Monday morning quarterback - some tough questions....

[bc49]

Rather than dwell on what the Lions did wrong I am going to discuss what the Stampeders did right.
I think from the start of the game they were dialed in mentally and really worked off the underdog nothing to lose attitude. They were on a 5 game winning streak and had the confidence from that along with a healthy respect for the defending champs.
On offence KG was better than most anyone expected and he truly deserves the game ball. He was tremendously cool under pressure and his O line gave him time on most downs and gave up no sacks. On the occasions he was pressured he was able to get the ball away, often for big gains or blitz-burning TD strikes.
Nik Lewis was a non factor in this game so the rest of the underrated Stamps receiving corps stepped up big, none better than Maurice Price.
The Stamps used enough run-pass mixes to keep the Lions D honest. Cornish at 18 for 112...well the Stamps haven't lost this year when they rush for over 100.
The Stamps D was flying all game and their positioning and tackling was off the charts. YAC yards were virtually non-existant for the Lions and the few times Lulay tested the Stamps secondary the coverage was air tight.
On teams the Stamps did an excellent job of keeping Brown to a 19 yard avg. Discipline wise the Stamps were rock solid.

Despite playing a very good playoff road game the Stamps only won by 5 and there are a handful of plays that might have changed the outcome if they went the other way. Like most I think the final score flattered the Lions and if the home side had managed to win this game it would have been a major steal.
I would have had no problem with such a steal but now that what''s done is done and I am cheering for the Stamps in the 100th edition because I want to see Glenn get that ring.

I think Hufnagel is going to pull a Wally in the off-season and wear the GM hat full time. The new head coach of the Stamps in 2013 will be, of course, Dave Dickenson.

[MexicoLionFan]

If Travis's shoulder wasn't 100% yesterday, should he have played the whole game?
- Just a thought. The '83 Argos got it done with Holloway and Barnes. I don't see what's wrong with putting in the back-up for a series or two, especially when he's very capable and had been playing most of the last 3 games anyway. Eff bruised egos. We have a game to win.


Did we field the best receiver combo?
- Not saying that Simon and Bruce were the problem by any means. But things really clicked offensively with Taylor and Jackson in the line-up, and Nick Moore is a natural slotback with size. Bruce hadn't played since September 29. Did the two vets do enough to get separation?


Did the crowd noise actually take US out of the game?
- Ironic isn't it? All week long we had been implored to show up and make noise. Well, their offense sailed through without a single precedure call, but we seemed rattled on D by a failure to communicate. Dave Dickenson even noticed this, "The fans were well real well-trained as far as being quiet when their offense was on the field, but defense, especially a veteran group that talks things out, makes checks, makes calls...all it takes is for one guy not to get it...and I'm sure that's what happened a couple of times."


Why did we not use Andrew Harris more often, or at the very least, more effectively?
- Our #1 weapon. I thought we had been under-utilizing him down the stretch, for the sole purpose of keeping him fresh for the big game. But he never seemed to be more than a check-down after thought than a key part of the game plan. Must have been gutted to watch his counterpart on the Stamps chew up big yardage.


DH

Thanks David...

Yes, Lulay should have come out...I said this during the game...when Lulay squandered the first 2 drives in the 3rd quarter, his day should have been done...he simply wasn't throwing the ball well, and was slow to react...that was a Do or Die game...Reilly, at least, would have had a sense of urgency that the Lions didn't show all day...at this is something that no one seems to be taking about, but why did we show NO INTENSITY or hurry up offence, at the 13 minute mark of the 4th quarter when we finally started to move the ball...we huddled back up ON EVERY FREAKING DOWN, right to the end...and why did we send Reilly in for a 2nd and 1 sneak with 1:50 to play? That should have been another pass play...BRUTAL call by Chaps...and when Lulay came back into the game, we freaking huddled up again...WTF??? How did he not run onto the field with the play already called, and snapped the ball right away...Chaps has created a slow, methodical offence that works well when we are in the lead, but is completed outdated when we are behind...

Yes, we fielded the WRONG receiving corp...and most knew it before the game...we showed respect to Simon and Bruce by letting them play, but the reality is, they weren't very helpful...both tried, but didn't have explosion...we took the explosion off the field when we sat Courtney Taylor and Ernest Jackson...and moved Moore to the outside spot...BAD decision making by MB and Chaps...winning championships means you make EVERY decision necessary to win, and don't think about others feelings...we didn't do that...

Which leads to one question you didn't pose, which was WHY NO 6 MAN DLINE ROTATION which everyone accredited to much of our success last year??? We showed respect or deference to Sol E's play as a Lion...but the fact is, Sol E. showed NOTHING in every game prior to the WF and did NOTHING during the game...we should have went with our 6 best DLinemen and rolled them throughout the day...we didn't and it cost us...bad decision making by MB and Stubler...

The good news is, MB will learn from these mistakes...you don't ever take your hot hand off the field, EVER...and we did for Simon, Bruce and Sol...

[TheLionKing]

Showing too much respect to the veterans such as Simon, Bruce, Elimimiam by playing them may have been the Lions' downfall.

[David]

Thanks David...

Yes, Lulay should have come out...I said this during the game...when Lulay squandered the first 2 drives in the 3rd quarter, his day should have been done...he simply wasn't throwing the ball well, and was slow to react...that was a Do or Die game...Reilly, at least, would have had a sense of urgency that the Lions didn't show all day...at this is something that no one seems to be taking about, but why did we show NO INTENSITY or hurry up offence, at the 13 minute mark of the 4th quarter when we finally started to move the ball...we huddled back up ON EVERY FREAKING DOWN, right to the end...and why did we send Reilly in for a 2nd and 1 sneak with 1:50 to play? That should have been another pass play...BRUTAL call by Chaps...and when Lulay came back into the game, we freaking huddled up again...WTF??? How did he not run onto the field with the play already called, and snapped the ball right away...Chaps has created a slow, methodical offence that works well when we are in the lead, but is completed outdated when we are behind...

Great points MLF! Sitting in the stands, I was frustrated by the lack of urgency too.

RE: the 6 man Dline rotation, I definitely considered it as "a question." But Solly had played a very strong game against Saskatchewan IMO to close out the regular season. I guess they figured he was an insurance policy for Bighill in case he went down (he did leave the game briefly with an injury, but it didn't matter too much - Cornish ran roughshod over us anyway). In hindight, I would like to have seen Jordan dress.


DH

[South Pender]

There's been quite a bit written in this thread, and others, about how it was a mistake to play Simon and Bruce. The consensus seems to be that this was done more out of respect for these two veterans than from the perception that they would be the most likely to help us win. I'm not sure about that. Further, the coaches may have felt that team chemistry would have been adversely affected had Simon and Bruce been sat down. I've argued in the past that the psychological factors are far more important than most seem to think. In my opinion, the coaching staff (and particularly the HC) should shoulder 95% of the blame for Sunday's result. Not just for the game-time decisions or for their prior game planning, but even more for their failure to instill in the players the right mindset, sense of urgency, and energy to win. The D-line's failure to get to Glenn at all cannot be attributed solely to good O-line play by the Stampeders, or to good play-calling. On the basis of physical attributes alone, Williams, Mitchell, Taylor, and Smith should have had some success in sacking, or at least hurrying, Glenn so that the passing game was far less successful. Unpublished injuries (Lulay, Reddick) may have had some effect on the outcome, but I think that what was between the players' ears had a far greater effect. In the past, Wally has arranged for a visit by a sports psychologist. If MB lacks the talent to produce the necessary mental state in all-important games, he may want to consider a similar alternative in the future.

[TheLionKing]

There's been quite a bit written in this thread, and others, about how it was a mistake to play Simon and Bruce. The consensus seems to be that this was done more out of respect for these two veterans than from the perception that they would be the most likely to help us win. I'm not sure about that. Further, the coaches may have felt that team chemistry would have been adversely affected had Simon and Bruce been sat down.

Don't forget both bruce and Simon were out several games and were replaced by the younger receivers and it didn't affect the team's collective psyche

[aklawitter]

crowd noise?

CROWD NOISE?!

WHERE WAS THE GREY CUP PLAYED LAST YEAR?!

[DanoT]

I was hoping that the extra week of practice and desire for closed practices were going to result in some new plays on O that the Stamps weren't ready for. Didn't happen.

[SammyGreene]

why did we send Reilly in for a 2nd and 1 sneak with 1:50 to play? That should have been another pass play...BRUTAL call by Chaps...and when Lulay came back into the game, we freaking huddled up again...WTF??? How did he not run onto the field with the play already called, and snapped the ball right away...Chaps has created a slow, methodical offence that works well when we are in the lead, but is completed outdated when we are behind...

I couldn't believe that either MLF. I actually yelled "What the hell are we doing!" and some of the more casual fans in our section turned around wondering what I was screaming about. Down by two scores with a 1:50 to play and we're bringing the short yardage unit on 2nd and 1???

Your'e so right boys .. the lack of urgency we showed on offence at times was astonishing and that falls on the shoulders of the coaching staff.

And good call BC49. Hufnagel moving upstairs for Dickenson makes a whole lot of sense, especially with a win on Sunday.

[Toppy Vann]

Don't forget the Chappy tendency to want to be the show and the love of his hand signals.

Agreed that you don't do either at 2 and 1 and then not know where you going on the ensuing first down call.

There is no way that the decision to play Simon and Bruce was something out of respect. It is their coaching staff belief that these guys would give them the best chance.