The Ball...

[Ravi]

The 2006 season was the lowest scoring one in the league in over a quarter century IIRC. The '06 Grey Cup did not have a play over 25 yards which is an astounding stat. The 2007 season was similar but with a touch more scoring. The offences really came back to the CFL in '08.

In '06, the league did fiddle with the rules around illegal blocks on kick returns which had the effect of hampering return games around the league and leading to offences playing on longer fields. Also, I believe that '06 was when roster sizes were increased by two to the current 42 with most teams using those two extra spots to bolster their defence and special teams coverage which further hampered offences around the league.

I agree with you btw about Wally falling into a bit of a rut regarding conservative offensive play because it did work for them in '06 including in that year's Grey Cup.

[TheLionKing]

The football has absolutely nothing to do with the Lions current record. When you score only 16 points, you won't win a high school game let alone in the pros.

[orangegloves]

You are right about how the stripes were stitched on in the 2006 season but because so many players complained about the league when back to painted on stripes in the 2007 season moving forward. Plus I really don't think that would have anything to with the Lions inability to move the ball.

[tigerrr22]

Be crazy to think that the 2006 league ball inspired the Lions to buy into the theory that a conservative offence is the only way to succeed on the attack. (It isn't.) Especially if that's how you last won a Grey Cup and haven't changed the offensive thinking since.

Dominic In Vancouver

[notahomer]

I was able to ask Buck Pierce this question back then. He hated the stiched on stripes but it was the same ball for everybody. I know Pierce got dinged up again but didn't he look better now he's not using the Lions playbook?

[Lionheart]

I would be quite surprised if scott rintool could make an interesting comment about anything.

In 2006 the Lions were stacked, and should have could have won that game by thirty points. They barely won... in spite of the offensive game plane trying it's damndest to offer up a loss. Not much has changed.

[Blitz]

I would be quite surprised if scott rintool could make an interesting comment about anything.

In 2006 the Lions were stacked, and should have could have won that game by thirty points. They barely won... in spite of the offensive game plane trying it's damndest to offer up a loss. Not much has changed.

Great insight. The fact was that in 2006, we could have told the defenses what plays we were running (and they mostly did know) and they couldn't stop us..our telane was that much superior.

However, the fact is that our scheme has sucked since 2/3rd of the 2004 season, when Chap was allowed to go down to the sidelines to call the plays and offensive coordinator Burratto was kicked upstairs to the spotters booth. Burratto had great communication with Printers. Suddenly Printers was a quarterback who defenses had 'figured out'. Rather thay quickly figured out Chap's offence.

We had the best talent in the league in 2005 and lost to third place Edmonton in the Western Final, as Dickenson couldn't get our offence untracked. Our offence struggled in the 2006 Grey Cup game, where our defense came up big and our offence has been our nemisis ever since. In 2007, we changed our offence under Kruck/Dorazio and were able to win a 9/11 games but inserted a rusty Dickenon in the 2007 playoff and Kruck/Dorazio had been under a lot of pressure to move back to the old Chap offence from our receiving core. In 2008, 2009. and this season Chap has been calling our plays and it shows.

Wally said its not the scheme in today's Province. He said it's confidence and belief. Well, I don't think enough players on our offence believe in the scheme and therefore are not confident. Of course, receivers and quarterbacks have tended to be the best supporters of Chap while running backs and offensive linemen have not...but we're not winning with this scheme.

We can change--Hufnagel origianated this offence and he's still running it in Calgary with Dickenson calling the plays...all we need to do is copy it.....its so much better than what we're presently running.

[Solar Max]

Good post Blitz, but some people refuse to change, and so it is with certain coaches.

They feel that a scheme SHOULD work, ergo they will run it until it does.

However, trying the same thing time after time and expecting different results is ... well...