quick swing pass. If they come back to Cover 1, we go deep and deep intermediate and give them the Manny and Burnham Show.
But we also need to add the Sinkfield Show and that hasn't happened. Even though Khari has finally gotten it and moved Sinkfield around (tight slot, wideout) he is not contributing enough. Sinkfield needs to catch the football and run more disciplined routes. We paid him big bucks to come in here and give us that third receiver threat, in terms of speed, to take some attention away from Manny and Burnham. Sinkfield needs to get his game together and quickly.
Don't know if we will play Allen or Johnson at tailback. I would go with Allen to create a fresher Johnson for the playoff. I would also give Adekolu some reps in this game. He deserves them and in case of injury to one of our receivers during a playoff game, we need him to be as ready as possible.
Hopefully, we can get enough of a lead this game, that we'll get Lulay some game reps to also prepare him for a potential playoff injury to Jennings. That happened last year. We had a big lead in Regina and Lulay never saw the field, when there was opportunity to do so in the fourth quarter.
Jones still needs to make adjustments to the tailback aspect of our passing attack. Teams are focused on the predictable quick swing pass. We need to fake it to Rainey and go downfield. We need to decoy Rainey at times and then come back to him. We also could use Rainey on a quick pitch play to challenge the edge.
DEFENCE
Aggressive defence and not 'scaredy cat' defense can make a huge difference. We only had four sacks in our previous four games. Last game we had 7 sacks, almost twice the total of our previous four games. We blitzed more often but the blitzes also set up fake blitzes and allowed our defensive lineman to not just pass rush straight up.
We used a number of zone blitzes, dropping off our defensive ends into underneath coverage. We *poop* our defensive lineman on the line of scrimmage. That allowed Brooks to get some single team blocking. The addition of Bryant Turner Jr. into the lineup added to our defense. Using Menard at defensive end kept Roh fresher and allowed him to play better. If Westerman is healthy, we still need to dress both Bryant Turner Jr, and Brooks, use Menard, and keep Darius Allen on the practice roster for the playoff.
Bighill and Sol E. both had excellent games last week against Regina, as we let both do what they do best, rather than have Bighill running back to two or three deep safety and Sol E. covering everything underneath.
In the defensive backfield, a more aggressive style allowed our defensive backs to also play more aggressively. Edem is getting better angles now that Jennings and Lulay have worked with him. Gaitor is a quick, aggressive corner who likes to ball hawk. Fenner had had two good games in a row at boundary halfback. Brandon Stewart had his best game of the season against Regina. He plays well when he doesn't have to cover for too long, as does Phillips (as do most defensive backs)
Should be want to play two deep safety, we need to bring Thompson into the game.
This is a game in which Lokombo should play. He is too fast, too talented, too strong, and too athletic to be sitting on the bench as a situational third linebacker, while Aragki goes into the lineup for him.
Hopefully Washington will continue with a more aggressive style and not revert back to fear.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The big story of the week was the signing of Paul McCallum. We should have got him signed a number of games ago or signed someone else. McCallum has one game to knock off a lot of rust but there has been no better pressure playoff field goal kicker ever. He is a mind boggling 36/36 in the playoffs for our Leos.
We should consider putting Iannuzzi in for Shaq Murray Lawrence on kick returns, if we dont' want to use Sinkfield in that spot (we did for one game but Sinkfield did not touch the football). Iannuzzi's strength is as a returner, much more than as a receiver. He is a good compliment to Rainey.
We also need to improve our punt blocking for Rainey. He has to do it all by himself too often,
In terms of downfield tackling, Ontco has quietly had a very good season, leading our special teams in downfield tackling (17 tackles). Aragki is second in this stat with 14 special teams tackles while Brandon Stewart has 10 tackles, Lokombo has 9 tackles as does Fraser and Adrian Clarke has 8 special team tackles.
WRAP
Its a big game. We need to come out fast and hard and get the lead early. That will be a key to getting the Riders players to lose hope of going out with a win for 2016.
Lots on the line!!!!
Go Leos!!
