Leos/Riders Round 2 - Game Day Thread
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 8:10 am
Our B.C. Lions travel to Regina to play the Riders once again on a Saturday night.
Last weekend, at B.C. Place our Leos jumped to a 30-0 lead before allowing the Riders two late touchdowns but won the game convincingly.
Our Leos have a 5-2 record going into this contest. But the Eskimos are undefeated at 6-0, the Stamps are 5-1, and the Bombers just won another last minute thriller. We have to keep winning and we cannot afford to lose a game against a less talented opponent as the Riders.
Lets have a closer look at this upcoming game between our Leos and the Riders.
Our Leos are averaging 434 yards of offence per game this season. The Ridres offence is averaging 387 yards per game in 2017. There is little difference in both offences passing yds per game this season as our Leos have only averaged only 10 yards per game more passing in 2017.
But our Leos have averaged 106 yards per game rushing this season while the Riders running attack has been mediocre, averaging only 69 yards per contest.
In last week's game, the two big difference makers between our Leos on offence and the Riders on offence were 1) we ran the football very well and 2) we made big pass plays on offence, while the Riders did not, at least until late in the contest.
Our offensive line had an impressive game, with Charles Vaillencourt getting his first start at left guard and then shifting to center later in the contest. Our offensive line of Steward, Vaillencourt, Husband, Fabian, and Palmer provided our quarterback excellent pass protection, only giving up one sack in the game. We had previously given up 17 sacks in our first six games and were tied for last place in the CFL in that category going into last week's games.
But more impressively, we rushed for 202 yds against the Riders - our most impressive rushing game of the season. Whether it was Johnson, Rainey, or Shaq Murray Lawrence, our offensive line opened up holes for our backs to get into the Riders second layer or beyond at times.
Last week's huge rushng attack by our Leos vaulted us back into first place in CFL rushing. We were in 3rd place rushing the football going into the contest.
The improved pass protection enabled Travis Lulay to throw the football downfield and throw the football and catch the football downfield successfully for big plays was a huge difference maker.
Our Leos were a staggering 7-for-9 with one TD on passes of 20 yards or more. The Riders were 1-for-3 on pass plays of over 20 yards.
The question that has to be asked? Why did the Riders not attempt to attack our defensive secondary deep more often, especially with the number of changes we made to our secondary prior to the contest? Is that due to Kevin Glenn? Is it due to MacAdoo's favored ball control style of passing offence? Hard to say.
The Riders passing offence has been effective, overall with Glenn at the controls this season. He's thrown 11 touchdown passes so far in 2017 and twice he has had games in which he has thrown for four touchdown passes. The Riders passing offence has a 55.1 positive play index compared to their opposition's percentage of 52.2.
In last weeks contest between our Leos and the Riders, the average length of throw per pass by our Leos was 13.7 yds. per throw while the Riders only averaged 7.9 yds per throw.
Goes to show that big pass plays - an attacking offence, combined with an effective running attack, can be a huge difference maker.
DEFENCE
Our Leos defense was pitching a shutout in last week's win against the Riders until we gave up a couple of big pass plays towards the end of the contest.
There was a notion that the Riders mostly attempted to defend our offence with a 3 man pass rush - a reason why our offensive line had such a good game protecting the quarterback. No so? The Riders only rushed 3 defenders 17% of the time in last week's game. They rushed four defenders 70% of the time and rushed five or more 13% of the time.
The key to our defense having another successful outing is to not give up big plays. When Brandon Bridge came into the contest and the Riders feeling they had nothing to lose by airing it out, they hurt our pass defense. The best chance the Riders have to beat us in this contest is to challenge our defense deep. Our defense is in the bottom echelon, in terms of giving up big plays.
The key to another successful outing against the Riders is to run the football effectively again while also giving our quarterback good pass protection, like we did last game.
With all of our offensive weapons, including the addition of Chris Williams into our offensive lineup, we have a treasure trove of riches. Open some holes for the running attack to provide balance to our offence and provide our quarterback time to throw and we have so much talent offensively, that we are a difficult offence to defend, in terms of our personnel.
If Khari Jones can keep improving his scheme, as he has recently, with new screen plays and using our backs out of the backfield in the passing game with new routes to exploit linebackers, it makes our offence more difficult to defend.
But, overall, its been our offence that has been the strength of this 2017 Leos team so far. We're second in points scored, second in passing yards, first in rushing, first in rushing touchdowns. If we can not to be too predictable, cut down on the interceptions and improve our pass protection, as we did last game, we will have a championship caliber offence.
But on the defensive side of the football, our Leos have to settle on a pass secondary and we also get a better, more consistent pass rush without the blitz. Perhaps even more so, Mark Washington needs to step up as a defensive coordinator.
Our Leos defence ranks 5th in terms of points against, 5th in quarterback sacks, 5th in terms of giving up yards, and 5th against the pass. We've done a better job this season against the run (2nd) and our defense has done a better job of creating turnovers in 2017 so far. But overall, our pass defense has not been good enough, we've had too many missed assignments, and we've been beaten deep too often.
The Riders did not challenge us deep last week, until near the end of the game and when they did, there was no evidence that we had shored up this aspect of our defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ty Long has given us the quality of kicking and punting that we've needed so far this season. He leads the CFL in punt average (46.7 yds per punt). We're not a heck of a lot better in our kick return success either. He's also been solid overall in the field goal kicking department while also showing a strong, accurate leg on long field goal attempts.
But our punt return average his this season is a woeful 7.8 yds per punt return - worst in the CFL. The Stamps, for example, have an average punt return of
We're not a heck of a lot better in our kick return success either. Our special teams return game may not be the difference maker in a contest against the Riders but its likely going to come into play when we play elite teams so far this season such as the Stamps, Eskimos, and surging Bombers.
WRAP
Our Leos need to go into Regina motivated and excited to play. This is an important game as the Stamps, Eskimos, and Bombers continue to play very well.
Go Leos!!
Last weekend, at B.C. Place our Leos jumped to a 30-0 lead before allowing the Riders two late touchdowns but won the game convincingly.
Our Leos have a 5-2 record going into this contest. But the Eskimos are undefeated at 6-0, the Stamps are 5-1, and the Bombers just won another last minute thriller. We have to keep winning and we cannot afford to lose a game against a less talented opponent as the Riders.
Lets have a closer look at this upcoming game between our Leos and the Riders.
Our Leos are averaging 434 yards of offence per game this season. The Ridres offence is averaging 387 yards per game in 2017. There is little difference in both offences passing yds per game this season as our Leos have only averaged only 10 yards per game more passing in 2017.
But our Leos have averaged 106 yards per game rushing this season while the Riders running attack has been mediocre, averaging only 69 yards per contest.
In last week's game, the two big difference makers between our Leos on offence and the Riders on offence were 1) we ran the football very well and 2) we made big pass plays on offence, while the Riders did not, at least until late in the contest.
Our offensive line had an impressive game, with Charles Vaillencourt getting his first start at left guard and then shifting to center later in the contest. Our offensive line of Steward, Vaillencourt, Husband, Fabian, and Palmer provided our quarterback excellent pass protection, only giving up one sack in the game. We had previously given up 17 sacks in our first six games and were tied for last place in the CFL in that category going into last week's games.
But more impressively, we rushed for 202 yds against the Riders - our most impressive rushing game of the season. Whether it was Johnson, Rainey, or Shaq Murray Lawrence, our offensive line opened up holes for our backs to get into the Riders second layer or beyond at times.
Last week's huge rushng attack by our Leos vaulted us back into first place in CFL rushing. We were in 3rd place rushing the football going into the contest.
The improved pass protection enabled Travis Lulay to throw the football downfield and throw the football and catch the football downfield successfully for big plays was a huge difference maker.
Our Leos were a staggering 7-for-9 with one TD on passes of 20 yards or more. The Riders were 1-for-3 on pass plays of over 20 yards.
The question that has to be asked? Why did the Riders not attempt to attack our defensive secondary deep more often, especially with the number of changes we made to our secondary prior to the contest? Is that due to Kevin Glenn? Is it due to MacAdoo's favored ball control style of passing offence? Hard to say.
The Riders passing offence has been effective, overall with Glenn at the controls this season. He's thrown 11 touchdown passes so far in 2017 and twice he has had games in which he has thrown for four touchdown passes. The Riders passing offence has a 55.1 positive play index compared to their opposition's percentage of 52.2.
In last weeks contest between our Leos and the Riders, the average length of throw per pass by our Leos was 13.7 yds. per throw while the Riders only averaged 7.9 yds per throw.
Goes to show that big pass plays - an attacking offence, combined with an effective running attack, can be a huge difference maker.
DEFENCE
Our Leos defense was pitching a shutout in last week's win against the Riders until we gave up a couple of big pass plays towards the end of the contest.
There was a notion that the Riders mostly attempted to defend our offence with a 3 man pass rush - a reason why our offensive line had such a good game protecting the quarterback. No so? The Riders only rushed 3 defenders 17% of the time in last week's game. They rushed four defenders 70% of the time and rushed five or more 13% of the time.
The key to our defense having another successful outing is to not give up big plays. When Brandon Bridge came into the contest and the Riders feeling they had nothing to lose by airing it out, they hurt our pass defense. The best chance the Riders have to beat us in this contest is to challenge our defense deep. Our defense is in the bottom echelon, in terms of giving up big plays.
The key to another successful outing against the Riders is to run the football effectively again while also giving our quarterback good pass protection, like we did last game.
With all of our offensive weapons, including the addition of Chris Williams into our offensive lineup, we have a treasure trove of riches. Open some holes for the running attack to provide balance to our offence and provide our quarterback time to throw and we have so much talent offensively, that we are a difficult offence to defend, in terms of our personnel.
If Khari Jones can keep improving his scheme, as he has recently, with new screen plays and using our backs out of the backfield in the passing game with new routes to exploit linebackers, it makes our offence more difficult to defend.
But, overall, its been our offence that has been the strength of this 2017 Leos team so far. We're second in points scored, second in passing yards, first in rushing, first in rushing touchdowns. If we can not to be too predictable, cut down on the interceptions and improve our pass protection, as we did last game, we will have a championship caliber offence.
But on the defensive side of the football, our Leos have to settle on a pass secondary and we also get a better, more consistent pass rush without the blitz. Perhaps even more so, Mark Washington needs to step up as a defensive coordinator.
Our Leos defence ranks 5th in terms of points against, 5th in quarterback sacks, 5th in terms of giving up yards, and 5th against the pass. We've done a better job this season against the run (2nd) and our defense has done a better job of creating turnovers in 2017 so far. But overall, our pass defense has not been good enough, we've had too many missed assignments, and we've been beaten deep too often.
The Riders did not challenge us deep last week, until near the end of the game and when they did, there was no evidence that we had shored up this aspect of our defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ty Long has given us the quality of kicking and punting that we've needed so far this season. He leads the CFL in punt average (46.7 yds per punt). We're not a heck of a lot better in our kick return success either. He's also been solid overall in the field goal kicking department while also showing a strong, accurate leg on long field goal attempts.
But our punt return average his this season is a woeful 7.8 yds per punt return - worst in the CFL. The Stamps, for example, have an average punt return of
We're not a heck of a lot better in our kick return success either. Our special teams return game may not be the difference maker in a contest against the Riders but its likely going to come into play when we play elite teams so far this season such as the Stamps, Eskimos, and surging Bombers.
WRAP
Our Leos need to go into Regina motivated and excited to play. This is an important game as the Stamps, Eskimos, and Bombers continue to play very well.
Go Leos!!