Lions 42 - Eskimos 32, Post-Game Stats and Comments

[pennw]

Nice run up the gut by Suton ! Lots of nice runs up the gut by Sutton last two games against some great defences . Jarius Jackson doing a good job at OC too lately ! He did it to Calgary too

[pennw]

Nice pic up by BC in Devier Posey . Sutton a good pic up too inspite of much criticism against this move . David Foucault a very astute move by Wally Bouno . Anyone wanna undo the the trade that brought him here? Credit WB for it , not as stupid as some say . His players love him.
https://www.bclions.com/2018/10/13/wally-wally-wally/
Wally! Wally! Wally!
Quietly putting together a good team along with Ed Hervy , another good hire by Wally . 6-1 in the second half of the season , you would hardly know it by the extreme negativity shown by some.

[B.C.FAN]

Does anyone know if the greater responsibility for the late 4th quarter interception lies with Lulay or with Collins Jr.? That ratcheted up the tension big time! Talk about drama.

At first, it looked like both Collins and Burnham were open in the seams. Lulay said after the game that he read zone pressure and made the correct throw. Collins was supposed to make the same read and break off his route but didn't. Grymes anticipated it and jumped the play.

The pick-six could have been disastrous. Turnovers are always critical in the outcome of CFL games. The Lions won the game despite losing the turnover battle. The Eskimos scored 17 points on 3 Lions turnovers. The Lions scored 7 points on 2 Eskimo turnovers. It was only the second time this year the Lions have won a game when losing the turnover battle. They're 7-1 when they make fewer turnovers than the opposition, and 2-6 when they make more turnovers.

Self-inflicted damage from penalties and turnovers is the Lions' greatest weakness heading into the playoffs. They are a resilient team, as Wally and the players said repeatedly after the game. They've won a league-best five games when trailing at halftime (5-5 record). They've scored 131 points in the fourth quarter, second only to Calgary (137). But the margin for error is small in the playoffs, and games can turn quickly on turnovers and key penalties.

[Sir Purrcival]

Whoa everybody. I am getting as excited as the rest about how they seemed to have slowly put the brakes on the downward spiral but I wouldn't be so quick to exonerate the coaching staff just yet.

While it is true that this team has quietly put together an impressive series of wins in the last few weeks, it also managed to create the backs against the wall scenario that they have been facing for the past few weeks. It isn't like they have been wiping the mat with their opponents either.

I do believe that prior to last night, they hadn't won a game by a margin of greater than 5 points. Let us not forget either that some of those wins came against juggernauts like the Argo's and the Al's. The Eskimo's too have been in a terrible slump that is on the verge of taking them out of the playoffs. So 6 out of 7 yes but 3 have come against likely non-playoff teams. Not exactly world beating.

[Blitz]

Our B.C. Lions will be a playoff team this season. Our B.C. Lions clinched a playoff berth last night. Our B.C. Lions will be a playoff contender.

I’ve written the above three times so it will sink in. Why? Because for too much of this season, this very talented Lions team, a team that I saw as having Grey Cup champion talent, had floundered.

A Tale of Two Halves

Our win last night over the Eskimos was a tale of two halves. It mirrored this football season which has also been a tale of two halves.

In the first half of this season, our B.C. Lions were 3-9 and spent the first half of this 2018 campaign in last place in the West. Things were not looking good. Our offence, using a new RPO scheme, looked horrible. Neither Jonathan Jennings nor Travis Lulay could make our RPO offence work and for good reasons.

In the first half of the season, our Leos were 1-2 with Jennings under center and 2-6 with Lulay at the controls.

In the second half of this season, so far, we have been 4-1 with Jennings and 2-0 with Lulay.

Defensively, for most of the first half of the season, we played zone defense. We often looked miserable, even with a good pass rush. There were flashes of our talent but our pass secondary, playing too much zone had too many breakdowns.

That was blamed on having a lot of new players in the secondary. But the truth was that our pass defense had basically sucked since 2014, when Mark Washington took over as defensive coordinator and implemented Wally’s vanilla, passsive zone scheme.

On special teams, while Ty Long gave us excellent punting and field goal kicking Chris Rainey outside of a few big returns, could not get untracked, was singled out, and benched twice.

The Lows of the First Half of the Season

There were many lows during that 3-6 first half of the season, including public scapegoating of players, including Lulay being yelled at on the sidelines in two separate games, to Jennings being made out to be not intelligent enough to Chris Rainey’s play being criticized often.

There were times it was ugly on the field and ugly in terms of how some of our favorite Leo players were dealt with in public.

Things Began to Change

But things began to change in this second half of the season.

On defense, it all began during a bye week in which our defensive players requested the opportunity to play man defense. Our Lions coaching staff were preaching accountability and they wanted to play man defense and they also made the argument it was the best way to be accountable.

Outside of the two Hamilton games, when Washington switched back to zone defense, due to Hamilton’s strategy, we’ve mostly played man defense in this second half of the season.

On offence, our changes evolved more slowly. It really began in the first Hamilton game, in the fourth quarter, with Jonathan Jennings. Our Leos were down badly at home, our offence was struggling as per usual, and our defense was not containing Hamilton’s offence. We abandoned our RPO, Jennings put up 18 fourth quarter points.

It was a near impossible finish, with Jennings moving our offence 59 yds. in the last 9 seconds of the game and scoring a touchdown and convert on the last plays of regulation time.

Jarious Jackson didn’t learn the lesson from that game but the seed was planted. We went back to Hamilton and got our butts kicked as we went back to RPO.

That game proved that everything we did was wrong. We didn’t run the football enough or well with RPO. It reflected a Lions offence that was 8th in rushing attempts and rushing yards.

Receivers were not open in RPO and our quarterbacks had been under constant duress. Our defense, which had played so well since switching to aggressive man defense were back in zone defense and being shredded or dissected.

When we played Toronto, we finally got back to some pre-snap, predetermined run plays. Jeremiah Johnson ran the football 22 times for 118 yds (6.2 yd average).

We were still stuck in our quick short passing ‘attack’ but we were moving away from RPO. When Lulay returned as our starter against Calgary, now with Sutton at tailback, we used even more pre-determined run plays.

Sutton rushed for 108 bruising yards on 19 carries (4.8 yd. average) and we played aggressive man defense. Our passing attack was still miserable against Calgary, as Lulay only threw for 194 yds. but when he went downfield on a few occasions, he made some big plays.

THE DEATH OF RPO

In our big win over the Eskimos last night, we finally saw the death of RPO. It was a slow, agonizing death. One part of it died before the game began.

Our new running attack was in full bloom. No more RPO combined run and pass blocking. Now it was all pre-determined run plays.

We saw things in the running game scheme against Edmonton, that we had not seen all season.

We watched Steward pulling from his left guard spot to trap block or kick out block the opposite defensive end, as our offensive line blocked down. We saw Figuroa pulling from his left tackle position to block downfield for Sutton.

We saw double teams at the point of attack and Lumbala lead blocking. From that, we saw Sutton ripping off a 31 yd. gain and followed immediately with Rainey ripping off a 23-yard gain. Pre-snap designed run blocking was a huge difference maker. We even saw a shovel pass to Sutton.

However, things took a bit longer for our passing attack. Our RPO offence, in part designed to avoid interceptions, had been predictable. We had abandoned RPO but not the quick, short predictable passing game. Lulay only completed 5 passes in the first half of 11 attempts for 37 yards and an interception.

The interception was predictable. All season, when blitzed, we had thrown the slant pattern. I wrote about it many weeks ago. Defenses either blitzed their linebacker to the right side of our quarterback, who would then almost take the football our of our quarterback’s hand before he had the time to throw or bat the pass down.

The second thing they would do was play our slant receiver tight and drop the linebacker. That is exactly what Konar did and jumped the route.

But in the third quarter, we did what we should have been doing all season. We went deep.

In 2016, the recipe for success had been there for all to see. We led the league in rushing. The run game set up the deep pass.

The major problem we had in 2016, is that we did not layer our routes, so, if the deep ball was not open, we couldn’t come back with the underneath pass.

The Explosive Third Quarter Against Edmonton

In our first series of the third quarter, we ran two draw plays on second down, in a row. The first one made sense, even though it was second and long. The second draw play, the fourth running play in a row, on was second and 11, was stuffed for a loss of 4 yards.

There was an appearance that the coaching staff was afraid to have Lulay throw the football, after his late first half interception. It was ultra conservative.

Lulay took things into his own hands on the next offensive series and began throwing deep and kept throwing deep.

In the third quarter, with traditional pass blocking forming a pocket for Lulay, with the first half pre-snap running game playing a role in that pass blocking, Lulay had time to throw deep and he did. In this game, Lulay went deep to Posey and Burnham often. It was reminiscent of Jennings throwing deep to Manny and Burnham often in 2016.

Travis Lulay only completed 14 passes in this game. He only threw once to Ricky Collins, a 35 yd. ‘duck’ completion at the end of the game. He threw 2 passes to Watson for 11 yds. He threw once to Lumbala for 4 yds, once to Sutton for 12 yds. and once to Rainey for 4 yds.

It was all deep, big plays to Posey and Burnham in the passing attack that won this game for us on offence. A long touchdown throw to Burnham was called back for off-side in the first quarter. Lulay hit Burnham for 55 yds. on a double move.

Another deep throw to Burnham led to an interception call and a third quarter touchdown. Lulay hit Posey for two long touchdowns in the third quarter. We scored 21 points in that third quarter in an offensive explosion that put us in the drivers seat to win the game.

COURAGE OVER FEAR

There is a notion that playing ultra-conservative, simple offensive football, attempting to avoid mistakes and interceptions, while focusing on ‘execution’, is a winning formula. Its not. No one has proven this more than our B.C. Lions over too many seasons.

A diversified running attack and an aggressive passing game, coming off that diversified running attack is the key to winning offensive football.

Fear is not a winning formula. It leads to predictability and stagnation. The winning formula is courage and wisdom. Courage arrives with aggressiveness and wisdom comes from the ability to learn from experience. Being ‘stuck’ comes from ego. It results in unwillingness to admit what you were doing before was not effective or successful and making changes.

Change arrived very slowly for our Lions coaching staff. Stuck in one single zone read running play for too many seasons, stuck in RPO for too long (should not have ever introduced it), stuck in zone defense for too many years, and stuck in ‘run ‘er up the gut’ punt returns and second and short plays, we have been a stuck team under Buono for too long.

But, just as in 2011, when the fear of losing and not making the playoffs, after two miserable seasons was much stronger than the fear of admitting that what he was are doing wasn’t working, the fear of missing the playoffs for a second season in a row has eventually led to change.

This Leos team should have been fighting Calgary for 1st place in the West rather than fighting for a playoff spot. But now, with no RPO, with a defense playing man to man and blitzing linebackers, and with Rainey being able to take a kickoff wide and then make his patented hard cut at the first open seam, we’re the hottest team in the CFL, as playoffs loom.

Lulay threw 2 interceptions last night. One led to an Edmonton field goal. The second interception led to an Edmonton Pick 6. It didn’t matter. Lulay was aggressive in the second half.

That aggressiveness, helped by a first half diversified running attack, was the key to our victory. He went after Edmonton’s defense. He burned their blitzes because he had enough time to go deep and he looked deep first and he made some outstanding deep throws. It was a completely different mindset than the first half.

Posey, who for some reason, has mostly been confined to boundary wide-out, was given some inside slot patterns to run, where he could utilize both sides of the field, rather than being confined, finally got open.

Burnham, who is actually our slowest receiver (he is still fast) is an outstandinng deep pattern and deep intermediate pattern route runner, in this second half of the season, was mostly restricted to very short out, stop, and slant patterns, along with some hitch passes for the first half of the season. Thankfully that changed, and the results speak for themselves.

Benny Got It Wrong

We didn’t run the football all that well for the most part, in the second half of the game last night. Sutton had picked up 66 yds. in the first half and Benevedes was determined to stop him.

Benevedes believed he could run/pass blitz with impunity, believing that our short passing attack would not put his defense in danger.

That proved to be true in the first half. But we only gave up that one early sack in the game. We gave Lulay good protection.

We burned Edmonton deep with Benevedes mentality thinking that we would only go short, as we have done for so much of this season. When we threw deep in the third quarter, and so successfully and repeatedly, Benevedes looked shell shocked on the sidelines, as did the Edmonton pass defenders.

A GAME OF MOMENTUM

There were many momentum changes in this game. The penalty nullifying the early touchdown pass to Burnham and Rainey’s fumble, leading to a field goal were momentum changers. Edmonton seized on both for an early lead.

This game might have gotten away from us if it were not for Chris Rainey’s impressive kick return touchdown. It brought us back from a miserable start, which also included Lulay giving up a sack under the shadow of our own goal posts, leading to a safety.

But Anthony Thompson’s fumble recovery off Nate Behar at the Edmtonton 25 yard line led to a Burnham touchdown on a well-designed play, with Sutton lining up as a rcceiver, creating man coverage.

Lulay’s interception throw to Konar, off a well-designed defensive play to jump the route, led to an Edmonton field goal and not the way to go into half time, down 22-17.

The big turnaround play was Lulay’s 55 yd. deep throw to Burnham on our second offensive series of the first half. Burnham made an incredible double move on the play and Lulay hit him perfectly. That gave us the lead.

Lulay then hit Posey for a 65 yd, catch and run, with Edmonton blitzing 6 defenders, while trying to play zone on the play. Benevedes defense was already reeling when Lulay hit Posey again for a 32 yd touchdown pass.

With our Lions leading 38-22, Maas challenged a deep throw to Duke Williams that had gone incomplete on our 10 yd. line as the “Duke’ had unsuccessfully attempted a one hand reception.

I thought it was interference on Orange, who twice used his hands on Williams back, effecting his backward leap attempt. But the challenge was unsuccessful. It might have been much closer at the end had it had been overturned.

Another key play and momentum changer was when Foster sacked Reilly on our 34 yd. line and Coleman recovered the fumble. It was a huge defensive pla

y.

Lulay’s interception throw to Grymes, who brought it back 57 yards for a Pick 6 gave Edmonton new hope. But the play only brought them to within 10 points.

I thought it was more important for us to continue to be playing aggressive and I didn’t like Jarious Jackson giving Lulay the glare and pouty face treatment when he went to the sidelines. Lulay just smiled on the sidelines and made everyone remain calm.

He showed the leadership that Jackson did not in that tough moment. Jackson should have told Lulay to shrug it off but Lulay did that on his own.

With Edmonton trying to shut down our offence for a final last opportunity, Lulay went deep again, and hit Ricky Collins for 35 yds, we kicked a field goal and the win was sealed and our playoff berth secured.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE

Our defense had its struggles in the first half. Edmonton scored 6 points off turnovers, Reilly hit Duke Williams with a deep strike and we gave up an easy 23 yd. touchdown pass to Mitchell, when we stupidly changed up and went into zone.

But in the second half of the game, our defense dominated, winning the line of scrimmage. Edmonton didn’t even try to run much against our front 7. Gable had 6 carries for 11 yds (less then 2 yards per carry. It made Edmonton’s offence one dimensional. It allowed us to tee off and blitz linebackers.

We sacked Reilly 4 times and at key times with Lemon, Willis, Coleman, and Foster all getting the job done. Bo Lokombo led our defense with 5 tackles and a forced fumble and we looked better with Herdman in the middle and his 5 tackles.

Four sacks and two fumble recoveries, combined with heavy pressure on Reilly were difference makers. We mostly played aggressive man on his receivers. Gary Peters especially had a great game.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Having Chris Rainey back in the lineup was huge. He not only ran a kickoff return for a 95 yd. touchdown but he also averaged over 9 yds per punt return. Ty Long averaged just slightly under 50 yds. per punt and was good on both field goal attempts. He creates confidence.

WRAP

We hopefully have finally abandoned the ties that have bound us and restricted our talents.

RPO looks like it has been given a death sentence and there should not be a Celebration of Life for it. Let it die an obscure death or at least go missing forever, like Jarious play book.

Finally, a shout out to Ed Willes. Like Wally, he seems to be letting go of some of his fear, when he wrote, following the game:

"The B.C. Lions have been called many things this season: frustrating, confusing, underachieving — did we mention frustrating?"

While Willes didn’t offer reasons for those things, at least it was not the same old ‘good ship ‘Wallypop’and he did mention our poor first half passing game. It was a more analytical approach and a more representative approach.

This Leos team, when it uses a diversified running attack and is willing to go deep on offence, when it plays aggressive defense, and when it allows Rainey to do what he does best, is formidable.

The talent has been there all season but now it is not being handicapped as it so often was.

Wally can and should be given credit for this successful second half of the season but he was a biggest part of the problem, and not the players who were blamed.

But I give the most credit to Ed Hervey. Could we have won without Buono this season. I believe the answer is yes. But could we have won without Ed Hervey. I don't believe we would have made the playoffs without him.

Lulay said it well after the game, when asked about this season and winning for Wally.

The focus hasn’t been to win just one more for the Gipper.

“No, it hasn’t been,” Lulay said. “That’s a cherry on top, right? You’ve (the press and media) has always kind of made it that way, it’s not about him".

Its about the B.C. Lions

Now the ties that have bound our players are being fully removed and common sense is in vogue, the sky is the limit and an opportunity to win the 2018 Grey Cup beckons.

[Toppy Vann]

Great result after basically giving up the first 5 points senselessly to the Esks and taking a super looking TD off the board.

What Blitz is saying about DEF players asking to play more man coverage is what I've heard Farhan Lalji saying on TSN radio.

Wally is looking the guru of old with this turnaround.

TSN radio post game were saying there are reminders of the characters of the 2011 that possessed added some game changing characters to the mix.

The cross over looks easier but if the Lions have to play in Hamilton, that will be tough. HAM wasn't the same last night after Banks left the game. Now can BC ever find a way to get Rainey some action like June Junes got Banks for the Ticats!

... I'm even more impressed now that I've just watched the post game reaction of players and the leadership that's in this team. A team is closer to their destination when the thinking is all aligned around what it takes to win. Lulay - when he's done playing - will be a brilliant coach! Posey, Sutton - have been great additions for sure. Listen to Lulay here and the difference between the early part of the year and now. He gets it!

It takes time for a football team to gel.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/10/19/we-g ... g-special/

[Belize City Lion]

The Lions may have just cost Maas his job. If the Esks don't make the playoffs and go on a run, I think Maas is gone. Edmonton has not had a home playoff game under Maas and clearly they are trending in the wrong direction. Maas maybe gets a mulligan in 2016, after Jones raided the defending Grey Cup champs on his way to Regina, but in 2017 and 2018 Edmonton was considered a legitimate Grey Cup contender at least at the start of each season.

Now on top of that, what happens if the Lions stop the Riders from hosting the WDSF? Considering how poorly the Riders have played of late, and how anemic their quarterbacking has been all season, will patience for Chris Jones finally run out in "the nation"? Could the Lions, with all the angst we have suffered over our coaching this year be coach killers for two of their rivals?

And if all this comes to fruition... the only two head coaches hired by Hervey will be looking for work at the same time Hervey is shopping for our next HC.

[DanoT]

This really isn't Wally's team anymore and while it is mostly Ed's personnel, it is in reality Lulay's team. It is sometimes said that a team's style of play reflects the personality of the HC. Well, the Lions reflect the personality of their QB, all grit and determination and resilience and self confidence to rise above any negativity directed at himself or his teammates.

[almo89]

My prediction, we go East and play the Bombers in a 2011 rematch.

Or how calling it avenging the 1988 Grey Cup for a second time?

Well, in some ways, it would look to be the better way to go but no team has ever successfully made it to the Grey Cup via the cross over. However, the Lions have done the improbable a couple of times so if any team might accomplish it, they might.

And the ability to hoist (if desired) this trophy which no west division team has ever done before.

And if it happens that the Lions win the east; to the people that are travelling to watch, please stay and watching the trophy presentation. I know that's your line Robbie every year the Lions host the West final

[TheLionKing]

Whoa everybody. I am getting as excited as the rest about how they seemed to have slowly put the brakes on the downward spiral but I wouldn't be so quick to exonerate the coaching staff just yet. While it is true that this team has quietly put together an impressive series of wins in the last few weeks, it also managed to create the backs against the wall scenario that they have been facing for the past few weeks. It isn't like they have been wiping the mat with their opponents either. I do believe that prior to last night, they hadn't won a game by a margin of greater than 5 points. Let us not forget either that some of those wins came against juggernauts like the Argo's and the Al's. The Eskimo's too have been in a terrible slump that is on the verge of taking them out of the playoffs. So 6 out of 7 yes but 3 have come against likely non-playoff teams. Not exactly world beating.

Agree, let's not plan the parade just yet. Leave that to the southsiders

[Belize City Lion]

On Maas's decision to kick the FG with 1:57 left and trailing by 10: Yes, you need a FG and TD to tie, so does it matter in what order you get them? Yes it does. While Maas may have been trying to manage the clock, he was actually making it harder for his team to not lose. Here is why.

If they get the TD first and get the ball back, now they can win the game with another TD. B.C. would need to defend against a TD, playing softer and dropping guys deeper in coverage. Now it would be the Lions playing not lose, making it easier to get your team into FG range and keeping the possibility of stealing a win on the table. But by kicking the FG first, the only chance the Esks might get is to drive the length of the field for a game tying TD.

[Sir Purrcival]

I don't think that there are many out there who think that Maas made the correct decision last night, especially Edmonton fans. Had it been 2nd down, sure but first and 10? Take at least one shot at the end zone. It might cost you 10 seconds and really what is easier to get; a TD or a FG? Better to get the hard bit first. Then you aren't forced to march the field again to try for the tie.

[WestCoastJoe]

Maas is on the bubble, for sure. He has already given plenty of reasons for dismissal.

Benny runs the defence, such as it is.

[cromartie]

Whoa everybody. I am getting as excited as the rest about how they seemed to have slowly put the brakes on the downward spiral but I wouldn't be so quick to exonerate the coaching staff just yet. While it is true that this team has quietly put together an impressive series of wins in the last few weeks, it also managed to create the backs against the wall scenario that they have been facing for the past few weeks. It isn't like they have been wiping the mat with their opponents either. I do believe that prior to last night, they hadn't won a game by a margin of greater than 5 points. Let us not forget either that some of those wins came against juggernauts like the Argo's and the Al's. The Eskimo's too have been in a terrible slump that is on the verge of taking them out of the playoffs. So 6 out of 7 yes but 3 have come against likely non-playoff teams. Not exactly world beating.

First you lose big.
Then you lose close.
Then you win close.
Then you win big.

We've reached Stage 3. And won on the road in Calgyra for the first time in how many years.

Believe it. (As long as Travis is healthy).

[cromartie]

Pressure defence. Overload at the LOS. Whom to block? Who is blitzing? Not everytime, but enough to cause mistakes in the O. Mix it up.


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Mark Washington doing an outstanding job ! One of the better DC in the league.

Amazing how much better DCs look when they can get pressure by only rushing four than when they can't, eh?