If there were a change at OC....

[Gary]

Ravi wrote:
I don't think that going to a two-back set is a good move at all. Mike Kelly did that last year in Winnipeg and it was a disaster. Sending only four receivers out with five DBs and at least a couple of linebackers dropping into coverage - with outside linebackers in the league now more or less being extra DBs themselves - would not work well at all IMO. There have to be better ways to get the likes of Davis, Lee and Messam involved in the offence.

I respectively disagree, Ravi. While Mike Kelly was a goof, his 2-back offence was far superior to what the Lions are running this season...and the Bombers did eke out 7 wins with Bishop at the helm. It could be done much better with a real blocking fullback, (not necessarily a big lump like Lumbala but a John Henry White-type 6-0, 200 lbs multi-purpose back with great hands. Jamal Lee could fill that role if he could block. Then keep in 2 Tight-ends to block, one back to ride shotgun with the QB and one back flare out for a swing or sneak pass as the safety valve.. Use Simon and Arseneult or P. Jackson as the receivers, in reality you only need 2 receivers. QB's rarely have time to make more than 2 reads. Let them use 6 DB's to cover our 2 receivers and we'ss run it down their throats with the twin TE, twin RB attack. The Rough Riders in the 60's used only 1 receiver, but still had a good passing attack with Whit Tucker. Old school. sure, but just because it's old doesn't mean it won't work, especially with the lightweight LB's most teams use today. When the defences crowd the box to stop the run, then go play action to a TE from the slot. Elementary my dear Watson!

I seem to remember the Bombers offense looked very effective at times. Case in point, their game at BC Place last summer. Certainly better than what we've seen from the Leos thus far.

[Shi Zi Mi]

It would never happen but if it was up to me...I would fire Chapdelaine and hire Steve Kruck as offensive coordinator.

He should never have been let go but as a former co-offensive coordinator and a coach who had also called plays, I wasn't surprised he was let go as the Chap was named offensive coordinator again in title. Kruck, being the only guy who could have replaced Chap in calling plays was going to be a potential threat to Chapdelaine.

Why would I bring Kruck in? He knows our offence so the change would not be too drastic. Seconly, Wally is afraid to go outside for this position. Thirdly, Kruck did a great job in 2007, calling plays. He really changed things up offensively, while still using the original Hufnagel offence. Hufnagel also consulted with Kruck and influenced him. Finally Kruck understands the game from the eyes of a quarterback, while Chap knows the game from the eyes of a receiver.

Of course it won't happen. Buono is so loyal to Chap, it seems like he's his son or something. I don't get it.

Bing !! Bing !! Bing !! Bing !! Bing !! Bing !! Bing !!.......we have a winner !!

The only way you can successfully remove an OC mid-season....... his replacement must know the existing playbook and terminology......because you can't change that mid-season and still have a hope of salvaging the season.

Let's face it.....the existing playbook does have components that will be successful with the current talent........the biggest problem......the current OC is VERY reluctant to go outside his comfort zone and call any of them.

[Blitz]

Sure makes me wonder why Chap, in the off-season, knowing that we had Printers at quarterback, didn't incorporate the zone read play into our offence..its taylor made for Printers.

Basically the zone read, which is run very well by Henry Burris in Calgary..and the Riders use it also...involves the quarterback reading the defensive end.
The quarterback, in the shotgun, has the choice of handing the football off or rolling out on play acrtion. The offensive line blocks down to the side the running back is going, leaving the backside defensive end unblocked. The quarterback then reads the defensive end. ( "zone-read").

If the defensive end tries to chase down the running back the quarterback keeps it, pulling the football back from the 'mesh point' of the running back. If the defensive end stays home and contains the quarterback hands the football off. Teams will sometimes option the football off to a slotback on this play but mostly the quarterback, if he keep it, will bootleg outside and throw.

Its a play designed for a mobile quarterback...and a back like Robertson.....who hits the hole quickly...and should have been in our offence. Calgary uses the play so effectively and runs it often as does Regina.

[DanoT]

IMO there is no hope of changing OC in mid season and the only hope of a post season change at OC or O line coach is if the rest of the season is so horrible it will snap Wally out of the Chaps/Dorazio spell he seems to be under.

[PigSkin_53]

For weeks Chapedelaine has been the brunt of a lot of criticism, perhaps rightly so. Our offence is anemic.....at best.

Much of this, IMHO, has to be on the players, sure we have drops, take dumb penalties, run wrong routes etc, but it all starts with the O line. I find it hard to believe that all the focus is on Chapdelaine when Dorazio seems to get a pass by almost everyone.

For years, our O line has seen QB after QB go down to injury. We have seen it with one of the best QB's of late (Dickenson), we've seen it with Buck, Jarious, Casey, hell even Spergon Wynn. We've lost Murphy and Jimenez because they were un-coachable (according to media reports), Walter Stith brought in as the next "one"and subsequently released. 3 first or second round draft picks unable to hold their own (Valli, Sorenson and JHR), even though they have been "learning the system" a number of years. Wasted draft picks (Matt Morencie, Danny Watkins) Imports with impressive resumes from high end NCAA schools that have done little or nothing and the beat still continues. We have an undersized center who plays his ass off, coming off of injury and is getting long in the tooth. A chronically injured RG (Sherko), and the afore mentioned band of draft picks.

Sure, we've enjoyed some success with fewest sacks allowed or having our RB lead the league in rushing. But how much of that was because our RB was truly a great back or because Dickenson was a cerebral assassin when it came to finding the open receiver. We have also led the league in missed games dues to injury for our starting QBs. Coincidence? Bad luck? I think not.

Is it because Dorazio uses poor blocking schemes? Is he not able to judge talent (besides good girth)? I don't know anymore. But I do know that it doesn't matter who we line up under center if we can't execute the most basic part of the equation......and block.

We have used the rookie excuse, injury excuse, poor calls by Chap, Wally getting passed by....but again IMHO, much of the brunt needs to fall squarely on coach Dan Dorazio. Other than Angus, there is no emotion on that line, no swagger at all. Missed blocks, multiple penalties for holding, procedure and the topper for me....last night, Valli not even having a clue on the botched screen pass. All that lays squarely on the coach.

Time to move on Dan.

Great post WCBF… not all of the blame for this “anemic” offensive attack can be born on the back of Jacques Chapdelaine alone, but it does not absolve him of uninspired, unimaginative, sandlot offensive design.

There is no doubt the root of our inability to advance the ball is partly due to the offensive line’s inability to pass block and protect the quarterback effectively. Dan Dorazio must take most of the blame for this failure, but how is he had such great success when paired with Stef Kruck in 2007, when the accent was ground game superiority, to set up the aerial attack???

Examine the greatest of offensive lines in the Montreal Alouettes over the last past decades for example. Their draft picks and attention to superior conditioning are the thing of legend, hand picked and crafted to fit like homogenous parts of a united nucleus with one ambition, to protect the most important player on the field… the Qb.

[Rammer]

What ails the Lions currently, also ails the Eskimos to a higher degree, so they are likely to get the first pick of OC as they will pull the trigger sooner. That is also going to affect the Lions success down the road.

[Blitz]

What ails the Lions currently, also ails the Eskimos to a higher degree, so they are likely to get the first pick of OC as they will pull the trigger sooner. That is also going to affect the Lions success down the road.

Unless somehow it's Danny Barrett, I just don't see Wally dropping Chapdelaine or Dorazio...and especially not Chapdelaine.

Its appears obvious that Mike Benevedes was the guy Wally was going to hand the job of Head Coach to, when he made the decision to only be the GM. However, I'm starting to wonder if Chap could be the guy instead that Wally appoints.

Another thought that enters my mind is would either Benevedes or Chap retain each other....that would be an interesting question.

[Ravi]

Ravi wrote:
I don't think that going to a two-back set is a good move at all. Mike Kelly did that last year in Winnipeg and it was a disaster. Sending only four receivers out with five DBs and at least a couple of linebackers dropping into coverage - with outside linebackers in the league now more or less being extra DBs themselves - would not work well at all IMO. There have to be better ways to get the likes of Davis, Lee and Messam involved in the offence.

I respectively disagree, Ravi. While Mike Kelly was a goof, his 2-back offence was far superior to what the Lions are running this season...and the Bombers did eke out 7 wins with Bishop at the helm. It could be done much better with a real blocking fullback, (not necessarily a big lump like Lumbala but a John Henry White-type 6-0, 200 lbs multi-purpose back with great hands. Jamal Lee could fill that role if he could block. Then keep in 2 Tight-ends to block, one back to ride shotgun with the QB and one back flare out for a swing or sneak pass as the safety valve.. Use Simon and Arseneult or P. Jackson as the receivers, in reality you only need 2 receivers. QB's rarely have time to make more than 2 reads. Let them use 6 DB's to cover our 2 receivers and we'ss run it down their throats with the twin TE, twin RB attack. The Rough Riders in the 60's used only 1 receiver, but still had a good passing attack with Whit Tucker. Old school. sure, but just because it's old doesn't mean it won't work, especially with the lightweight LB's most teams use today. When the defences crowd the box to stop the run, then go play action to a TE from the slot. Elementary my dear Watson!

I seem to remember the Bombers offense looked very effective at times. Case in point, their game at BC Place last summer. Certainly better than what we've seen from the Leos thus far.

The Bombers were something like 3-8 running that offence and really only had one productive offensive performance which was that memorable game in B.C. where they ran roughshod on the Lions defence. Winnipeg finished the season at 7-11 but only went 4-3 over their last seven games after Kelly scrapped that two-back set offence.

[TheLionKing]

Its appears obvious that Mike Benevedes was the guy Wally was going to hand the job of Head Coach to, when he made the decision to only be the GM. However, I'm starting to wonder if Chap could be the guy instead that Wally appoints.

I hope you're wrong. Chapdelaine= Larry Kuharich

[Blitz]

Its appears obvious that Mike Benevedes was the guy Wally was going to hand the job of Head Coach to, when he made the decision to only be the GM. However, I'm starting to wonder if Chap could be the guy instead that Wally appoints.

I hope you're wrong. Chapdelaine= Larry Kuharich

Egads...Chap as Head Coach, his son as our primary receiver...it don't get better!!

[ducepot]

Just look at Edmonton after Chapball...Ricky Ray still hasn't recovered....Chapball & son.....OUCH!!! I'm telling my DAD!!!

[DanoT]

Its appears obvious that Mike Benevedes was the guy Wally was going to hand the job of Head Coach to, when he made the decision to only be the GM. However, I'm starting to wonder if Chap could be the guy instead that Wally appoints.

I hope you're wrong. Chapdelaine= Larry Kuharich

Egads...Chap as Head Coach, his son as our primary receiver...it don't get better!!

If Chaps did become HC at least the Lions would get a new OC.

[Sir Purrcival]

Probably Danny Machocia

[WestCoastJoe]

Probably Danny Machocia

Chapdelaine certainly has always known how to survive and prosper in Wally's World. Skilled at climbing higher in the organization, not so much on the field. He has succeeded in pushing out or replacing 3 different OCs (Buratto, Kruk and Dorazio). I expect Jacques was #1 in Wally's books prior to leaving for Edmonton. And he may have moved ahead of Mike Benevides as presumed successor to Wally with the Lions at the present time.

And yet Chapdelaine, although brought into Edmonton as the putative heir apparent as Head Coach, lasted just that one year. It seems he did not know how to survive and prosper in Danny's Domain. It seems he failed to win the loyalty of Ricky Ray as well.

Jacques has always had the support of his primary lobby group, the Lions' receivers. They prevailed on Wally to bring him back, get him to the sideline, and no doubt back into the OC chair. And how likely is it that they were lobbying for him without his encouragement? But with the receivers not operating at the top level in the league, they may have "lost some traction with Wally" as well.

Intrigue seems to run more rampant in empires and organizations when they are in decline.

[Sir Purrcival]

No doubt. I remember well the supposed entreaties by the receivers to bring JC back. I have to believe that must have been spearheaded by Geroy. None of the others are left basically except Paris and yet JC seems to have some sort of super lubricant that allows the arrows to just slide off. Funny thing is though that Wally seems to be such a controller of things, that I am challenged to believe that a lowly group of receivers could prevail upon him to do anything he didn't want to do. I am more inclined to believe that it may have provided some form of window dressing for what his personal wishes were. Whatever it is, Wally, seems to have forgotten his own mantra that it is a "tough game" and that in a tough game their are always casualties. Is JC the sole reason for our woes, not really. The loss of Obie, Ackles and Dave R was probably more critical overall. As mentioned, those people had all been Captains of their own ship of one sort or another and probably kept Wally from being his own worst enemy from time to time. It is a tremendous loss of a wealth of experience that probably won't be able to be replaced for a generation if ever. It certainly shows that an individual is only as good as the persons around him and without his supporting cast, the Shining Coaching Record of Wally Buono looks very tarnished at the moment.