Leos/Eskimos Post Game Thoughts

[JaboVancouver]

Lots of great thoughts and insights. Couldn't agree more with the offensive lines concerns. The general thought is Olafioye was a salary cap victim, but there are creative ways to deal with that. Should the 2017 version of the O line stay healthy and gel, it won't really matter, but it was s shaky start, and if it continues, that will be a very questionable decision.
Can't help but wonder about the impact from the loss of leadership with Phillips and Arakgi. Would also be nice to have a kicker would could consistently hit field goals and converts. That haunted the Leos last year.

justabitoutside.podbean.com

[Blitz]

cfl.ca considers a question for every CFL team following Week 1.

For our Leos, the topic and question was the Jovan Olifioye trade.

June 27, 2017
The Weekly Say: A question for every team in Week 1

CFL.ca Staff

Here are nine pressing questions for Week 2:
1. Could the Lions regret trading Jovan Olafioye?

Jonathon Jennings was under constant siege in Week 1 vs. the Eskimos

It’s hard to imagine Wally Buono’s decision to move the six-time CFL All-Star was an easy one. After one week, though, there may be some second-guessing by Lions fans.

Last year, the Lions’ O-line paved the way for the CFL’s No. 1 rushing attack while allowing only 35 sacks (1.9 per game), the third-fewest in the country. In a loss on Saturday to Edmonton, however, Jonathon Jennings was under immense pressure for the Lions and was sacked five times (tied with Hamilton for the most sacks allowed).

In Montreal, Darian Durant’s view was much clearer. A year after the Als gave up a league-worst 64 sacks, Durant wasn’t sacked once against his former team the Riders.

Will the Lions regret the decision to move on from one of the league’s premiere offensive linemen?

[David]

The rumblings I've heard from within the organization was that they no longer felt Jovan was worth the money they were paying him as an import tackle, and that he was schooled in the Western Final by the Stamps' standout defensive end Cordarro Law which didn't go over well.

I don't agree with this, just what I've heard.


DH

[Hambone]

It's funny. I am an advocate of continuous competition for starting positions and have been somewhat frustrated during the Wally era at how the depth chart seemed to be etched in stone over the off season and little changed following training camp and the pre-season.
So Wally, sensing perhaps a little more urgency in his final season, makes several notable changes — including 2nd-years Anthony Thompson and Shaq Johnson going from seldom being used to starters ahead of Kenyon Parker and Stephen Adekolu. The latter two showed promising flashes in regular season and playoff action last year. Should that not considerably outweigh pre-season action against mostly back-ups? It's only week one and time will tell but patience has to be thin with an 18-game schedule.
Other thoughts lingering from Saturday:
Blitz you are so right the Lions missed Olifoye and they could be in a heap of trouble if his absence is noticed that much each week. His salary was essentially given to Chris Williams giving the Lions 3 high priced receivers. Obviously we have to wait for his debut to see what the impact will be but let's hope our gunslinger QB is not continuously running for his life to get the ball to dynamic receivers.

Shawn Gore was vastly underrated and maybe that's why Wally wanted badly to add Williams. Ianuzzi is certainly servicable and versatile but Gore had been head and shoulders the Lions best national receiver for several years and I really noticed his absence Saturday. Could be physical, catch the ball in traffic and stretch defences too. Such a difference when you shift Ianuzzi inside and Johnson to his old spot where he was rarely targeted. I know he was dealing with concussion issues but it really, really hurt losing an elite national receiver still in the prime of his career.

Still think once Williams is ready the Lions will tweak the ratio to drop one of the national receiver to keep Nick Moore on the field.

I think it's the nature of the CFL beast Sammy. GMs have no choice but to start formulating their depth chart for the upcoming season back in January. Having a perceived notion of its makeup is integral to their approach in free agency. They have to know where they feel they are set, where they feel they have definite holes and opportunities to upgrade. Ratio, salaries, the SMS, age, previous and projected productivity all factor in. Once free agency is behind them they adjust their pencilled in depth chart moving forward towards the draft and training camp. Once they get to camp they still have to start with an expected depth chart. 24 players have to be slotted in on the first unit and 24 more on each of the 2nd and 3rd units.

Training camp is much too short to provide wide open competition for all positions. That first unit has to be working on preparing for Wk 1 right from the first rep in camp. As for Wally having the depth chart etched in stone going into camp I know in an interview right before camp he expressed a hope that they would have "4 or 5 options" for how the ratio was deployed. Another thing that flies against the etched in stone theory is the number of changes between those first units who started camp and the opening week starting roster. In BC Fan's initial TC report he detailed the 12 defensive starters and 5 OL. Only 11 of those 17 remained in the same positions. BC Fan was unable to determine who the initial 1st unit receivers were but at the start of camp Corey Jones was pencilled into backfill for Williams. Regardless at minimum 25% of the initial "etched in stone" roster changed over the course of camp. I also don't take the Wk 1 roster to be the way it's going to be come hell or high water. I think Wally looks at the first few weeks of the season as extensions of the training camp process. As much as he would hope the Wk 1 roster proves itself worthy he is realistic enough to know further changes will likely be necessary. Question is will he try to be patient and give guys another game to redeem themselves or will he make moves as early as this week? I guess it will get down to what the game video shows them.

[rocky500]

Just sayin, Antonio Johnson's two bad penalties when Jennings had completed key passes, coupled with Adrian Clarke's beautiful play made all the difference...

[Gridiron Ernie]

Absolutely, rocky500, those mistakes -- especially Adrian Clarke's momentary boneheadedness -- were mighty significant to the final outcome, with that clip nullifying a Rainey return-TD (if I correctly recall). It's maddening to team-mates and coaches alike no doubt (not to mention fans) -- how so much turns on so little. But it's gotta' be called, rightfully so, and Clarke (or anyone) simply has to do better in those critical moments. It's one of those infractions that drives me to distraction. They've been coached, over and over -- not to! But have we watched many football games without one? Rarely. I've come to conclude that it will ever be thus. Sigh.

[Sir Purrcival]

Re: high priced receiving talent. All of the receiving talent isn't going to amount to a hill of beans if our QB doesn't have anytime to setup for longer developing plays. Mike Reilly had time to bake a cake in the pocket this last game. JJ didn't have time to take a bite of that same cake. That is when he wasn't looking at his ankles to take the snap. That also shows up in the defensive secondary. You aren't going to be effective defending against the opposition if their QB has an abundance of time to go through his progressions and pick the target that eventually gets space. Nor are your receivers going to get a chance to get space if 2 steamboats in, your QB is already on the move to avoid being sacked. I commented on it at the half and those two teams (the oline and dline) were more responsible for the breakdowns we had in other areas than anything else. As someone already posted, we are in a lot of trouble if what we saw in Edmonton is in any way symptomatic of the rest of our season. We haven't even really been hit much by the injury bug yet so if this is what we have to show for it now, what do we have waiting when that bug eventually does bite?

[Hambone]

That is when he wasn't looking at his ankles to take the snap.

Good observation SirP. I noticed that too. Far too many snaps Jennings had to pluck off his shoestrings. A QB can keep one eye looking at the D and the other watching the ball when the snap is mid body. When they are down at the shoestrings he has no choice but to look only away from the field to catch the ball. I was thinking to myself Husband needed a fluffer on Saturday. He needed to get it up.

[David]

Pass pro was an issue last game. No question. But let's also not lose sight of the fact that:

* It was Steward's first game at left tackle in a while. Didn't play there once last season (no issues with his play)
* Foucault's first CFL game at left guard (thought he did okay)
* Johnson never saw first team reps at right tackle as he lost his 1st string position to Palmer (but no question, he needs to step up his play or else why are we wasting an International at that position??)

The right side of our O-line needs to play better. Period. If Kirby struggles again, I would seriously consider Vaillancourt at right guard, where he played at Laval.


DH

[Hambone]

Depth chart for tomorrow is status quo. Added Waters to 46 and remove Murray-Lawrence. Only decisions left to make are Waters or Long and which NAT depth player to sit.