Post Game thoughts & Game Balls

[LFITQ]

Ok time for the positives and the game balls.

ST - Whyte
O - Mallett
D - Marsh

On the positive side, Wally's post-game interview he said they got "out-coached and out-played". Yes he led off with out coached.

[bbang]

Absolutely unbelievable, the head coach admitting they got outcoached. Kinda says it all doesn't it. Embarassing. Now how does Wally handle things from here. Maybe it's time for Wally to go Kuharich on this team ( If he has it in him - which I doubt ) Sad.

[LFITQ]

Another positive:

At least we still have some eastern teams to face this season that seem to be worse than the Ticats have looked in the past.

[Rammer]

Another positive:

At least we still have some eastern teams to face this season that seem to be worse than the Ticats have looked in the past.

I was going to look on the schedule on how many times we have Edmonton this season.......

[uncle leo]

Another positive note is the season has just started. Now that the Lions coaching staff can see where they are at, hopefully they can see how to get to where they want to go. Maybe starting with running some screen plays, draws anything to slow the pass rush. I'm not going to panic until they lose two consecutive games like this one. If that happens then the coaches didn't learn anything from this game.

[SammyGreene]

Another positive .... left early in the 4th quarter and was home well before 11.

An Edmonton loss tomorrow leaves the Lions tied for 3rd. An Edmonton win means the Lions are just a game out of 2nd.

I am feeling better already.

[The_Pauser]

Ohhh David....where are you?

I admitted last week that Jackson had a great game, but I did say that I'd like to see some consistency from him. I gotta say, he's consistently proven me right. 2/8 for 6 yards in relief tonight. Absolutely brutal. The entire team was brutal.

Quite honestly, I think I'd rather do this than see the team continue playing like they did tonight. Wally better make some changes and inject some emotion and life into this team.

[Toppy Vann]

Absolutely unbelievable, the head coach admitting they got outcoached. Kinda says it all doesn't it. Embarassing. Now how does Wally handle things from here. Maybe it's time for Wally to go Kuharich on this team ( If he has it in him - which I doubt ) Sad.

At least you guys haven't lost your sense of humour.

The important thing is for a team to learn its lesson, re-focus and play for the next win and leave this one behind.

The long serving winning coaches and Wally is one of the best there is continue to make changes. In WB's case he has had great coaches with him. Maybe JC and MB are not of the same calibre as Ritchie, Cortez and others who worked with Wally. He had gone to Kruck-Dorazio and things looked pretty good. He could have continued in that same vein with the play calling and the run schemes looking decent and all he needed then was his players to do their jobs. He let his receivers dictate to him and now he has lost some talent in his O line and he has got a guy calling plays who is loved by receivers and opposing coaches and players. You can see it in how the Stamps today have little worry about them mixing up the plays. Once they see a winning play against them it doesn't happen again.

The ST decisions were brutal but then again so is the predictability in the return game. Mix something up - do anything to keep the opponent thinking a bit more.

[TheLionKing]

For the fans that were clamouring for Jackson to start after his great game last week, you got your answer tonight. Once again, overthrowing and underthrowing receivers. Completed 1 pass for 5 yards.

[Rammer]

For the fans that were clamouring for Jackson to start after his great game last week, you got your answer tonight. Once again, overthrowing and underthrowing receivers. Completed 1 pass for 5 yards.

Two passes for 6 yards, one INT and a fumble, it is going to be a hit to his QB rating.

When the going gets tough the tough get going and I have to say right now, the Lions are low on the tough factor.

[Tighthead]

Great QB management by Wally. Both QBs looked like crap and where do you go from here?

I like GM Wally but coach Wally is getting worse by the game. The team looked undisciplined and unprepared.

[WestCoastJoe]

In WB's case he has had great coaches with him. Maybe JC and MB are not of the same calibre as Ritchie, Cortez and others who worked with Wally.

Burn the tape. It is of little value in analyzing why the Lions played so poorly. X's and O's are not relevant to the outcome of this game. Personnel is not all that relevant.

This game was about the Lions not being mentally prepared to play. Not physically ready either. Nor emotionally. That brings it down to coaching. IMO this one is on Wally.

As Toppy mentions above, Wally has had very capable people doing his coaching in the past. Cortez, Ritchie, etc. It seems now though, that he is surrounded by home-grown coaches, all of whom he has mentored, coaches with little exposure to other dominant Head Coaches or systems. Chapdelaine, Benevides, Washington, Dorazio, Kruck, McCann. Who amongst these guys has the depth of experience to challenge Wally's ideas and judgment? IMO too much inbreeding, not enough exposure to other coaching cultures, not enough new and different ideas, not enough creativity, not enough adaptability.

About Wally's player personnel judgment ...

IMO Gary Butler has insufficient size and strength, insufficient skill, and a tendency to take very dumb penalties (as in roughing the passer well after the ball is gone).

IMO Barron Miles is well past his "best before" date as a safety in the CFL. Makes very few plays, and gives very little support to the other DBs or on running plays. He does not have the necessary speed, and is not a good tackler for a "safety," or for any defensive player.

IMO Javy Glatt is eagerly game-planned against by the OCs around the league. Javy is being asked to play a position (either MLB or inside linebacker) that he is not suited to. IMO he lacks the speed, block shedding ability, play reading ability and tackling ability necessary for that position. He has these abilities to some degree of course, but nowhere near enough.

It seems to me Wally has the notion that Rolly Lumbala can be a bona fide CFL fullback. IMO Lumbala has shown little ability for that position. He seems like Lumbering Lumbala to me. Not a CFL running back. Not good at catching the ball. Might be useful on STs. MIght be capable of being a blocking back. Lyle Green is a better runner, blocker and backfield receiver (and probably always will be).

We've seen coaches in all pro sports fired for the kind of performance we witnessed tonight. The team quit. They gave up. They mailed it in. Does Wally still know how to push the buttons to get the team ready? Sad to say, it does not look like it. If the players start to doubt the leadership, doubt the judgment ... the whole thing can unravel. Performance can suffer. Motivation can suffer. Like we saw tonight.

With Wally's resume, he will get the chance to right the ship. And it would be a mistake at this time to think he could not do it. But we have seen many, many good coaches in many sports who eventually lost a team: lost the ability to lead, push and drive the players. No one said it was easy.

[Spud387]

For the fans that were clamouring for Jackson to start after his great game last week, you got your answer tonight. Once again, overthrowing and underthrowing receivers. Completed 1 pass for 5 yards.

My section was yakking for Jackson all first half... I was yammering back saying fine you'll get to see your turf balls and interceptions... I was only wrong about the plurals :p
JJ picked apart some easy DBs last week. Our collapse today was everything... except kicking :D

[TheLionKing]

Anybody see the post game interview with Brent Johnson on Global tonight ? Said the team had a meeting after the game. When asked by the reporter what went wrong, he was totally speechless.

[David]

That one was off-the-charts bad. Beyond belief. Not to sound too harsh but too many guys just taking up roster spots at the moment. Guys like Jerome Dennis, Alexis Bwenge, Tad Crawford. I realize they're situational players but they're just not doing much on special teams which Special Teams coach Chuck McMann needs to be accountable for. We're getting killed in the field position battle; no discipline out there, guys not doing what they're supposed to be doing, and making bone-head plays (like hello? Taking a knee in the end-zone?)

Say want you want about the O-line's troubles tonight - and they were horrible - but where was the pass rush? I honestly can't think any facet of our game that even got remotely close to a passing grade tonight, other than the punting and kicking of Sean Whyte. And I suppose we didn't get burned too badly on the deep ball. But that's about it.

Pauser, I'm afraid I can't defend Jarious's play too vociferoulsly; this is when his play falters IMO. When he's at home and expected to be "the guy." When the pressure's on, he seems to have confidence issues that prevent him from seeing the field properly and executing the offence. But really, he had horrible field position and pass protection most of the time which affected what he was able to do, to a certain extent.

Did anyone catch that caller on the post-game that said he saw Buck throwing up into a Gatorade bucket on the sidelines, suggesting that he's not yet over his concussion symptoms? He sounded like a credible caller to me.

DH