Alouettes 39 - Lions 38 Post Game Stats and Comments

[Larry Key]

I am thinking that Lulay's athletic instincts got him through 2011, after our horrible start.

But as time has gone on, now in 2013, his instincts are non existent. And he has not replaced them with more conventional QB skills. As Blitz has commented a few times, as time goes by, QBs look worse and worse in our offence. Ricky Ray pretty much ran JC out of Edmonton.

The ending? No surprise. Unable to get a first down? No surprise.

Lulay used to be a pretty good scrambler. Kind of like Collaros or Marsh. Not any more. And it doesn't help that he is spied. OK. But we have no answer for that. I guess there is no answer.

I have a hunch it won't get much better. There is lots of evidence now. 8 games in. We are probably what we are going to be.

Can the Ghosts of Christmas Past save this season? Dunno about that. As I have said numerous times, the level of coaching in this league has risen dramatically. But not in B.C.

Hufnagel/Dickenson. Top notch.

Milanovich. Top notch.

Cortez. Very good.

Austin. Top notch.

Offensive coaches all. QB coaches also. Oh yeah. Got some QB Whisperers there.

Stubler can hold his own with the defence. If the offence holds its own.

Can JC compete in a coaching chess game with the above named guys?

[sea2sky]

Totally disgusted with offensive play and play calling. End around at end of game taking away possible field goal was idiotic considering this play had been a bust all night. No running game, no passing game ... a quarterback who has lost an awful lot of his game this year. Starting to get a bit tired hearing Benevides epouse how good his guys are. We were not ready to play ... again.

[WestCoastJoe]

Did I mention Lulay? Oh yeah. Has he regressed? Has he learned and improved under his previous QB coach? Or his present QB coach? Does he look relaxed out there? Does he see the possibilities? As slim as they are? Within the system he is paid to execute?

I like Benny, but is he in over his head also?

Look at the HCs and OCs he is competing with. Hufnagel/Dickenson. Milanovich. Austin. Cortez. Defensively, with our veterans, and Stubler's caginess we can compete. But we are vulnerable there also, as we have seen.

Do teams know our tendencies? Do they know of ways to take advantage of them? Do we know of ways to take advantage of other teams' tendencies?

That 2011 win may have covered over a lot of warts. Lulay's athleticism caught teams off guard, with some similarities to the way Collaros and Marsh caught us off guard. They don't look so good when savvy DCs see them with some game film. How would Marsh (or Collaros) have fared against 9 at the LOS, and 8 coming? LOL

Not sure any QB, playing in our system, could have done much better tonight.

J.R. LaRose might be a good guy, but he is no CFL safety that I can see.

Ryan Phillips once again was an embarrassment with some bullfighter tactics.

Wally got out at a good time. But putting his close associates in charge is not looking that good. Especially as the coaching level has risen so fast.

[Big Time]

As mad as I may have ever been after a regular season game. Starting to remind me of how I felt during the Damon Allen days. So many WTF moments on play calling. I don't mind the 3 man rush on the last play. You flat out don't expect a 57 yarder with one second left. No, it was the clock management that killed me today. Just KILLED ME. Today was a purrfect example of how if you do the little things right, you win the game. Lions did all the little things wrong. They easily could have left Montreal with 10 to 20 seconds less than what they had. It's basic fundamental clock management.

This one was all coaching. The Lions defense has actually helped mask the deficiencies of this team. However I'll say this about the difference between Wally and Benevides. Under Wally, the Lions would play the odd stinker of a quarter, or even a half. However they very rarely if ever put together four bad quarters. They were the absolute kings of making adjustments at the half and coming out like a different team if things weren't working well.

This team does not seem to have any ability to make adjustments when they need it. Tonight, they looked absolutely clueless on how to stop the Als. They were basically relying on the Als to drop passes or throw gimme picks all night.

Well it cost them big time tonight. While wake up calls can help, I'm not convinced it will with this team. I can't recall seeing a Lions team look so bland, predictable, and inept on offense. Just pathetic.

[swervynmerv]

So many issues tonight but the biggest may be with 48 seconds on the clock and the ball on Montreal's 5 yard line, the defence lets a 3rd string QB march his team down the field to score the winning FG. Not Calvillo, Ray or Durant but Tanner Marsh!! WHO? and how does that happen!

[Larry Key]

Did I mention Lulay? Oh yeah. Has he regressed? Has he learned and improved under his previous QB coach? Or his present QB coach? Does he look relaxed out there? Does he see the possibilities? As slim as they are? Within the system he is paid to execute?

8 team league, the other DC's in the league have figured him out. Let us see if Travis has the QB brain to adapt. People have to realize there is a reason why he's in the CFL.

[TheLionKing]

I was pissed off during the game and still steaming. Als were blitzing the Lions the whole game and Chapdelaine's answer is max protection and have Lulay sit in the pocket looking for a receiver. (oh by the way, the receiver Lulay is trying to find is back blocking) No quick passes, draws or screens. Defensive coordinators throughout the league have figured out how to beat the Lions. Bring heat, bring more heat because our OC has not figured out how to neutralize the blitz. Even Glenn Suitor is saying on the post game that the Lions' offence is too predictable and needs a change of philosophy.

[TheLionKing]

Can JC compete in a coaching chess game with the above named guys?

Are we talking about Jacques Chapdelaine, the originator of JacquesBall ? The genius, the master of deception, motion, multi-dimensional sets, different layers of receivers etc ?

[WestCoastJoe]

Even Glenn Suitor is saying on the post game that the Lions' offence is too predictable and needs a change of philosophy.

Praise the Lord. But is the message in time to save this season?

[.G.]

Maybe Troy Smith is on the market? (I kid, I kid! sort of...)

I didn't get to watch the game or even listen to it until the last minute of the game, and I can't add a whole lot than hasn't been mentioned already, I just really, really dislike the prevent defence.

[TheLionKing]

A prevent defence often prevents you from winning. It was true again tonight. I hate prevent defence

[Toppy Vann]

I complained of this last week when with 2:36 left on the clock and their OFF not firing well - they take the ball on the 35 and not let their ST take the field. Let the kick return team take the kick... ridiculous once again. Show confidence in them and reward them with a kick return instead of some bonehead decision let the 2011 MOP QB go two and punt!

This is NOT what a champion does. This is coaches over coaching once again.

They do this:
4th Q:
03:41 Sean Whyte 34 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
03:41 Andrew Harris rush for a loss of 2 yards to the BC33. Tackled by Aaron Lavarias.
03:13 Travis Lulay incomplete pass intended for Emmanuel Arceneaux.
03:08 Paul McCallum punts for 33 yards to Mtl44. Tyron Carrier return for 3 yards to Mtl47. Tackled by Jordan Matechuk.

In spite of a kick return team that in the last two games is doing their job a bit better than the entire season and when their OFF is not firing effectively:

Kick Returns NO YDS AVG LG TD
T. BROWN 8 170 21.3 29 0

Second longest kick return for a TD tonight by Tim Brown second only to Ken Hinton of many seasons back! Last week he took a kick for a TD and got denied a chance to return only to see the Lions go 2 and out and luckily won that game.

Punt Returns NO YDS AVG LG TD
T. BROWN 3 40 13.3 21 0

Kickoffs NO YDS LG SG
P. MCCALLUM 5 287 60 0

[prairielion]

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as disgusted with the offense tonight as anyone else, but I think we shouldn't be running around with our hair on fire ready to run Lulay out of town. (You guys sound like Rider fans) Pretty hard for Lulay to throw the ball when he is constantly running for his life. Playcalling was questionable, but geez, can anyone block and give the qb more than a second and a half to find a receiver. As far as the defense caving at the end, I think that has more to do with being on the field all night. If Marsh knocks that pass down, we're all going, Phew that was ugly but a win's a win. We just beat Calgary, so maybe let's not fire everyone over one bad game.

[Stresd]

We been seeing this same crap for a while. The defence pulled our butts out of the fire so many time tonight and we still lose. Frankly I think it may be for the best or we would not see any changes. Travis needs to take a seat and see whats going on on the field. He is not seeing down field and is locking in and telegraphing. I'm not sure, did Chappy lose his new play book and had to go back to the old stand by *poop*...totally disgusting..better be some changes

[swervynmerv]

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as disgusted with the offense tonight as anyone else, but I think we shouldn't be running around with our hair on fire ready to run Lulay out of town. (You guys sound like Rider fans) Pretty hard for Lulay to throw the ball when he is constantly running for his life. Playcalling was questionable, but geez, can anyone block and give the qb more than a second and a half to find a receiver. As far as the defense caving at the end, I think that has more to do with being on the field all night. If Marsh knocks that pass down, we're all going, Phew that was ugly but a win's a win. We just beat Calgary, so maybe let's not fire everyone over one bad game.

For me this is not a reaction to a one game showing. People have been calling for Chaps head for years. Other than a miraculous 12 game run in 2011, this offence has the same issues for about 3-4 seasons. Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results and that would describe our offence perfectly.
Chapdelaine is a problem in my books!

As far as Luiay goes, he has not played a solid, 60 minute game all season. He has had moments where he looked his old self but for the majority of the 8 games he has been below average in my opinion and as a high paid "star" in this league has to be held accountable also. At times protection has been poor, but there have many times when it has been good and he has missed reads and overthrown recievers.

By no means am I saying to get rid of him, but as our leader on and off the field he has to start playing better.