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prj wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:28 pm

Disgraceful performance, about what one might expect when amateurs (coaches, players and officials) play against professionals.

While I appreciate his past efforts, I do NOT think Wally should return next year. If it were my team, I would clean out the entire coaching staff tomorrow.

In a game full of unprofessional coaching moments, I think the most telling was the short kickoff that was recovered. I haven't kept a tally, but there was not the first time we have seen teams take advantage of the fact that the Lions cheat on kickoff returns by not covering the outside. That is a coaching issue. Somebody should walk -- tonight -- for that stupidity.

There were others. Wally's coaching is just not up to speed any more.

It probably doesn't matter, because Toronto is clearly not long for the League, even with good coaching. Montreal and Vancouver will follow in short order, I suspect.

We must learn to honor the 12th man and depend on Pete Carroll.

Bad teams need to attempt trick plays. Even worse teams get beat by them. To have a repeat of that trick play beat you at an important juncture in the game has to be accountable on the coaches. Terrible to be out coached game after game, but at least we found out that may continue into next season.

2-7 in our last 9 games guys. I said earlier that we may be lucky to win another game if we don't beat Ottawa due to the team coming unglued, and it's a real possibility.

How many coaches would survive this with a team with this much talent?


DH

WestCoastJoe and others have neatly summarized what happened and why.

This team lacks character and this defence in particular is unable to make big stops and turnovers when needed. The weaknesses are well known. If the opposition needs a completion, just pick on Gaitor and Purifoy.

I don't know why Gaitor has a job. I don't know why he wasn't benched for Parker in the third quarter for going to sleep and letting Spencer slip by him for a big gain to set up the Redblacks' second TD after the onside kick. It's been happening all season.

I don't know why the Lions weren't prepared for the onside kick. Danny Vandervoort was left alone in the wide side of the field when everyone should have known the Redblacks would try to seize momentum after their first TD.

I don't know why the Lions tried two running plays at the start of the fourth quarter on their first possession after the Redblacks seized momentum with their back-to-back touchdowns. The Lions punted it away and Ellingson scored again on the resulting Ottawa possession.

The Lions had three offensive plays in a span in which the Redblacks scored three TDs. Including the interception on the next Lions possession, which led to a field goal, the Lions had four offensive plays in a span in which the Redblacks scored the final 24 points of the game.

This was a slow and painful death. You could see it coming. You could see exactly what the Redblacks were going to do in advance. The players and the coaches, particularly the defence and special teams, just couldn't do anything about it. It's been that kind of season.

Ballistic Bob wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:09 pm

Whitecaps lose Lions lose Canucks going to lose. Oh well. BB

Giants lost as well.
Canucks lead diminishing from two to one and can choke as well.

Was at the game tonight and was a sad eye witness to the fiasco.

What I can say about this game is that it was a tale to two teams. Not in the conventional sense. The Lions were two teams but that isn't what I am referring to. For close to 3 quarters of this game, Ottawa had nothing. They weren't playing badly but the Lions appeared to be doing a decent job of working the game. However, for all their challenges, the Redblacks never gave the impression of a team that had resigned themselves to losing. They kept plugging away and competing despite the adversity. Then there are the Lions. They seemed to have this game under control and then they encountered some adversity with the Burnham fumble. From that point on, they were completely down for the count. They couldn't prevent the TD off the fumble, they were completely unprepared for the short kick and at later points when it was still a game and the Redblacks were deep in their own zone, the defence couldn't force a two and out if their lives depended on it.
In short, two teams, facing adversity, one overcame and one crumbled. The Lions have no faith in themselves or their coaching. This is a very ill team and the coaches won't ever have an answer for it because the players have lost confidence in themselves and those that they look to for guidance.

This season is a done deal. They aren't going to make the post season and they don't deserve to. The only positive that might come from it is a major change in the construction of this team from the coaches on down.

Robbie wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 9:34 pm

Ballistic Bob wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:09 pm

Whitecaps lose Lions lose Canucks going to lose. Oh well. BB

Giants lost as well.
Canucks lead diminishing from two to one and can choke as well.

Well, it wasn't a total loss for the city of Vancouver as the managed to hang on for a 3-2 win the season opener.

Go !
Go Whitecaps as well as they head to the playoffs. Don't let the loss today affect their confidence.

Wally, Solly and Jonathon talk to the press post-game.

Wally: "There is no pity for the weak." And, right now, that is us, the weak.

He points out Burnham's fumble. That was just one thing in an avalanche of things going wrong. To my mind, it started with Chris Rainey not letting the punt go into the end zone. Chris Williams drops a TD pass. Most shocking, perhaps, although it happens to us a lot, was the onside kickoff recovered by Ottawa.

He talks about the onside kick: "They recover it. We don't." But he does not discuss the lack of preparation by the Lions to "defend" against onside kicks.

https://www.bclions.com/2017/10/07/elim ... t-execute/

https://www.bclions.com/2017/10/07/jenn ... -the-foot/

..........................

My comments ...

Our offence did a lot of things well.

Our defence was not good.

STs were not good.

Game management was not good.

Composure was not good.

Confidence was shaky.

Did we try some new things? Yes. As mentioned above. More quick hitters. Screen passes. Overloads at the D LOS. Press coverage. JJ24 out wide, taking the MLB with him. Things looked good for 40 minutes.

Rick Campbell told his team that when adversity happens to accept it, deal with it, and move on. We were not able to do that when adversity happened, as it always does in football.

Did Ottawa do detailed game preparation to take advantage of vulnerabilities? Yes, the kickoff recovery being an obvious example.

IMO Ottawa was slopping along, not playing great, but when opportunity knocked, they were ready. They pounced. Did they deserve to win? Maybe. Did we deserve to win? For 40 minutes, Yes. For the final 20 minutes, not a chance.

It starts at the top.

NEW

OWNERSHIP

NOW!

Jim Mullin wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:32 pm

It starts at the top.

NEW

OWNERSHIP

NOW!

Agreed. The ownership situation has to be resolved before the end of the season. Fans won't commit to 2018 season tickets without the promise of new ownership and management and a new marketing and pricing strategy.

Jim Mullin wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:32 pm

It starts at the top.

NEW

OWNERSHIP

NOW!

Lions have gone full circle. We're back to where we were before Braley came in and rescued the club.

Announced attendance was 19,000 and change. That figure is grossly inflated. There couldn't be more than 17,000

TheLionKing wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 11:04 pm

Jim Mullin wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:32 pm

It starts at the top.

NEW

OWNERSHIP

NOW!

Lions have gone full circle. We're back to where we were before Braley came in and rescued the club.

It is so sad to see all of Bob Ackles' work squandered by Braley and Skulsky.

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 11:01 pm

Jim Mullin wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:32 pm

It starts at the top.

NEW

OWNERSHIP

NOW!

Agreed. The ownership situation has to be resolved before the end of the season. Fans won't commit to 2018 season tickets without the promise of new ownership and management and a new marketing and pricing strategy.

X2 I need to see some concrete evidence that management is listening and addressing some of my concerns before committing for another season.

TheLionKing wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 07, 2017 11:05 pm

Announced attendance was 19,000 and change. That figure is grossly inflated. There couldn't be more than 17,000

Agreed. I was at the game as well, and while there was a lot of fans who came out and supported the team, there was also a lot of empty seats. Couldn't of been more than 17-18k in there, as the atmosphere at BC Place was lacking a bit. Just a few years ago the Lions averaged like 10k more fans and the stadium was a hell of a lot more lively than it is now. The Lions organization got to do something about this fast, we don't want to become the new Toronto.

Great analysis everyone. Basically took the foot of the gas pedal in the fourth quarter. Once the RedBlacks started making big play after big play, the Lions didn't know how to respond.
The Felions at least were awesome again. If only the Lions could be as organized and as well managed as they were.