Leos Prepare to Play the Bombers and Game Day Thread

[Blitz]

Leos Prepare for Bombers

Our 1-1 B.C. Lions take on the 1-2 Winnipeg Blue Bombers in another early season key West Division matchup. Our Leos are coming off a big loss to the Edmonton Eskimos last weekend. It was a game that we led early by a score of 14-2 before the Eskmimos offence kept scoring touchdown after touchdown in a performance our offensive unit couldn’t match.

The Eskimos shredded our defense, both on the ground and through the air, running through Leo defenders and catching passes over the top of them for over 500 yards of offence. Only 1 point separated both teams at half time but the Bombers outscored our Leos 24-8 in the second half of the game to walk away with an easy victory.

Meanwhile, the Bombers also come into this game rubbing their wounds, after being soundly defeated by the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The Bombers offence was only able to pass for 146 yards (57% completion) against a very tough Hamilton defense.

Both teams are looking to rebound as they face each other this early season pivotal matchup.

Lets have a closer look at both teams.

OFFENCE

Despite their 1-2 record the Bombers bring the CFL’s leading offence into this game. Even without Matt Nichols and starting a rookie quarterback in Steveler, the Bombers are averaging 34.3 points per game so far this season. Edmonton’s offence ranks second with a 31.7 average points per game, a stat that was fattened up last weekend when Edmonton’s offence rolled right over out defense.

Our defense cannot put forward another embarrassing performance this week and expect to win this game. Mark Washington will need a much-improved game plan than he did last week against Edmonton and our front four and our secondary will both need to play much better. Winnipeg is averaging 387 yards of offence per game so their offence cannot be taken lightly, even with Nichols out.

Making matters challenging is the fact that the Bombers are the best rushing team in the CFL, averaging 172 yds. rushing per game. Both Andrew Harris and Chris Streveler have been key to the Bombers successful rushing attack. Montreal’s Sutton and Edmonton’s C.J. Gable were able to run very successfully against our defense in our first two games of the season.

We can anticipate that the Bombers will be game planning to run the football against our Leos. Our defensive line will need to play better against the run and Sol E. will need to find ways to get off blocks and fill holes. He has a lot of tackles, but most have been downfield and not at the point of attack and too often he has been missing in action against the inside run as well.

Our Leos philosophy is usually to ‘focus on ourselves’ but it would only be common sense to focus on stopping the Bombers run game, which means keying both Harris and Streveler. The Bombers have only averaged 223 yards of passing per contest so far this season, so we need to shut their run down on first down, make them a passing team, and then play sound pass defense while keying Streveler who likes to run with the football.

When the Bombers do pass the football, there is one player that we need to especially account for on pass defense (and that we have not done a good job of doing in the past) and that is ex-Leo Andrew Harris.

Harris is coming off his best season in the CFL in 2017. He finished the 2017 season leading the league in rushing (1,035 yards) and set a CFL record for receptions by a running back, leading the entire CFL in passes caught with 105.

Harris is dangerous as a pass receiver coming out of the backfield and yet we have not played him any differently. Washington has dropped into zone defense and had his linebackers covering the hook areas. When Harris goes to the flat area, that has meant that Sol E. or our outside linnbacker has had to run 25 yards to the flat area to make the tackle on him. It’s been crazy, we haven't even adjusted for it during games when Harris has been hurting us, and the Bombers have exploited this defensive weakness in the past.

If Harris runs to the flat area, the linebacker to that side has to be allowed to go with him immediately. Opposition defenses are smart enough not to play our own Chris Rainey in this way.

Our Leos offence comes into this game with the third best passing completion rate (68.8%) in the CFL. Only Hamilton’s Masoli (70.8%) and Edmonton’s Mike Reilley (60.8%) have a better pass completion percentage better than Jonathan Jennings. Jennings ranks 4th (97.7) so far this season in passing efficiency, just slightly behind Bo Levi Mitchell (103.9), Mike Reilly (103.5) and Masoli (102.9). Jennings ranks 2nd amongst CFL quarterbacks in running with the football (6.5 yd. average).

But Jennings high completion rate has not translated into a lot of passing yards as our offence has focused on a short passing attack. Hamilton is averaging 348 yds. of passing per game and Edmonton is averaging 340 yards per game while our Leos have averaged 191 yards of passing per game in our first two contests.

Our Leos passing offence either needs to implement a more diversified passing attack or become more successful with yards after catch in the short passing game if we are going to improve our net offence (7th at 293 yds. per game) and put more points on the scoreboard. Our Leos offence is only averaging 22 points (6th) per game.

Our Leos are 4th in rushing in the CFL (118.5 yds. per game) but so far this season a sound running game overall combined with a short passing attack is not getting it done.

DEFENSE

While quarterback play and offence have been more of a topic of discussion, our defense also needs to be a focus. Mark Washington’s defense so far this season ranks 8th against the pass (303.6 yds average), has given up the second highest average per pass completion, and also ranks 8th in terms of completion rate (72.3%) while we are sixth in terms of average rush yards per game. That makes our defense 8th in opposition offence against.

While those stats are somewhat skewed by the Edmonton game, the reality is that we also allowed Sutton to run well against us and Drew Willy was able to pass for too many yards against us too.

A couple of positive areas on our defense so far, is that, having played one less game than most teams, we rank 3rd in quarterback sacks and 4th in interceptions.

Meanwhile the Bombers defense has been good against the run this season so far, only giving up an average of 85.3 (3rd) but the Bombers have struggled with their pass defense. They have given up over 300 yds. average passing per contest so far this season, ranking 8th, making their pass defense the 2nd worst in the CFL, behind ours. The Bombers are averaging 2 sacks per contest.

What does that mean? It means we should go after the Bombers with the pass. Opposition teams have completed 70.1% of their passes against the Bomber defense. Instead of “you know, you know, you know what”, we just ‘gotta focus on ourselves” and root toot ‘we just gotta execute’, a good game offensive game plan against the Bombers deficiencies (eg: go after them with the pass and then come back to the run) would be wise.

SPECIAL TEAMS

When we hired Jeff Reinbold as our special teams coordinator this season, improvement was anticipated and so far the results have been stellar. Our Leos punt return average is 2nd best in the CFL so far. Even with Longs booming punts, our punt coverage team is the best in the CFL. We’re also the best at covering kickoffs too.

Long missed a field goal last game and hit the upright on another and needs to get back on track. Long is averaging over 50 yds. per punt, best in the CFL. A goal for this game would be to improve our kick return average while continuing our fine play on special teams overall.

WRAP

Our Leos are mostly a veteran team this season. That was part of the plan, with a goal of giving Wally an experienced squad to coach in his final season. This is a game in which a veteran Head Coach should be able to prepare a mostly veteran team to play against an offence with a rookie quarterback and a Bombers defense that has struggled against the pass again this season so far.

Go Leos!

[TheLionKing]

Lions need to put a spy on Streveler as he has no hesitation in taking off with the football. He also have very good speed. Reinbold's special teams better be alert to Shea's fake punts.

[WestCoastJoe]

Harris is coming off his best season in the CFL in 2017. He finished the 2017 season leading the league in rushing (1,035 yards) and set a CFL record for receptions by a running back, leading the entire CFL in passes caught with 105.

Harris is dangerous as a pass receiver coming out of the backfield and yet we have not played him any differently. Washington has dropped into zone defense and had his linebackers covering the hook areas. When Harris goes to the flat area, that has meant that Sol E. or our outside linnbacker has had to run 25 yards to the flat area to make the tackle on him. It’s been crazy, we haven't even adjusted for it during games when Harris has been hurting us, and the Bombers have exploited this defensive weakness in the past.

If Harris runs to the flat area, the linebacker to that side has to be allowed to go with him immediately. Opposition defenses are smart enough not to play our own Chris Rainey in this way.

The underrated Harris. He is one of my all time favourites. As noted a few times, he reminds me of Walter Payton in being as "durable as a Tonka Toy."

Our Leos offence comes into this game with the third best passing completion rate (68.8%) in the CFL. Only Hamilton’s Masoli (70.8%) and Edmonton’s Mike Reilley (60.8%) have a better pass completion percentage better than Jonathan Jennings. Jennings ranks 4th (97.7) so far this season in passing efficiency, just slightly behind Bo Levi Mitchell (103.9), Mike Reilly (103.5) and Masoli (102.9). Jennings ranks 2nd amongst CFL quarterbacks in running with the football (6.5 yd. average).

But Jennings high completion rate has not translated into a lot of passing yards as our offence has focused on a short passing attack. Hamilton is averaging 348 yds. of passing per game and Edmonton is averaging 340 yards per game while our Leos have averaged 191 yards of passing per game in our first two contests.

This CFL fan keeps the faith in Jennings. He, as with any quarterback, needs support. Stout pass protection. An offence geared to his strengths. Good game plans. Et cetera ... Jennings might be put on the bench when Lulay is healthy. He might be traded at some point. For this fan, that would be a shame. And he might end up with a team that has success developing quarterbacks. I think he would find a new home in the CFL.

While quarterback play and offence have been more of a topic of discussion, our defense also needs to be a focus. Mark Washington’s defense so far this season ranks 8th against the pass (303.6 yds average), has given up the second highest average per pass completion, and also ranks 8th in terms of completion rate (72.3%) while we are sixth in terms of average rush yards per game. That makes our defense 8th in opposition offence against.

Mark W has tried to adapt his approach to defence. The results have not been good. After the years that he has been DC, one wonders if he can do it. He has this year to make a statement.

When we hired Jeff Reinebold as our special teams coordinator this season, improvement was anticipated and so far the results have been stellar. Our Leos punt return average is 2nd best in the CFL so far. Even with Longs booming punts, our punt coverage team is the best in the CFL. We’re also the best at covering kickoffs too.

Yep. Reinebold knows what he is doing. He is excellent at the Xs and Os of STs. He is a motivator.
...............

Excellent preview for the game, Blitz. It is appreciated.

[SammyGreene]

Lions in the midst of their toughest stretch of the season with 5 of 6 games against the top 3 teams in the West (Eskimos x2, Bombers x2 & Stamps) At Ottawa hardly a gimme too. Nowhere to hide. By early August we will have a very good idea where this season is going.

[Dusty]

Lions need to put a spy on Streveler as he has no hesitation in taking off with the football. He also have very good speed. Reinbold's special teams better be alert to Shea's fake punts.

I wonder if Stevelor is more prone to take off with the football on first down or second down. Putting a spy on both Stevelor and Harris (especially if Harris is coming out of the backfield) may open up intermediate routes for the Bombers.

In the Edmonton game, we tried a "trick" play on a punt with the goal of having players in an onside position, but IIRC, the players were too close to the LOS and ended up not in an onside position. A brave attempt, but more practice needed. I just caught a glimpse of this play so I could be wrong about it.

[The_Pauser]

We're entering the stretch of this season that will most likely determine if we make the playoffs or not. Lulay's knee can't get healthy quick enough. At this point I have zero confidence in Jennings to carry the load for this team's offense. He looked bad last year to start the year, was absolutely abysmal after getting hurt, and he's back to looking bad again. He's struggling to make his reads, he's having difficulty getting the ball to his receivers, and our offense is sputtering way too much with him behind center. At the end of the day he's not getting the job done.

One more bad start, assuming Lulay is healthy, and I think we see Lulay at QB starting next week at BC Place.

[David]

Lions need to put a spy on Streveler as he has no hesitation in taking off with the football. He also have very good speed. Reinbold's special teams better be alert to Shea's fake punts.

Not entirely sure it is Streveler. Matt Nichols has been removed from the 6-game injured list. I am seeing rumours (not confirmed by Bombers, mind you), that he will be playing Saturday. It could just be O'Shea giving BC something else to worry about, but Rouge Radio is reporting first-team reps. That is usually quite telling (if true).




DH

[WestCoastJoe]

I’ve been split on this one all week. B.C. didn’t show well in the final few quarters of the game against Edmonton as the Eskimos pulled away but they did hold their own early.

Was that week one win against Montreal masking the flaws in B.C.’s game? If there is a team that could exploit it, that would be the Eskimos.

Winnipeg is a different animal with Chris Streveler at the helm. But he will test the Lions with his feet and with the game being in Winnipeg, I’m going to side with the home team.

PICK: WINNIPEG (50% confidence)

Jamie Nye

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/07/04/weekly-pr ... nd-week-4/

[Hambone]

Lions need to put a spy on Streveler as he has no hesitation in taking off with the football. He also have very good speed. Reinbold's special teams better be alert to Shea's fake punts.

Not entirely sure it is Streveler. Matt Nichols has been removed from the 6-game injured list. I am seeing rumours (not confirmed by Bombers, mind you), that he will be playing Saturday. It could just be O'Shea giving BC something else to worry about, but Rouge Radio is reporting first-team reps. That is usually quite telling (if true).




DH

My gut feel is Nichols has been pulled off the 6G so he can resume practicing in some fashion as opposed to having to wait until after next Saturday's rematch with the Lions in BC Place. Supposedly Nichols is taking 1st team reps but is that full out including the contact practice or similar to the way Lulay was practicing going back to the start of training camp? In Travis' case he was taking 2nd team reps back then in just about all drills and non-contact sessions then would sit out the skelly drills during the contact sessions.

When Nichols was on the 6G he wouldn't be able to practice until the week of the 16th then could return to action on the 27th. The Bombers schedule has them in BC on the 14th then in Toronto on the 21st so would probably loose a practice or two before he would in theory step back behind centre. By taking him off the 6G now he gets up to 4 weeks of practicing prior to the game he was originally scheduled to be eligible for. They could ease him into it and build him up to full speed for the 27th as opposed to waiting 2 more weeks and having him jump in full tilt.

[BC 1988]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's Nichols himself pushing to get back playing (perhaps too early).

[Blitz]

Pauser, you posted that Jennings is 'struggling to make his reads'.

Question for you.

What do believe are Jennings reads? What is the information you are using to support your comment that he is 'struggling' with his reads?

[B.C.FAN]

The play of Jonathon Jennings was the biggest question mark coming into the season and remains that way after two sub-200 yard passing performances. LU was on TSN 1040 with Halford and Brough this morning and said quarterbacking is the biggest issue with the team. Travis Lulay is progressing. LU said he wouldn't be surprised to see Lulay listed as the No. 2 QB on the depth chart this week but he doesn't think the Lions want Lulay running the option and scrambling downfield yet. I hope Lulay will be healthy enough that he could be inserted next week, at least as a substitute for Jennings, if the offence struggles again to score.

Jennings is still saying the right things about how he needs to be better, but actions speak louder than words. There is no "next year" for this team. It's been built to win now, and if the coaches think the play of the QB is holding the team back they'll make a switch.

Jennings cited lack of big plays for the team's struggles in Winnipeg, and Wally seems to point the finger mainly at Jennings for the Lions' offensive struggles, according to J.J. Adams in The Province:

“We just didn’t make any plays. That was the big thing,” said quarterback Jon Jennings, who finished 13-of-24 for 199 passing yards and an interception.

“Big plays overwrite a lot of things, and we took some shots, but we didn’t make them count. That hurt us.

“It was a lack of execution and focus. We had a couple missed assignments, myself included, and we just have to clean that stuff up.”

It truly can’t be considered a trend considering the sample size of two games, but thus far B.C. is averaging 48.5 plays from scrimmage and a time of possession of 26:30 — both league lows. That lack of continuity was glaring in Edmonton.

On passes over 20 yards this season, Jennings is 3-for-10 for a touchdown and an interception, following up on a 2017 campaign where he ranked last in the CFL in that category.

Buono said he needs better play from Jennings, but across the board, too.

“Like our offence, (Jennings) has been spotty. I can’t (just) blame the receivers or the running back or the offensive line, I also have to put the onus on the quarterback,” he said. “He’s got to do a better job of taking care of the little details. If he does, we’ll be a better offence.”

Buono is also wary of trying to force the issue with deep shots and aggressive play-calling, citing last year’s first visit to Winnipeg in which Jennings was picked off twice in a 26-20 loss.

“You have to take your shots when they’re there. Last year, we took too many shots deep, and had too many interceptions.

“You have to (take what they give you). It’s not always clear-cut, is there going to be vertical opportunities? Yes. You read the coverage, and throw the ball at the right time, and you’ll get big plays.”

J.J. Adams: Lions looking to patch road problems for tilt against Blue Bomber

[B.C.FAN]

The Bombers have named Matt Nichols as their starter on Saturday. This could be good for the Lions. Nichols is less mobile than Chris Streveler, especially coming off a knee injury. It's easier to game plan against a pocket passer than against a running quarterback who provides a second threat out of the backfield after Andrew Harris.

Matt Nichols will make his season debut against the BC Lions Saturday as the starter, the team confirmed Thursday.

Nichols had missed the last four weeks after suffering a knee injury in a pre-season practice.

The team took Nichols off the six-game injured list earlier this week and Nichols split first team reps at Wednesday practice with Chris Streveler.

Streveler, a CFL rookie, has been filling in for Nichols while he recovers, and has led the Bombers to a 1-2 record, throwing for 570 yards and six touchdowns to two interceptions.

Nichols, when healthy, has been the team's starter the past two and a half seasons.

Bombers name Nichols starter against Lions

[VictoriaFan]

I would hate to see Lulay end his career like Ricky Ray, hauled out on a stretcher. Throw Fajardo to the wolves and see what he can do, but I still like Jennings.

[TheLionKing]

Nichols will probably be a little rusty from the layoff. Get to Nichols and don't allow him to get into a rhythm