Riders vs. Lions Game Day Thread

[TheLionKing]

Bombers won tonight against the RedBlacks keeping their hopes for a 2nd place finish. Ottawa was resting several of their key players in this game. The task for the Lions is simple: a win or a tie tomorrow clinches 2nd place and host a playoff game. Game marks the return of Paul McCallum from retirement. Will be interesting to see whether he still has the leg to do the job.

[J5V]

Not Durant for the Riders tomorrow. Gale is the starter. Go after him early. Bring the pressure

[Hambone]

As nice as I would've been for Ottawa to the done BC a favour I'd much rather have it this way. No coasting into the playoffs then having to turn it back on again. This way they have to keep the peddle to the metal and bring their best game Saturday and through the playoffs as they did the last 2 weeks.

[Sir Purrcival]

Agreed. Winnipeg has stumbled a bit of late and I would rather face them at home than on the road. Here is hoping that tomorrow the Lions make a fitting end to the season by soundly beating the Riders and going into the playoffs on a 3 game winning streak.

[Gridiron Ernie]

Do any of you fellows have any detailed info on what is behind the Lions having placed Shawn Gore on the 1-game disabled list? I note it's not the 1-game injured list -- so does this generally indicate illness (say flu or whatever)? thx

[B.C.FAN]

Do any of you fellows have any detailed info on what is behind the Lions having placed Shawn Gore on the 1-game disabled list? I note it's not the 1-game injured list -- so does this generally indicate illness (say flu or whatever)? thx

"Personal reasons" is the only explanation from the club.

[B.C. bound]

Second place and a chance to host the WSF under the friendly confines of B.C. place is all there for the taking....don't need more motivation than that! Execute and play the way you are capable of...Go Lions!

[Blitz]

Do any of you fellows have any detailed info on what is behind the Lions having placed Shawn Gore on the 1-game disabled list? I note it's not the 1-game injured list -- so does this generally indicate illness (say flu or whatever)? thx

"Personal reasons" is the only explanation from the club.

Hope the personal reasons have nothing to do with any Gore member family illness or that type of reason. Not the way I want to see Adekolu play.

But I'm betting that Adekolu will play well - and he better - I've more than stuck my neck out on Lionbackers for him - and I'm accountable for what I post.

[B.C.FAN]

But I'm betting that Adekolu will play well - and he better - I've more than stuck my neck out on Lionbackers for him - and I'm accountable for what I post.

I've been a member of the Adekolu fan club since I first saw him at training camp in 2014.

For reasons that aren't exactly clear to me, the Lions like to develop their receivers slowly, having them spend at least a year on the practice roster while waiting for a chance to be activated. That method of development has produced some good receivers in Gore, Bryan Burnham, Nick Moore and Ernest Jackson but this is Adekolu's third season and he has seen few reps on offence, producing just three catches. I hope he plays well.

[David]

Do any of you fellows have any detailed info on what is behind the Lions having placed Shawn Gore on the 1-game disabled list? I note it's not the 1-game injured list -- so does this generally indicate illness (say flu or whatever)? thx

Shawn hasn't been the same since his "concussion like symptoms" Oct 1 vs Ottawa in which he was rag-dolled on the sidelines (and there was no penalty on the play). Not only has his production been down, but he has uncharacteristically dropped some passes too. My guess is the club is giving him additional healing time - even though we need this game.

I wish him a full and speedy recovery (if he's not 100%), but I also have full confidence in Stephen Adekolu whom I believe is really ready to take that next step - and really could be a starter for us on offense.


DH

[Belize City Lion]

No Durant. The Riders should be an unmotivated team after all the hype of last week. This is a game the Lions should win easily. Glad they go in to today's game needing to win otherwise you might have two unfocused teams. Hopefully they put things out of reach in the first half and spend the second half letting Lulay and others get some playing time. This may be the first time ever that a team benefits from drives that result in field goals instead of touchdowns.

[Blitz]

Do any of you fellows have any detailed info on what is behind the Lions having placed Shawn Gore on the 1-game disabled list? I note it's not the 1-game injured list -- so does this generally indicate illness (say flu or whatever)? thx

Shawn hasn't been the same since his "concussion like symptoms" Oct 1 vs Ottawa in which he was rag-dolled on the sidelines (and there was no penalty on the play). Not only has his production been down, but he has uncharacteristically dropped some passes too. My guess is the club is giving him additional healing time - even though we need this game.

I wish him a full and speedy recovery (if he's not 100%), but I also have full confidence in Stephen Adekolu whom I believe is really ready to take that next step - and really could be a starter for us on offense.

DH

Comforting to read that both B.C. Fan and yourself believe in Adekolu too!!

Jennings can move into special company tonite. He's had an impressive season in his first full year as a Leo starting quarterback.

Mike Beamish: Jennings on cusp of joining Flutie, Dickenson, Printers in exclusive 5,000-yard club
Mike Beamish

Of all the quarterbacks who have played with the B.C. Lions since their inception in 1954, only three have thrown for 5,000 yards in a single season: Doug Flutie, the six-time most outstanding player, Dave Dickenson, a Canadian Football Hall of Famer, and Casey Printers.

Jonathon Jennings needs just 81 yards in Saturday’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders to join the exclusive 5,000 club as a Lion. It is suggested he should go for it on the first play of the game against the Riders, a team which invited Jennings to their mini-camp in Florida last year but never called him back.

“It could be nice to get it on the first play. That would be cool,” Jennings said. “If it comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
His ability to make tough throws, throws on the move and, especially, deep throws, have placed him in position to reach 5,000 — probably ahead of the pace most observers thought possible.

Breakout third-year player Bryan Burnham, one of the dynamic receivers partly responsible for Jennings’ success, set some ambitious goals in the off-season, which he jotted down in a notebook.

Burnham said he aimed for 1,500 receiving yards and a goal of finishing among the top five receivers in the CFL. That’s called shooting for the moon, considering that Burnham was only the sixth-best receiver on the Lions last season, with 423 yards. Yet, the classic over-achiever goes into Game No. 18 with 1,296 receiving yards as the circuit’s fourth-leading pass catcher.

“(Unlike Burnham) I never wrote anything down,” Jennings explained. “Personally, I set the goal, in my mind, to become the best quarterback in the league, to have the best numbers, to win the championship. I always set my goals high. Bo (Calgary’s Levi Mitchell) and Mike (Edmonton’s Reilly) have obviously had great years (each QB has thrown for more than 5,000 yards). But there’s nothing wrong about setting goals super-high and trying to reach them.”

Through a style that gives life to an offensive system, by force of personality or simply by coming along at the right time, Flutie, Dickenson, Printers — and now Jennings — have achieved brilliance in different ways.

Too small, too short, too something, Flutie turned the computer-printout prejudices of the NFL upside down with eight seasons of sustained excellence in the CFL, throwing for a pro record 6,619 yards on 466 completions in his second season in B.C. (1991).

In 2003, the first season for Wally Buono and Super Dave in British Columbia, Dickenson’s 36 touchdown passes and 5,496 yards became the second-highest single season marks in Lions’ history, behind Flutie. That year, the Lions not only had a stable offensive line, but a starry receiving corps of Geroy Simon, Jason Clermont, Chris Brazzell, Ryan Thelwell and Frank Cutolo — leaving Dickenson with options all around.

A year later, after Dickenson went down with injury, Printers flashed across the sky like a comet, throwing for 5,088 yards and 35 touchdowns and was named the league’s most outstanding player of 2004.

“I’ve seen them all on YouTube,” Jennings said. “It’s always good taking notes on guys who have been successful.”
Jennings is frequently compared to Printers, but only in the sense that their arrival as quarterbacks of the future came sooner than expected. Printers was 23 in his MOP season; Jennings is 24.

“The only thing in common is having success at that age,” says Travis Lulay, who was a teammate of Printers in 2009-2010. “Casey told me, speaking about his big year, that he used his legs first. He could make things happen on the edge. Jon is a pocket-passer first. There are times when he could use his legs more, because he does have a weapon there.

“But there are similarities in another respect,” Lulay added. “Playing on a good team can give a young quarterback confidence. We have an explosive receiving corps, good production at the tailback position (Jeremiah Johnson, Anthony Allen) and, knock on wood, good continuity up front (offensive line). It’s as good as any time I’ve ever been here.”

Even the best quarterback prospects in the Mel Kiper-ish world can’t perform in isolation. As a team leader, Jennings’ generosity of spirit won’t allow him to talk about personal accomplishments without recognizing his bodyguards.

“He’s a fast, elusive guy,” said left tackle Jovan Olafioye. “He isn’t easy to sack. He does make us look good sometimes. We ain’t gonna block the guy on every play. But he stays in the pocket more than on some teams. We have to block for three seconds, sometimes four, for him to get that pass off. That tells how good we are.”

As the gatekeeper for all four past and pending 5,000-yard Lions quarterbacks (he had Flutie in Calgary), Buono said the commonality was that all of them got the ball into the hands of the playmakers and let them perform. And he says there is a distinguishing characteristic of Jennings that often goes unrecognized: A combination of fire and ice, not necessarily in that order.

“Jonathan’s competitive nature is sometimes overlooked,” Buono suggested. “It’s more evident than you think. And there’s his composure. You don’t see the ups and downs in a game, that emotional outburst, those body gestures. I can’t remember him throwing an interception and putting on such a sideshow.”

That’s personality. The rest is God-given ability. And opportunity. After that comes experience.

With more of it, Jennings makes Buono realize his best is yet to come.

[Belize City Lion]

Now that the Edmonton-Toronto game is meaningless for the Esks, there is a slightly better chance of a three way tie for worst record. If Saskatchewan and Montreal lose, and Toronto wins all three teams would have 6-12 records. What is the tie break procedure for the draft? It's of great interest for the Lions as we hold Montreal's first round pick.

Edit: Well never mind, Montreal beat Hamilton so unless we lose to the Riders the Lions will have the 3rd overall pick.

[green road kill]

I just hate these games,they have away of comming up and biting you in the but.The Lions should win this game easily, it should be over in the first quarter, and thats the scarry part.

The bright side of this is that this is a Jone's coached Rider team, they showed verry little intrest in the game last week,and should have even less intrest in this one.( what Jones did to DD last week showed a totall lack of respect for him and he deserved better).

The Lions have a good solid core of vetren leader ship and I don't think they will allow the kind of collapse it would take to loose this game to the Riders

DEFFENCE.

You gotta just love it , it just keeps getting better and better. MW has done a Masterfull job with Gaitor and Fenner. They have gotten game time and experience and are now seeing whats in front of them , and making a play, not thinking about it.The secondary is gelling at the right time, becoming a solid unit,not just 5 guys.
The D line play is inproving and the linebacking is as solid as ever.


Offence

Maybey put a small chain on JJ at times but don't take the GUN OUT OF THE GUN SLINGER.



For the game tonight on D. It does't matter witch hand picted wounder boy Jones puts in there, line it up and pound him like a post.

Offence
JJ shoot the lights out

[CardiacKid]

But I'm betting that Adekolu will play well - and he better - I've more than stuck my neck out on Lionbackers for him - and I'm accountable for what I post.

I've been a member of the Adekolu fan club since I first saw him at training camp in 2014.

For reasons that aren't exactly clear to me, the Lions like to develop their receivers slowly, having them spend at least a year on the practice roster while waiting for a chance to be activated. That method of development has produced some good receivers in Gore, Bryan Burnham, Nick Moore and Ernest Jackson but this is Adekolu's third season and he has seen few reps on offence, producing just three catches. I hope he plays well.

It might have been you BCFan but a recent post described Adekolu as "fearless" and I think that is an excellent description of his play. I distinctly remember a catch he made during his first pre-season with the Leo's; I think 8 out 10 guys would have given up on it. But he showed complete fearlessness and hunger in catching the ball, throwing himself at full extension into the sidelines. From that moment I was a big fan and have been patiently waiting for the team to give him starter reps.