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Very sad that Geroy would not talk to reporters after the special tribute that was given to him in Vancouver prior to the game.

Geroy often says all the right things..its not about me, its about the team, all I care about is winning and not my records...etc, etc.

Well, the Riders won, Geroy had four footballs thrown his way, but he is upset after the game. Why would he be upset??? The Riders ended their four game losing streak. They came into B. C. Place, where we were undefeated this season and won a huge game and moved back into a tie for second place.Oh...Geroy only got a token pass at the end of the game to keep his streak alive.

The impression is that his return to B.C. Place, in a Riders uniform did not play out as well as he had hoped for himself. No Superman pose in the B. C. end zone to rub it in for Geroy. No post game potential for Geroy to talk about how he led the Riders to victory and how B.C. made a mistake by not wanting him to continue to be our 'go to reciever'

The Riders are basically using Geroy on a lot of out and in cuts and also using him to block at times. Guess his role in Riderland is not much different than the one proposed for him here in B. C. and likely less.

But its 'all about winning' as Geroy says.....seems like his words don't match his actions.


But onto more important matters. Its one thing to have the inside of our offensive line go from pathetic to putrid as Harris had 6 carries for 10 yards. For those who would have liked us to run the football more we could have given Harris the football 12 times for 20 yards or 18 times for 30 yards. Actually, take away DeMarco's scamper and Williams fly sweep and Harris and Brown ran for 14 yards.

However, its another thing when our two offensive tackles, both considered the best in the league at their positions only a short football time ago are vaporized in a game. Olofoye and Archibald were also MIA against Regina.

Posted below is a Province article on our offensive line. Its becoming a bigger and bigger problem as the season continues. We are becoming more and more a one dimensional offence because we cannot run block. We can't even open up holes now against four defensive lineman and no blitz.

We can't pass block even when a defense sends four rushers. We are not going to win a playoff game if we cannot do those two things. We used Myddleton at guard against Regina and then inserted Valli at guard and Myddlton at tight end in our power formation. It made no difference.
Valli returns to full time guard against Regina.

An offence can only do so much if the offensive line is below par. You can only scheme so much. You can only run so many quick passes or rollouts or deceptive plays. Play action is mostly useless when a team cannot run. You are always in second and long when you do run. You are often in second and long if you do pass on first down because first down success is also affected by defensive pressure and what a defense can do when they get pressure.

Kirby Fabian was our best offensive lineman this season and he was a rookie. We did not go into this season with the personell and talent we needed for the offensive line. That is obvious and the interior of our offensive line was our most serious off-season issue needing to be addressed. No we did not anticipate Reed getting hurt but we should have had someone prepared to take over his role long before. We knew that Kabongo was a journeyman who was more suited for a backup role and Valli's issues were not going to be easily addressed.

We got ourselves into this positon and there is no quick fix in sight. The article is below.

Leos’ Offensive lLne Living on a Prayer

Andrew Harris had a season-low 10 yards on six carries vs. the riders, but it’s not his fault
By Lowell Ullrich, The Province October 5, 2013

B.C. Lions quarterback Buck Pierce hands off the ball to Andrew Harris during a third quarter play against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at B.C. Place on Friday.Photograph by: Gerry Kahrmann , The Province

The biggest issue with the B.C. Lions offensively this year was evident the first day Andrew Harris lined up in the backfield at training camp and saw the brick wall of an offensive line he had to break down in order to run the ball.

It got worse on the second day of camp when centre Angus Reid went down, right after the CFL team gifted him a year’s salary when they passed his physical.

Reid will receive a date for season-ending back surgery Friday, but the problems haven’t changed. At no point during the Lions’ 31-17 bleaching by the Saskatchewan Roughriders at B.C. Place Stadium Friday was it more obvious how their year will end in the West Division semifinal Nov. 10 if their offensive line can’t do something for Harris, who is desperately needed to help the rest of the attack.

Thomas DeMarco is being asked to run a one-down offence, because against the Riders, the first-down inside-run plays called by offensive coordinator Jacaues Chapdelaine looked more like some kind of sadistic practice drill.

Take away a 41-yard run on a broken play by Korey Williams and a 21-yard scamper by DeMarco, and the Leos did nothing on the ground. Harris only saw the same brick wall he’s seen all year. The running game has gone from putrid to pathetic.

B.C. was 5-19 on second-and-long. Harris had six carries for 10 yards, equalling a season low. Five of those runs went for a yard or less. Teammates are talking.

“Andrew can’t do it all on his own,” said receiver Paris Jackson, who is as forgotten in the Lions offence as Geroy Simon has become part of the witness protection program in Saskatchewan.

“He has to be frustrated, but when you’re a star player on this offence, you’re going to get a lot of attention. It should open up for other guys and it’s up to them to make plays. We’re not executing. We need to run the ball better. If we can’t it’s going to create problems. We need to make them one dimensional defence and we’re not doing that right now.”

Truth is though, it’s been all year, or at least the last nine games, which is how long since Harris last had a run longer than 20 yards. The frustration isn’t mounting with the player counted on to make the offence work, because it’s been there all along.

“It’s Groundhog Day; every time we lose I end up feeling this way.” Said Harris. “It’s frustrating, but you can’t point fingers. We had a week of prep. We have to be accountable.”

B.C. actually tried something different Friday by replacing Dean Valli with Steve Myddelton at right guard, but the effects were minimal, and Valli will return to face the Calgary Stampeders, said coach Mike Benevides.

Both import tackles, Ben Archibald and Jovan Olafioye, were vaporized by the Riders. Reid’s replacement, Matt Norman, still plays as might be expected of a rookie at his position.

“It’s small stuff that messes us up,” said Olafioye, who wasn’t referring to the fact Myddelton’s name on his road jersey has been spelled wrong for nearly two months until it was pointed out to the Lions a couple of days ago.

One import lineman will be among the group of players who will be added to the practice roster Monday. But if injured rookie Kirby Fabien ends up being their best offensive lineman this season, the Lions will know they did not sufficiently address the part of their game that is hurting them the most.

Jon Bon Jovi was a guest of the Lions Friday. The rocker once had a hit single called Livin’ on a Prayer. DeMarco has a new theme song.

The Riders simply HAD to win this one, and we didn't. This team has yet to learn that, to win, IT must play its very best on every down. Too bad all the opening fireworks and the third uniforms were simply wasted.

One of the few bright spots was the play of Korey Williams who showed good quickness in shifting his upfield progress. Otherwise, it is apparent that on both sides of OL, DL we are simply outmatched. On top of it all, signs that are very disturbing is the lack of cohesiveness in the offensive team. It is evident that the team is not sold on Thomas Demarco. ( A most difficult position for the young guy, Very Unfair to him ) (Is it the attitude of Joey Elliot or some chemistry issue that makes him, only a last ditch option? , I still remember how dynamic he was with his brief stint with the Bombers last year ) Even the defensive corps is appearing to become more and more discouraged with the lack of offensive production even though they had their own let down after the Gore touchdown. This team will NOT make it past whe Western Semi Final; with or without Travis.

I certainly hope that Wally is continuing to be busy on the phone for OL personnel, and larger running backs, ie Wes Cates, or even Joffrey Reynolds

Interesting comment by Ryan Phillips, Simon's former teammate in the Province today. Phillips said of Simon "“That’s a ticking time bomb ready to blow up!".

Getting back to our Leos the two questions being asked by the Demarco family, after the game were:

"Like, why were the Riders hammering DeMarco all night when the Lions couldn’t get near that nice young man with the Twitter account, Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant? How come the Lions seemed intent on giving the other team second chances with all those penalties? Vancouver Sun

This game, I thought really showed how important offensive line play is. The Riders offensive scheme looked great when the Riders were 8-1 and Sheets was the Riders tailback. The Riders offensive line blocked very well for the run and pass protection was very good for Durrant in this last game. Aided and inspired by the return of Sheets, the domination of the Riders offensive line made the difference.

Our Leos, already going into this game with a backup quarterback only starting his third game and dealing with three position changes at receiver, could not afford to be a one dimension offence. When you are a one dimensional offence and on top of it, your offensive line cannot pass block, the offensive scheme is going to look bad and its very difficult for the quarterback to shine.

Defenses know the tendancies of a quarterback and their strengths and will do everything to take away a quarterback's strengths. For a Lulay its taking away his combination of run.pass option because Lulay is a very good quarterback when he can get outside,. He can throw on the run and he can pass well on the run. And he can run. For a DeMarco, his strength, based on his first couple of games was throwing from the pocket with zip and accuracy most of the time. So the Riders plan was to get pressure inside quickly while trying to take away both the quick pass and the deep ball.

I don't always consider sacks the responsiblity of the offensive line. A quarterback has 3 seconds maximum to throw a football or throw it away. He has 2 seconds if he knows the blitz is coming and our quarterbacks can audible against the blitz.

But in this Rider game the penetration came so quickly if was almost as if the Riders pass rushers were untouched too often. Throw in a complete inability to open holes for Harris and it makes for a difficult challenge.

DeMarco threw a bad interception on his second one. He was responsible for one of his 5 sacks. He missed some throws that were not typical of his first two games. He did not look good on the sprint out/rollout plays and that is the area he wil need to work on, as Lulay needed to work on his quick read pocket passing part of his game.

DeMarco has only played 3 games. Lulay had his struggles in his early days as a starter and used his legs to overcome his learning curve in the passing game. Its also easy to forget Lulay, in our first 6 games of 2011 also had his tough games. It takes game reps to develop a quarterback and its a steep learning curve.

I really don't see Buck or Elliot as better options to start until Lulay returns. What I do like about Demarco is his attitude. He made the tackle on his first interception and he was pissed. In fact he showed that he does not accept defeat or a lack of success easily. After the game DeMarco was quoted in the Province as saying.

Get in the film room; criticize yourself hard,” said DeMarco. “Part of being professional athlete is being able to look in the mirror and fix you first.”

Demarco was not the key component of our loss. Lyn J. Shell's 3 penalties led to 10 Rider points. The Rider interception in their own end zone, on a pass in which a defender got a piece of Demarcos' wrist hurt. The LaRose pass interference penalty really hurt. And when we went out and scored a touchdown to begin the second half, our defense allowed the Riders to march the entire field for a touchdown.

What really hurt us the most offensively was the play of our offensive line.

On defense sometimes I think Stubler is doing it with mirrors. The strength of our defense is our defensive backfield and our linebacking crew.

The fact is Stubler is handcuffed by a defensive line that cannot get pressure on a quarterback without help. He is also hamstrung by a safety in LaRose who is not good enough for the position.

We do not have a dominant pass rusher. Bighill is tied with Smith as our leading sack leader with 6. Erik Taylor has 5. But we are not geting a pass rush or penetration out of Keron Williams, Brandon Jordan, or Jerome Westerman, who only has one sack.

So, essentially for pass defense we are relying on Parks, Marsh, Bell, and Phillips, along with Banks and Bighil to shut down receivers while geting little pass rush most of the time. It is amazing that Stubler went into the game with Regina with the leading pass defense against the run and the pass without a decent pass rush.

The big play that Dressler made - he lined up as the outside receiver on the right side and was able to have the time to run a crossong pattern complelty across the field. That is just way too much time for a defensive back to cover a receiver.

This off-season the main topic of discussion was our offensive and defensive line and the need to upgrade. We have not done that and its really hurting us.

We can look at scheme, quarterbacking, the skilled positions and find some fault. But a good offensive line is a difference maker for an offensive coordiantor, quarterback, tailback, and reciever.

A good defensive line can make a defensive scheme, linebacker and defensive back look very good as well. And you just can't always scheme or expect exceptional play game after game from the defensive backs and linebackers to overcome an ineffective defensive line.

There is no easy solution to the interior of our offensive line during this season, where we need to play non-imports but we could make a change at left tackle.

On the defensive line Wilson has been a positive addition. However, its an area where we could make another change to get more penetration and a better pass rush. It would be worth giving it a try.

Not disagreeing with anything Blitz (especially the x's & o's football stuff).

There could be a myriad of reasons why Simon didn't want to talk. Your reasons sound COMPLETELY logical to me but it could be other things too. Ryan Phillips comments certainly speak volumes but maybe he was miffed because its been a while since he's gotten a gift from his best friend, Darian D.

I think Buck Pierce and Andrew Harris stayed behind in Winnipeg and didn't join the post game flight after the Bomber game. Hopefully Geroy Simon was able to do the same Friday night. Spend a day/two with the family. Touch base with the minor football team he used to coach? Who knows. Certainly deserves a little down time with the fam......

(this is not a comment on the committed, regular and the less regular posters here. )

Boy are they active over on Riderfans. 7 pages of stuff DIRECTLY about Simon. 78 pages of game day thread also talking about Simon and inconsistent officiating PLUS all the other stuff that goes into a CFL game. I know there are some Lionbackers who spend some time contributing at Riderfans.

It is heartening to hear from another teams fans perspective. I can't imagine needing 78 pages but everybody seems to want to give their . Nothing wrong with that........

Blitz wrote:Interesting comment by Ryan Phillips, Simon's former teammate in the Province today. Phillips said of Simon "“That’s a ticking time bomb ready to blow up!".

Interesting comment indeed. That statement could be interpreted in several ways. Wonder what he really meant

In fairness to our DL, they don't get many sacks, but do get a fair amount of pressure and are very good at containing the QB from escaping the pocket. Or they were with Keron at DE. Being moved to DT has made him somewhat invisible, much like C. Wilson at DE (unless he gets a roughing the passer penalty).

Our defence is good enough to win while the offence is the weak link. I've got to say that Travis was our offence in 2011/12. His scrambling ability and accuracy throwing on the run, masked serious deficiencies on the OL, offensive schemes and play calling. Why they thought Kabongo could be an every down starter after his mediocre play last season was a surprise. Archibald also struggled in the last half of 2012 but was resigned. Olifioyie is not as aggressive this year (has a bad back?) and seems to get turnstiled like the others now. Then relying on two raw rookies as starters on the OL had the makings of a potential time bomb.

JohnHenry wrote:In fairness to our DL, they don't get many sacks, but do get a fair amount of pressure and are very good at containing the QB from escaping the pocket. Or they were with Keron at DE. Being moved to DT has made him somewhat invisible, much like C. Wilson at DE (unless he gets a roughing the passer penalty).

Our defence is good enough to win while the offence is the weak link. I've got to say that Travis was our offence in 2011/12. His scrambling ability and accuracy throwing on the run, masked serious on the OL, offensive schemes and play calling. Why they thought Kabongo could be an every down starter after his mediocre play last season was a surprise. Archibald also struggled in the last half of 2012 but was resigned. Olifioyie is not as aggressive this year (has a bad back?) and seems to get turnstiled like the others now. Then relying on two raw rookies as starters on the OL had the makings of a potential time bomb.

I am disappointed this season in the play of Westerman, Brandon Jordan, and Keron Willams, who has not played well inside or outside this season. Two defensive ends who have had good seasons are Khareem Smith and Eric Taylor, who has been under the radar but has enjoyed a good season. We really miss having a second big import tackle who can penetrate and bull rush.

I agree with you that Lulay was the key to our offence or perhaps Lulay and Harris in 2011 and 2012. With Lulay scrambling and throwing on the run and running and Harris being a major weapon out of the backfield we were difficult to stop. Opposition defenses have focused on ways to taking the strengths of both away this season.

However, we really won off the back of our defense in 2011, 2012, and this season when we have won. However, while Lulay/Harris may have masked some deficiencies on our offensive line the past two seasons our offensive line was a lot better in 2011 and 2012 than it is this season. At least in 2011 and 2012 we had good play from our offensive tackles with Fabian and Reid injured, Valli being Valli, and Archibald and Olofoye struggling for different reasons things have really gone south this season. Norman had a training camp to learn the center position - unfair situation for him.

The O line need a complete rebuilt in the off season.

TheLionKing wrote:The O line need a complete rebuilt in the off season.

IMHO, Norman, Fabien and Olafioye are keepers......Archibald, Kabongo, Valli and Baboulas (no progress) are done.......jury still out on Myddelton and Albright.

The Lions really need Danny Watkins to give up on the NFL, once and for all........and hopefully Hunter Steward gets no love from the NFL, in the next NFL draft.

If the Lions catch a break on the last two, the oline in 2014 should be SUBSTANTIALLY better.......and could even start 4 Canadians.

Shi Zi Mi wrote:

TheLionKing wrote:The O line need a complete rebuilt in the off season.

IMHO, Norman, Fabien and Olafioye are keepers......Archibald, Kabongo, Valli and Baboulas (no progress) are done.......jury still out on Myddelton and Albright.

Agreed. Archibald has clearly lost a step or two. Kabongo and Valli lacks mobility to pull on rollouts, and blocking down field.

Rammer wrote:

David wrote:

Shi Zi Mi wrote: Sadly, Geroy is merely an after thought in the Riders offence........and after ignoring him for better than 59 minutes, they rub salt in the wound by throwing him a meaningless pass in the dying seconds just to keep the streak alive.......not easy to take for a very proud man

It's hard to believe this won't be Geroy's last season in green although, if released, I am not sure who would be willing to take him on - other than the expansion RedBlacks. It could be the end of the line. When it hit home for me was in Regina a couple of weeks ago. He snagged a pass, had forward momentum and looked to turn it upfield, only to be tracked down by another greybeard in Dante Marsh. That never would have happened in the past.

Yes, Geroy is a proud guy, and I was happy to be among the 37,000+ who gave him a prolonged standing ovation for all he's done to raise the team's profile and amateur football. But he's always walked a fine line (like many superstars do), between confident and proud.....and arrogant. I recall several times as a Lion his almost "me first" get-me-the-damn-ball attitude raised some eyebrows in a such a team oriented sport as football.

I was also surpised to see several "anti-Geroy" signs in the crowd last night, calling him a "traitor." Maybe that stung him a bit too?


DH

Nothing stung more than having to go catch that after thought pass at the end of the game for the continuation of his passing streak. Really though he is playing the role in Regina that Wally described for him here in BC, and he would have had more of a leadership role in BC as the incumbent graybeard vet receiver, not the brought i graybeard receiver with the future HOF resume. Grass is always green in Vancouver, not so much in Regina.

The difference is that the Riders agreed to pay Geroy top $ and Wally only offered $ that was = to the role he was asked to play. You can't blame Geroy for going or the extra $50 to $75K.

L

eos’ offensive line living on a prayer

Andrew Harris had a season-low 10 yards on six carries vs. the riders, but it’s not his fault

By Lowell Ullrich, The Province October 5, 2013

Yikes! "Sadistic practice drill."

Thomas DeMarco is being asked to run a one-down offence, because against the Riders, the first-down inside-run plays called by offensive coordinator Jacaues Chapdelaine looked more like some kind of sadistic practice drill.

In the not unusual pattern for the BC Lions in recent years, it is players and FANS who state the obvious and for some reason - not the coaches - unless I missed the story.

Not a good thing when it's players facing the media with their takes and not the coaching staff with theirs. Normally coaches want players to be congruent with their analysis and thinking. In the Lions case in recent years, it seems fans and players are hoping for the coaches to get on board.

“Andrew can’t do it all on his own,” said receiver Paris Jackson, who is as forgotten in the Lions offence as Geroy Simon has become part of the witness protection program in Saskatchewan.

“He has to be frustrated, but when you’re a star player on this offence, you’re going to get a lot of attention. It should open up for other guys and it’s up to them to make plays. We’re not executing. We need to run the ball better. If we can’t it’s going to create problems. We need to make them one dimensional defence and we’re not doing that right now.”

While Chapdelaine subscribes to the notion that it is tougher to teach pro linemen run blocking other coaches like Marc Trestman see development as a process that they keep working on to purrfect.

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Leos+ ... story.html

The Lions did the proverbial come out flat with that happens when the collective masses look at how easily they did in this same opponent on Sask turf where it is much harder to win and their home record vs these guys - all recipes for a disaster.

If the fans in the stands could see they looked flat - where were the coaches in all of this?

You look your guys in the eyes and see in how they warm up if collectively they seem to be ready. Coaches have to keep their players focused on the risks of taking the prior game as a measure of how this was going to play out.

To make matters worse for our next game against the Riders and likely the playoffs as well ...the Riders just got the CFL's best pass rusher in Alex Hall.

Saskatchewan gets Hall and a 2014 second-round draft pick from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in exchange for non-import offensive lineman Patrick Neufield and a 2015 fourth-round pick.

Hall leads the league with 15 sacks. He also has 31 defensive tackles in 13 regular season games.

Hall was either going to the NFL next year for another try or become a free agent. Neufield is a tackle, more of a finesse player and he has been hurt most of this season. The Riders also get a second round draft choice out of the trade and will probably replace Neufeld with that pick.

Now there was a player that I wish we would have traded for...we really need a dominant pass rusher.

DanoT wrote:

Rammer wrote:
Nothing stung more than having to go catch that after thought pass at the end of the game for the continuation of his passing streak. Really though he is playing the role in Regina that Wally described for him here in BC, and he would have had more of a leadership role in BC as the incumbent graybeard vet receiver, not the brought i graybeard receiver with the future HOF resume. Grass is always green in Vancouver, not so much in Regina.

The difference is that the Riders agreed to pay Geroy top $ and Wally only offered $ that was = to the role he was asked to play. You can't blame Geroy for going or the extra $50 to $75K.

Yes he did go after the money, but with that money there was more of a role offered than what Wally offered Geroy here. In retrospect he is playing the role offered by Wally, and he doesn't appear to be liking it much. The catch should be classified in the embarrassment category, it certainly won't show up on any highlight tape of the future HoF'er, but without it that streak is dead.