2024 season week 18

[Dusty]

I understand your thinking, but point out that if Rourke does not play next week, he will have had a 2 week break from playing before the Western Semi final. I see that as a difficult break,.... two weeks off between games.....much too long a break.

Challenge against the Riders will be on the defensive side imo. Keeping Trevor Harris off the field with a ball control offense will help although the Riders are tough against the run. Time of possession will be a key statistic.

Agree with your comment about time between games and believe teams have not played well for the most part coming off the 17 day breaks they worked into the schedule this season. As is the Lions have Montreal on the 19th so Rourke could play then before the bye. It's going to be 2 weeks off either way.

VA has been off for 2 months and might be the spark the team needs under the guise of resting the starter. Lions D will be the ones that decide the game imo.

Might also raise the ante on a potential trade with a good showing.

I find it hard to disagree with your thinking,... it's just that the damn bye week complicates things. If Rourke only plays on October 19, that is only one game action for him in virtually a month. Adams has a body of work already, I don't think playing next game is going to increase or decrease Adams visibility.

[don corleone]

My guess is the Bombers will rest most of their core group for the game against Montreal during the last week provided first place is locked up. That way if they lose it's no big deal. It's Mike O'Shea's way of doing things.

[DanoT]

Rourke right now needs all the playing time/familiarity he can get while Adam's resume is set and he will be in demand by other teams depending more on if some older QBs are ready to retire. What is the short and long term future of Bo, MBT, Harris who are all closer to 40y.o. than 30? And Mair in Calgary is looking more and more like a career backup. OTOH Adams was looking like a career backup until he came to B.C., so you never know.

[don corleone]

Rourke right now needs all the playing time/familiarity he can get while Adam's resume is set and he will be in demand by other teams depending more on if some older QBs are ready to retire. What is the short and long term future of Bo, MBT, Harris who are all closer to 40y.o. than 30? And Mair in Calgary is looking more and more like a career backup. OTOH Adams was looking like a career backup until he came to B.C., so you never know.

Thing is can you be sure Rourke is the best QB option to succeed in the playoffs. The last six posts are questioning it. Lions had 9 points going into the 4th quarter against the Stamps and have not thrown a td pass in 3 games.

That's why it's a purrfect scenario to start VA against the Riders imo. If the team plays well and they see something they like they stick with it. It's time to check the ego and put the best team possible on the field. Lions have two good QB's right now and I think they should use them.

Lions are a better team and should win either way but a bounce here and there can change things fast.

[Hambone]

Challenge against the Riders will be on the defensive side imo. Keeping Trevor Harris off the field with a ball control offense will help although the Riders are tough against the run. Time of possession will be a key statistic.

Riders can be an enigma vs the run as can the Elks running it. I listened to the game on sat radio driving back from Van on Saturday. Edmonton shredded Sask for 269 yards on the ground back in August but couldn't get anything going on Saturday. Elks broadcast crew were also somewhat puzzled about the deployment of their backs. All week in practice Rankin took the majority of first unit reps but come game time he gave way to Leake.

[DanoT]

Rourke right now needs all the playing time/familiarity he can get while Adam's resume is set and he will be in demand by other teams depending more on if some older QBs are ready to retire. What is the short and long term future of Bo, MBT, Harris who are all closer to 40y.o. than 30? And Mair in Calgary is looking more and more like a career backup. OTOH Adams was looking like a career backup until he came to B.C., so you never know.

Thing is can you be sure Rourke is the best QB option to succeed in the playoffs. The last six posts are questioning it. Lions had 9 points going into the 4th quarter against the Stamps and have not thrown a td pass in 3 games.

That's why it's a purrfect scenario to start VA against the Riders imo. If the team plays well and they see something they like they stick with it. It's time to check the ego and put the best team possible on the field. Lions have two good QB's right now and I think they should use them.

Lions are a better team and should win either way but a bounce here and there can change things fast.

The Lions have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball. I am not convinced that the Lions are a better team than the Riders and the game is in Regina, a tough place for any out of town team to play in.

[don corleone]

[The Lions have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball. I am not convinced that the Lions are a better team than the Riders and the game is in Regina, a tough place for any out of town team to play in.

Proline has the Lions as 1.5 point favorites. Fanduel has the Riders as 1.5 point favorites. Sask can clinch the home playoff game with a win.

Should be good.

[David]

Thing is can you be sure Rourke is the best QB option to succeed in the playoffs. The last six posts are questioning it. Lions had 9 points going into the 4th quarter against the Stamps and have not thrown a td pass in 3 games.

That's why it's a purrfect scenario to start VA against the Riders imo. If the team plays well and they see something they like they stick with it. It's time to check the ego and put the best team possible on the field. Lions have two good QB's right now and I think they should use them.

Lions are a better team and should win either way but a bounce here and there can change things fast.

Respectfully, I have to disagree Don. Leos have to continue with Nathan. I am a big VA guy, but to start Vernon after winning against Calgary sends a really bad message. It would be a big blow to Nathan's confidence, confuse teammates, and potentially blow up in Campbell's face (imagine in their biggest game of the season, VA being ineffective due to rust, only to have Rourke come in the second half and move the ball?).

While it was disappointing to go another game without a passing TD, Nathan had an impressive evening nonetheless. He had a PFF Grade of 89.7, with an efficiency rating of 109.4 and a pass completion percentage of 83.3% - this includes the pass that went in and out of the hands of Berryhill.


DH

[Hambone]

Rourke's completion percentage on Friday is understandable given how uncharacteristically conservative the offense operated. At no point did Rourke really try to stretch the defense by going deep. When nearly 3/4 of targets are 7 yards or less a QB should come out of the game with a very high completion percentage.

Target depth:
-4 to 7 yards: 17
8 to 14 yards: 6
More than 14: 1
More than 19: 0

The only passing play to net more than 18 yards was on the 19 yard pass to a wide open Keon Hatcher who added 31 more in YAC to turn it into a 50 yard gain. It was classic dink and dunk. The 4 incompletions were on targets of 7, 13, 7 & 6 yards.

[maxlion]

It makes sense to stick to the short passing game when that is what the defence gives you, rather than trying to force long passes into coverage. VA has a tendency to do the latter, while Rourke has more patience with the short passing game.

That said, the offence hasn’t been effective or in sync consistently for at least the last few games. It is frustrating to watch. I’m not sure how much of that is on Rourke. VA was ineffective just before getting injured as well.

Long term, it’s clear that the Lions have hitched their wagon to Rourke over VA. I think they have to stick with him now, for better or worse.

[don corleone]

Respectfully, I have to disagree Don. Leos have to continue with Nathan. I am a big VA guy, but to start Vernon after winning against Calgary sends a really bad message. It would be a big blow to Nathan's confidence, confuse teammates, and potentially blow up in Campbell's face (imagine in their biggest game of the season, VA being ineffective due to rust, only to have Rourke come in the second half and move the ball?).

While it was disappointing to go another game without a passing TD, Nathan had an impressive evening nonetheless. He had a PFF Grade of 89.7, with an efficiency rating of 109.4 and a pass completion percentage of 83.3% - this includes the pass that went in and out of the hands of Berryhill.


DH

No offense taken David. Perhaps if it was not such a big game with home field advantage on the line.

I agree that Nathan Rourke is playing well as recognized by the PFF rating. The wobbly passes are not showing up through the tv screen. At the same time as noted by other posters the team seems to be lacking a spark to borrow the phrase and truth is they barely beat Calgary. I'll also repeat that it will take a good game from the defense to limit the Riders offense to under 20 points. Might come down to Sean Whyte vs Brett Lauther.

Meanwhile VA has gone from a shoe in for MOP to Limburger cheese that no one wants to touch. 2025 it will be Nathan Rourke's team but right now it is down to the wire for the BC Lions. You want to be sure all that can be done is done. If not now or for the Montreal game do you wait until 8 minutes left in the semi down by 21 to give it a shot. VA had some good PFF games early, has earned the trust, and is not a crazy option imo.

All that aside I mostly like the game within the game of not dressing your starters to lessen the importance of the game. Easier to do when it is not must win.

Toronto sat Chad Kelly in the GC rematch with Winnipeg last year thinking they would meet again but did not. Winnipeg has done it a number of times and Calgary took the last game off for years.