10 positives from the Rider game

[B.C.FAN]

1. Paris Jackson is an amazing talent, and has the tools to go deep and short and catch anything near him. He is a treat to watch.

2. B.C. showed that the deep ball is still a valuable part of the offence, and that Saskatchewan is vulnerable to it.

3. The offensive line had a strong game and kept Fred Perry and friends away from the B.C. quarterback for most of the night.

4. Dean Valli has developed into a reliable backup guard. He looked solid again in relief of the injured Sherko Haji-Rasouli.

5. Joe Smith averaged six yards a carry and was used effectively to help pick up Fred Perry on the pass rush.

6. Jarious Jackson gained some valuable game experience.

7. Ryan Phillips is having a breakout season, with another interception. He is rock solid in the secondary.

8. Markeith Knowlton also has become a key contributor in the secondary. His play in the past two games, in unfamiliar roles, has been exceptional.

9. Ian Smart again outgained his opponent and gave the Lions solid field position. His missed field goal return gave the Lions a chance at a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback.

10. A midweek crowd of 31,858 on what is usually the toughest week of summer for attendance is excellent, and there was no sign of crowd trouble from my vantage point.

[LFITQ]

Solid points!!

Just wish I was in a better mood to add to them, but sadly not right now ...

[DerekDD]

The biggest positive.............the Riders won the game!

Sorry guys, couldn't resist. I respect the Lions and the organization very much and cheer for the Lions when the Riders are eliminated, especially now that Buono and Ackles are in BC. But I am a Rider fan!

[No Ordinary Joe]

Good thread. It's tough to draw a lot of positives out of last night's game but you managed to do that. I agree especially about Ryan Phillips, love that guy.

[wildthing]

I think the Leos had many of positives despite the loss.

-you had good pressure on Joseph all game
-the riders didn't tear up your secondary most of the drives were due to a short controlled underneath attack. The few times a Rider receiver was open deep KJ was pressured.
-special teams you had a great return game and if Wes Cates wasn't as fast as he was on kick coverage, the game could have changed very quickly.
-despite being down to a 3rd string QB you were never out of the game

[The_Pauser]

I disagree with point number 6. I know I'm being very critical of Jarious Jackson, but he looked absolutely terrible.

To be honest, people say he's too good to be a 3rd string quarterback int he league, but in my mind he hasn't really shown too much. Yes he has orchistrated a couple good drives, but I don't think he is a starter in this league by any means. He could be considered a decent backup on some teams.

Yes this could be chalked up as a bad game, but I only remember two times where the Lions offense played inside the red zone. 16/38 is not a good completion ratio either.

Let's hope for even speedier recoveries for Buck and DD. Maybe our new QB Gino can show us something (although for some reason I get the feeling he's probably just up here for depth purposes...but I don't know anything about him so it's just a hunch).

[MacNews]

I think the Leos had many of positives despite the loss.

-you had good pressure on Joseph all game

I disagree, it seems like in the second-half they were tired or held or whatever but they failed to get the sacks. On the opposite end I was not impressed with our O-Line. That's the game right there.

[prairiedog]

I think the Leos had many of positives despite the loss.

-you had good pressure on Joseph all game

I disagree, it seems like in the second-half they were tired or held or whatever but they failed to get the sacks. On the opposite end I was not impressed with our O-Line. That's the game right there.

Yea, I thought both QBs had lots of time to throw, but both secondaries covered very well so we saw a lot of both QBs moving around to stretch what was already 4 or 5 stemboats into 7 or 8 and throwing away. I do agree with the notion that the Riders are more susceptible to the deep ball tho. Airabin Justin got beat for a couple big gains, and also on the Scott Gordon pick that was called back, Geroy was WIDE open for an easy 6.

[TheLionKing]

11. The Lions won both of their challenges. The Riders didn't win theirs

[Rammer]

11. The Lions won both of their challenges. The Riders didn't win theirs

Yes, for those who complained about the Wally challenge for the 3rd play, well had he let it go and the Lions gone offside, well they get a first down. Pushing the Riders back 5 yards and the time for Congi to start thinking about the placement of the ball, may have helped him push it wide for the single.

But it was plain as day that the ball hit the ground, from 30 rows up behind that official, brutal call that he took a second or two to make the call on.

[David]

12. Joe Smith will be "well rested" for the Bomber game.

On a more serious note, we should start to see a return from the Sick Bay. "Probable" for next game are Buck Pierce and Korey Banks. "Possible" returns include Tony Simmons and Otis Floyd. There is even a rumor that DD might start light workouts next week.

DH 8)

[Area51]

No idea what game you were watching, but I didn't see much pressure from the front four at all. Wake fooled quite a few people with a big first game against a terrible Argo O line, but since then he's been pretty much what Chris Wilson was.

I expected more from BJ though - - doesn't seem like he's played at the same level as last season. Looked like fatigue was getting the best of him in both of the last two games. The coaching staff needs to realize it's better to have him going at 100% for three quarters of the snaps than at 75% for all the snaps.

[Toppy Vann]

No idea what game you were watching, but I didn't see much pressure from the front four at all. Wake fooled quite a few people with a big first game against a terrible Argo O line, but since then he's been pretty much what Chris Wilson was.

I expected more from BJ though - - doesn't seem like he's played at the same level as last season. Looked like fatigue was getting the best of him in both of the last two games. The coaching staff needs to realize it's better to have him going at 100% for three quarters of the snaps than at 75% for all the snaps.

The front guys worked hard but the time they were out on that field as a defence was way too long. The rotating idea is great but let's face it - running in and out on the same series when it is hot and you are tired still takes a toll. Given the offence not going I am sure it makes defenders like the front guys feel they have to conserve their energy as there is no end in sight to their time on the field.

They are playing hard upfront including Brent Johnson but it is an exhausting battle on every down for front players. Sask had a nice game plan and took advantage of what they could in the Lions defence and over the night, the Lions did a pretty fair job defensively. With the Lion O struggling and their RB having a nice game and more importantly, Kerry Joseph, protecting the ball all game, it must have pumped them Riders up. It is far easier to play when you are on top of an opponent as they were and you see victory at the end of the tunnel almost an assured one as it seemed for most of that 3rd and final quarters.

If the Lion offence was hitting on all cylinders the Sask scores could have been out done!

[WestCoastJoe]

Some of these points are intended to be ironic.

* Dave D did not get knocked out of a Lions - Riders game. Dave should not be allowed to play against the Riders, EVER. Who knows, maybe he will heal and be ready for a shot at the Grey Cup. Save Dave for the Cup run!

* Jarious Jackson got some game reps. Whatever happens the rest of this year, or next year for that matter, at least he got this one live, complete examination. Not sure if he will get another. The world of pro sports is not patient nor forgiving. (I would give him a C grade for the game, but in this league your QB has to get at least a B. I would give K Joseph a B for that game).

* Time to heal for wounded warriors: Simmons, Marsh, Banks, Pierce, Dave D, Floyd and Clovis.

* No wear and tear on Joe Smith. It was a relatively light load he carried vs the Riders. I am always happy when the runnings backs get out of game intact. They run through a minefield every time they carry the ball.

* No new injuries? Oops, Sherko got nicked, not sure how badly.

* Playing time for backups with potential: Mark Knowlton, Jay Pottinger, Nick Hannah, Dennis Mitchell, Jerome Dennis, Dean Valli, Chad Mock. Nothing like live combat to see what the kids can do.

* Reality check. The Leos did not really represent a 5 - 0 record. Our D got high marks in that run, not our O. But teams also, to some extent, self-destructed against us. As has been discussed elsewhere, better to pop the bubble now while things can be fixed.

[cromartie]

No idea what game you were watching, but I didn't see much pressure from the front four at all. Wake fooled quite a few people with a big first game against a terrible Argo O line, but since then he's been pretty much what Chris Wilson was.

I expected more from BJ though - - doesn't seem like he's played at the same level as last season. Looked like fatigue was getting the best of him in both of the last two games. The coaching staff needs to realize it's better to have him going at 100% for three quarters of the snaps than at 75% for all the snaps.

The Time of Possession discrepancy is killing the D-Line. The pass rush is getting gassed because the offense can't sustain drives, regardless of who is under center.