Lions vs. Riders July 22, 2023

[Toppy Vann]

Might be time to give Knevel a shot at starting in the interior ?

CFL offences sticking with their starting O-lines when they get man-handled, maybe for the sake of "continuity" , is very questionable IMO; time to give a guy who has roster experience a chance to see if they can upgrade.

I don't disagree but the spot was Knevel's to lose in camp and he did. The better question for me is, is Phillip Norman healthy enough to play?

DH

There has been a drop-off at left guard from Norman last year to Peirson this year, but I don't think it's big enough to warrant a ratio switch that would likely require McInnis to start regularly for Rhymes or Hatcher, or for rotational linebacker Josh Woods to have his reps reduced. He plays a key role in the Lions' run defence.

A broader issue is that the Lions' three interior linemen -- Peirson, Couture and Chungh -- have all struggled in one-on-one play this year. I don't see evidence that Couture has been an improvement on Peter Godber at centre. As David noted, Peirson beat out Knevel for the left guard position after a tight battle in training camp.

I think some of the problem for the offensive line is where opponents know the QB is going to be so and JC Abott - a very astute observer - has said so kind of tangentially.

Evans getting out of the pocket helped but leaving Adams or him stuck in the pocket means it's simpler to beat.
In the Ottawa - Calgary game the Stamps used Cameron Judge to spy Dustin Crum and they took him down for losses when he tried to run but it also opened up passing options. Calgary took out Crum's ability to win like he did against the Bombers late but it forced that adjustment that put less into pass coverage.

I like these newer coaches like Dinwiddie, Pierce and Dickenson when he's got a healthy set where they can run. Toronto has a beast of a back in AJ Ouellette who gives them an ability to kill clocks and/or get big yards. BC's run game is kind of bland in comparison.

If you're not forcing a defense to cover both width and depth you're not going to be successful given how well prepared these defensive teams are these days.

Tommy Condell used to be a supreme play caller - but now his schemes aren't working and his QBs are getting killed.