Leos/Bombers Keys to the Game

[Blitz]

Well, here it is....an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth...which would be a big postive in this frustrating Leos season so far. Both the Lions and the Bombers have a lot to play for and it should be a very hard fought contest.

Our Leos come into this game after a big win in which our offence played impressively against Ottawa. The Bombers will be smart enough not to play the type of man defense that Ottawa attempted. They have watched the game film in which my man Ernest Jackson rang up 195 yards in receiving, the best game so far this season by a CFl receiver and the best Leo outing by a receiver since Geroy Simon had a huge game in 2007. Our Lions lined up Jackson closer to Glenn in the Ottawa game and the move paid huge dividends.

Our Lions will likely go into this game with the same offensive lineup as agaisnt Ottawa, using three imports, including the very impressive Hardrick at left guard. I have no idea whether Valli will start but if we lined up Fabian at right guard I believe it would give us our best offensive line lineup to date.

Kevin Glenn goes into this game in third place in passing yards and the highest average yds of completion per pass in the CFL. Not so shabby when one considers the duress he has been under for most of this season. Give Glenn a running attack and time to throw and he is still a very good quarterback.

Tuinei impressed in his first start and will likely get the start at slotback, Gore on the outside, and Antolin gets another opportunity to impress at tailback. Poblah will likely get reps again over Adekolu to my chagrin but overall I like our offensive lineup going into this game.

On defense, Westerman will start again at tackle and Mitchell will not dress and will be gone at the end of this season. Marsh was essentially told to stay away from the team for a week after booking a flight home and missing the Leos get together after the Ottawa game. Lee will start again at short corner with Torri Williams on the wide side.

Iannuzzi will likely be our return man for this game due to roster juggling.

Here are my Keys to the Game. I look forward to reading yours.

1. GET THE RUST OFF

A bye week is good for resting nagging injuries and getting fresher legs but getting back to game speed is often a challenge. Our Leos need to go with high percentage plays early on offence to get back in sync. Giving the Bombers an early lead is not the recipe for a victory and will get them and their crowd jacked up.

2. BLOCK, BLOCK, BLOCK

As mentioned previously, give Glenn time to throw and give him a running game at times to compliment his passing and our offence can move the football and score. cromartie said it best that if Winnipeg crowds the box to stop our run, we need to think pass first and then come back with the run.

If our offence can move the football, our league leading defense should be able to play well enough for us to win this game and oru Leos can look forward to the challenge of using our last two games to begin preparing for the playoffs.

[WestCoastJoe]

Who knows what to expect from us this game?

Fully motivated? Flat?

High octane offence? Doldrums?

Good pass protection? A sieve?

Good running game scheme? Brick wall?

Good defence. Yes. Expected.

Professional performance by Kevin Glenn. Yes.

Good game plan on offence. Not sure.

Special performance by STs. Dunno ...

But, looking forward to the game. A chance to enter the playoffs with a victory.

[Blitz]

Who knows what to expect from us this game?

Fully motivated? Flat?

High octane offence? Doldrums?

Good pass protection? A sieve?

Good running game scheme? Brick wall?

Good defence. Yes. Expected.

Professional performance by Kevin Glenn. Yes.

Good game plan on offence. Not sure.

Special performance by STs. Dunno ...

But, looking forward to the game. A chance to enter the playoffs with a victory.

It's always hard to know, isn't it WCJ?

To me, as it has all season, it mostly comes down to our offence. I wish we hadn't had the bye week, coming off such a good offensive performance against Ottawa. Crossing my fingers we can play that well offensively again tonite.

[TheLionKing]

Just continue doing what they did to Ottawa.

[South Pender]

Great analysis, as always, Blitz. And I agree with WCJ that it has been impossible to predict what to expect from the team this season. Looks as if our running game will fall on the shoulders (mainly) of Keola Antonin. This concerns me; I'd have been more confident if Stefan Logan was in the lineup too. I agree that much will depend on how effectively our O-line plays. This game is a must, of course, for the Bombers--or they're gone for the season--and we have to assume they'll come out ready to play--at home. I'm nervous about this one....

[Blitz]

I would love to see us win this game and then strategically be the cross-over team playing in the Eastern playoffs.

Who would want us to be in the West playoffs this season, based upon winning? Edmonton looks tough and Calgary is just dominant. The Stamps go into this season with their third string quarterback as their starter. They lose Cornish for 8 games and they keep on winning and Cornish still leads the league in rushing. The Stamps are so well coached. Their offensive line has given up the least sacks. Glenn's numbers look good and Bo Levi Mitchell is not the superior quarterback but Mitchell gets a consistent running attack and great pass blocking.

Going through Hamilton and Toronto sure looks like the better deal.

Great to see Leo individual and unit performances being noted. Eliminian is looking like he will break the CFL season record for tackles, McCallum moves into second place all time in CFL scoring, and our defense sets a CFL record with six games played without a touchdown scored.

Its looking more and more that we will go with 3 import offensive lineman in this game and 3 import receivers - Arsenault, Tuinei, and Ernest Jackson. How will we do that? Use Iannuzzi as our return man.

[sj-roc]

I would love to see us win this game and then strategically be the cross-over team playing in the Eastern playoffs.

Who would want us to be in the West playoffs this season, based upon winning? Edmonton looks tough and Calgary is just dominant. The Stamps go into this season with their third string quarterback as their starter. They lose Cornish for 8 games and they keep on winning and Cornish still leads the league in rushing. The Stamps are so well coached. Their offensive line has given up the least sacks. Glenn's numbers look good and Bo Levi Mitchell is not the superior quarterback but Mitchell gets a consistent running attack and great pass blocking.

Going through Hamilton and Toronto sure looks like the better deal.

Great to see Leo individual and unit performances being noted. Eliminian is looking like he will break the CFL season record for tackles, McCallum moves into second place all time in CFL scoring, and our defense sets a CFL record with six games played without a touchdown scored.

Its looking more and more that we will go with 3 import offensive lineman in this game and 3 import receivers - Arsenault, Tuinei, and Ernest Jackson. How will we do that? Use Iannuzzi as our return man.

Blitz, I can't believe you're on this crossover bandwagon, too. I already gave plenty of reasons several days ago why we wouldn't want to bother with the crossover but I'll go over them again since you might have missed my post.

• The eastern playoff games are in the morning our time.
Eastern teams, especially Montreal and often Toronto, tend to play poorly here because the games usually don't end until 1am by their own body clocks. But conversely, having to start at 10amPT won't help us any, either.

• We've never fared well with the crossover.
To be honest, no western team has done much with the crossover. In 1997 Pringle in Mtl had over 200yds on us. I don't recall the final score but although it wasn't that lopsided, it was like 35-5 at half and we were done early. We might have won the 2009 ESF against Ham — barely, in OT I might add — but we also got smoked again in Mtl the next week in the EF. 56-18, something like that.

• Don't be fooled by the W > E interdivision record.
Yes, it ended up 28-12. But the east was 9-2 in their last 11 with lowly Ott accounting for the only two losses. As for Ott, we just barely scraped out a win there and might well have lost if not for some well-timed weather issues. I've said it already and I'll repeat, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if an eastern team, having played mediocre, middling football for much of the season, started to peak at the right time and managed to pull off a GC win.

• We don't play that well back east anyway.
Since our 2011 Grey Cup win, our last nine regular season visits to the three eastern contenders (Ham/Tor/Mtl) have yielded a 3-6 record. This is in spite of the fact that their collective record over this time has been a rather mediocre 76-78. Over the same time frame, we've been 4-2 in Alberta (62-42 collective record). Whether it's because we have a habit of playing down to weak opponents or whatever, we haven't had much recent success east of the lakehead.

• We've never won a Grey Cup playing divisional playoff games anywhere but here or Alberta.
It's true. When we placed 3rd in 1994 and 2000 we swept trips to Edm & Cgy. For our other last three GC wins (1985, 2006, 2011), there was no div travel. We hosted the WF and won it. Overall, no travel past Alberta. And now we should go way the hell out to Ont/Mtl?

What gets me is the sheer DEFEATISM of crossover thinking. We still have a chance, albeit a slim one, to finish 2nd. We'd be going into the playoffs on a very high note if we do all we can to accomplish this, whether or not Ssk manages to beat Edm on Nov 8, which is now the only remaining factor out of our control that would close the deal for us.

But here we are... "OOOOOOHHHHH, we're so *scared* of Edm & Cgy. PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAASE, Mr. CFL Man, can't you find it in your heart to send us *somewhere*... ANYwhere else for the playoffs?" Do you think Cgy was afraid of coming here to play the WF in 2012? Gawd, we sound like the biggest bunch of pansies. Why are we even watching football to begin with? Let's just dispense with our sports fandom, start up a doily knitting club and be done with it.


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[notahomer]

A month ago, I was on that cross-over bandwagon simply because it seemed like the season was slipping away. I think its a nice option to have when there is no other option.
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It just seems like you want to win right now. I know, I know,you always want to win but stringing together a set of wins to close out a season would be nice way to be ready for those playoffs. In fact, the longer it takes for the non-Stamps teams to settle where they are, the longer they will have to keep staying sharp.

Calgary did do a good job of that in the fourth quarter but its going to be hard to continue staying sharp until it really matters again in a month....
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As for today, I hope Bighill has another MONSTER game like he did last trip out here. Or maybe it'll be SolE? IIRC, Bighill netted 17 points and that matched the Bomber total of the day.... I hope the Lions continue that 'shutout' streak they are working on but I won't get into specifics...

Based on video interviews I have seen of Glenn this week he appears relaxed and set into a solid leadership role. Bottom line is if he can string together solid performances, he can make it tough for the 'will Lulay return' chatter. Just let Lulay heal, I'll take care of things, seems to be his approach. Hope he has a solid game and want Antolin to be solid too.
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I look for our international kicker to have a solid day......(competition back at home)

[B.C.FAN]

As discussed in another thread, getting three international receivers on the field will not be easy. If Tuinei comes in as the fifth receiver, either Antolon or one of the three international linemen will have to come out. Barring injury, I can't see the Lions messing with the chemistry that seems to have developed on the O-line, so that means Antolin comes out in passing situations and the Lions either go with a six-receiver set or they use five receivers, with Lumbala as a blocking back and check-down receiver. Lumbala is a good blocker and catches the ball well but doesn't have the speed or shiftiness of the other Lion running backs.

As for the playoffs, the Lions match up well with both Edmonton and Calgary, especially if they get to play the WSF at B.C. Place instead if an icy Commonwealth Stadium. In the first meeting of the year between B.C. and Edmonton, Kevin Glenn threw a career-high four interceptions and the Esks set up the go-ahead points with a successful fake punt in pulling out a come-from-behind 27-20 victory. If the Lions can avoid those mistakes, they can outscore Mike Reilly and Adarius Bowman.

The Lions have already beaten Calgary and have a good record against the Stamps in recent years, with or without Jon Cornish in the Calgary lineup. Bo Levi Mitchell doesn't scare me, and Calgary's receivers have been underwhelming.

In the absence of a first-round bye, the easiest road to the Grey Cup, from a travel and competitive standpoint, is through the two Alberta teams. It worked well in 1994 and 2000.

[DanoT]

The Als and their blitzing D and new found QB in Crompton scare me.

If the Lions play Esks, here is hoping that Chris Jones' over aggressive decisions trip him up.

If the Lions play the Stamps, here is hoping that Stubler's "keep everything in front of you D" allows for lots of short and medium passes that go for big YAC.

If the Lions O line can continue to play great, along with their championship caliber D, then the Lions will be the team that others are scared of. Of course Calgary with their outstanding record won't be scared...but they should be.

[sj-roc]

...we have a habit of playing down to weak opponents...

**cough**

[Toppy Vann]

As discussed in another thread, getting three international receivers on the field will not be easy. If Tuinei comes in as the fifth receiver, either Antolon or one of the three international linemen will have to come out. Barring injury, I can't see the Lions messing with the chemistry that seems to have developed on the O-line, so that means Antolin comes out in passing situations and the Lions either go with a six-receiver set or they use five receivers, with Lumbala as a blocking back and check-down receiver. Lumbala is a good blocker and catches the ball well but doesn't have the speed or shiftiness of the other Lion running backs.

As for the playoffs, the Lions match up well with both Edmonton and Calgary, especially if they get to play the WSF at B.C. Place instead if an icy Commonwealth Stadium. In the first meeting of the year between B.C. and Edmonton, Kevin Glenn threw a career-high four interceptions and the Esks set up the go-ahead points with a successful fake punt in pulling out a come-from-behind 27-20 victory. If the Lions can avoid those mistakes, they can outscore Mike Reilly and Adarius Bowman.

The Lions have already beaten Calgary and have a good record against the Stamps in recent years, with or without Jon Cornish in the Calgary lineup. Bo Levi Mitchell doesn't scare me, and Calgary's receivers have been underwhelming.

In the absence of a first-round bye, the easiest road to the Grey Cup, from a travel and competitive standpoint, is through the two Alberta teams. It worked well in 1994 and 2000.

The travel east does seem to be a factor for the Lions who have the furthest of any team to get there.

And in a single game knock out anything on any given day can happen.

Now if BC were in Winnipeg the east trip would be relatively an easy one as it is one time zone versus 3 away.