WSF: Lions at Riders Nov. 2, 2024

[don corleone]

I won't say it is everywhere but hearing Lions are soft and can't play in cold weather.

[DanoT]

I won't say it is everywhere but hearing Lions are soft and can't play in cold weather.

The Lions D is most definitely Soft as they play a keep everything in front of you and don't get beat deep style. The Riders Harris will dink and dunk his way down the field and thus play a ball control style that will wear down the Lions D by the game's second half.

On O the Lions had better move the pocket around a bit and have Adams or Rourke roll out and do some running.

[Rammer]

Lions can’t play from behind. They are also going to have to quiet that crowd by getting out front. Simple road team formula to win in.

Lions D had better learn to get aggressive, as DanoT points out our blanket D counts on a mistake or two o by the QB/receivers in order to kill drives. Riders are more than willing to run that against the Lions D.

[tedbear]

Lions can’t play from behind. They are also going to have to quiet that crowd by getting out front. Simple road team formula to win in.

Lions D had better learn to get aggressive, as DanoT points out our blanket D counts on a mistake or two o by the QB/receivers in order to kill drives. Riders are more than willing to run that against the Lions D.

You are so right every time this team gets behind they fall apart and get pummeled. No fight in this team, I love VA and think he is the heart and soul of the team and deserves better than he has received, But for this team to go out there and play with so much more energy when the re inserted him into the lineup is an embarrassment to the whole squad They should have played with that fire EVERY GAME. Just shows how soft they are.

I sure hope things go right early and we play with energy from the opening whistle to the end of the game. However in past performances as soon as they get behind they fold like a cheap tent.

I sure hope I am wrong.

Go Lions!

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions’ first injury report of the WSF practice week is encouraging. All injured Lions, including Jevon Cottoy, were full participants on Tuesday. Ciante Evans (non-injury related) was the only Lion listed as DNP. I’ve never heard anything about his situation.

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/29/cfl-injur ... mi-finals/

[SammyGreene]

The Lions’ first injury report of the WSF practice week is encouraging. All injured Lions, including Jevon Cottoy, were full participants on Tuesday. Ciante Evans (non-injury related) was the only Lion listed as DNP. I’ve never heard anything about his situation.

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/29/cfl-injur ... mi-finals/

With Tyler Packer now healthy it will be interesting to see who they go with as their starting 5 on the o-line. Woodruff or him at left guard? Campbell may just roll with the same 5 that started against Montreal but it would be the same group that struggled a week earlier against the Riders. Not sure what the Lions' record is with Packer in the line-up but it's definitely well above .500 especially when he was filling in for Couture at centre.

The Evans situation is bizzare. Played his last game in the loss to Toronto then was replaced by Edwards-Cooper coming out of the bye week against Hamilton. If it was a serious personal matter you would think someone like Farhan would have said something earlier. It just seems like he is no longer with the team but still being paid so that is why he is showing up weekly on the injury report. Was really hoping he would have been back to play field half where he started for the Als last season.

Early Regina weather forecast is encouraging. High of 9C and not getting colder than 2C for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff.

[cromartie]

The Lions’ first injury report of the WSF practice week is encouraging. All injured Lions, including Jevon Cottoy, were full participants on Tuesday. Ciante Evans (non-injury related) was the only Lion listed as DNP. I’ve never heard anything about his situation.

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/29/cfl-injur ... mi-finals/

Cool cool. So we'll know this loss or win is on the coaches.

[don corleone]

Agree a good start will make for a better game.

I am hoping they can get Stanback and Antwi on the field together at times in what I think could be an effective ground and pass protection game. Also hope to see Bo Lokombo rostered for the game even if he is not an every down player. Nice to see him nominated for the Jake Gaudaur award.

Others must have seen it as well but I found it interesting when Montreal playing Winnipeg last week sent Sean Thomas Erlington from the backfield to a wideout position at one point giving them 6 receivers and an empty backfield. They went across the middle for an 8 yd gain and a first down on the play. I wasn't able to follow on tv how the defence adjusted but give credit to Jason Maas for his playbook.

[TheLionKing]

The Lions’ first injury report of the WSF practice week is encouraging. All injured Lions, including Jevon Cottoy, were full participants on Tuesday. Ciante Evans (non-injury related) was the only Lion listed as DNP. I’ve never heard anything about his situation.

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/29/cfl-injur ... mi-finals/

Cool cool. So we'll know this loss or win is on the coaches.

That is a frightening thought

[Hambone]

The Lions’ first injury report of the WSF practice week is encouraging. All injured Lions, including Jevon Cottoy, were full participants on Tuesday. Ciante Evans (non-injury related) was the only Lion listed as DNP. I’ve never heard anything about his situation.

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/29/cfl-injur ... mi-finals/

With Tyler Packer now healthy it will be interesting to see who they go with as their starting 5 on the o-line. Woodruff or him at left guard? Campbell may just roll with the same 5 that started against Montreal but it would be the same group that struggled a week earlier against the Riders. Not sure what the Lions' record is with Packer in the line-up but it's definitely well above .500 especially when he was filling in for Couture at centre.

The Evans situation is bizzare. Played his last game in the loss to Toronto then was replaced by Edwards-Cooper coming out of the bye week against Hamilton. If it was a serious personal matter you would think someone like Farhan would have said something earlier. It just seems like he is no longer with the team but still being paid so that is why he is showing up weekly on the injury report. Was really hoping he would have been back to play field half where he started for the Als last season.

Early Regina weather forecast is encouraging. High of 9C and not getting colder than 2C for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff.

Interesting question re: Packer. BC was 6-7 with Packer in the line up. 5-1 while he was replacing Couture and 1-6 when he was at LG. If it begs the question why was their record so much better while Packer replaced Couture for those 6 games then it's only reasonable to ponder why were they so much better with Schleuger at LG (5-1) vs when Packer was there (1-6). Personally I don't think you can hang a team's record on one man in a 5 man unit. Stanback's best day with Packer at C was 83 yards, He had 6 games of 87 and better including 3 100 yard games with Couture in the lineup. Overall though what may have made a bigger difference is that while things have been fairly stable in the middle and right side of the line injuries to the left side have led to instability and frequent change over the final 11 games. Couture started the first game, missed the 2nd thru 7th game and played the remaining 11. Chungh and Perkins started all 18, The left side has seen Broxton (14), Schleuger (3) and Knevel (1) all start games at LT while Knevel (1), Schleuger (6), Packer (6) and Woodruff (5) have started at LG.

Evans salary was already guaranteed long before the Toronto game making the fact he was still being paid irrelevant. Being on the 1G might be a case of he is legimately away for personal reasons. Depending on the specific reason(s) it certainly shouldn't be expected they be made public unless Evans wishes them to be. Yes it's a mystery at this point but that's the nature of the beast. While McEvoy confided in me the reason for Jake Harty's absence I don't think that was ever made public. He remains on the suspended list but that began back before training camp.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions have listed Jevon Cottoy, Will Stanback, Garry Peters and Adrian Greene as available and Ace Eley as questionable for the WSF. Ciante Evans, Francis Bemiy, Nathan Cherry, David Knevel, Bo Lokombo, Marcus Moore, Tyler Packer, Chris Schleuger and Anu Una are out. That suggests there will be no changes on the offensive or defensive lines, with Cottoy likely being the only starter returning from injury unless Eley is activated.

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/29/cfl-injur ... mi-finals/

[David]

The Lions have listed Jevon Cottoy, Will Stanback, Garry Peters and Adrian Greene as available and Ace Eley as questionable for the WSF. Ciante Evans, Francis Bemiy, Nathan Cherry, David Knevel, Bo Lokombo, Marcus Moore, Tyler Packer, Chris Schleuger and Anu Una are out. That suggests there will be no changes on the offensive or defensive lines, with Cottoy likely being the only starter returning from injury unless Eley is activated.

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/29/cfl-injur ... mi-finals/

So it appears that we're going with the exact same unit that the Riders had their way with 3 weeks ago. They would rather use Peirson as an extra Olineman than Packer, who can play guard and fill in at centre if need be?Very odd that Schleuger, who was our 2nd best Olineman until he got hurt, can't find his way back in the lineup (he played at bit at left tackle but he is a natural guard). They must really like Kory Woodruff.

If anyone who attends practice can report on the whereabouts of Ciante Evans, it would be appreciated. It's like he entered the Witness Protection Program. Very odd.


DH

[don corleone]

I'd love to see the Lions trot out Nathan Rourke for the first series just to throw the Riders off.

[David]

I'd love to see the Lions trot out Nathan Rourke for the first series just to throw the Riders off.

I think that would throw the Lions off even more, Don.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

As expected, Jevon Cottoy returns from injury to start at his familiar slot position and Adrian Greene returns to back up the secondary, with Kieran Poissant and Charlie Ringland dropped from the game roster.

But the official depth chart contains a big surprise, with rookie WR Stanley Berryhill starting at boundary slotback ahead of veteran Keon Hatcher. With Ayden Eberhardt sliding to field WR position where he started the season, the Lions have three changes to their starting receiving corps this week. Hatcher is listed as a nationalized American. He can rotate with another American receiver on offence or for designated nationals Cottoy, David Mackie or Jesrun Antwi.

I'm not sure of the reason for the switch. Hatcher wasn't listed on the official injury reports this week. It could be a smokescreen or just a technicality, since the Lions regularly sub their receivers and running backs in various offensive packages. Berryhill has had a strong rookie season, while Hatcher was slow to regain his all-star form after returning midseason from Achillies surgery, but I thought he had regained that form in recent weeks. He had a season-best 8 catches for 117 yards on 9 targets in the Lions' last regular-season game.

Lions' depth chart and roster