Montreal vs. B.C. July 9, 2023

[Toppy Vann]

For those wondering why Maas didn't challenge on the pick 6 the simple reason was because he can't. Coaches can challenge DPI and OPI either called or not called. They cannot challenge Illegal Contact which was the call on that play.

I had missed that at the time in my excitement that the TD didn't count.

The panel all thought it was kind of minimal in differing words.

[Toppy Vann]

BC gets some honours:

3DownNation CFL awards: the best and worst of Week 5
By 3Down Staff -July 11, 2023

https://3downnation.com/

[CrazyCanuck89]

End zones:

Scary. It was odd that yesterday they were off the turf and I wondered why.
Is there a fix that doesn't create more danger there is likely a question they might look at.

Lions Defence:

Great performance and definitely overcame issues from the Toronto game. Betts is great and yes Brent Johnson great. But like Johnson in his time, it's helped by the guys you play with and that's definitely a good defence.

Edwards-Cooper's replacement may have no experience but did a good job with the Lion adjustments. The toss-up ball commentary on the broadcast focuses on being a rookie but if it was any body else, they'd have just given him kudos for position.

Vernon Adams:

I wasn't sure why MTL didn't challenge the early INT as it was a pretty weak call. But the weak call and INT didn't seem to affect him for the balance of the game. He played well and made good decisions including running.

It'd be great if he wasn't overly fixated on media talk and didn't bring it up but all players and QBs are built differently and I'm sure it gets to him.
As Rick Campbell says it's a team game even if those INTs led to a lot of Argo points.

Shivers and Edwards-Coopper:

I thought Edwards-Cooper brilliant grab of the blocked kick was a poor example as he held the ball out foolishly on the way to the end zone. Then Shivers got the ball stripped and MTL dodged the bullet as they were down to 8 pt conversions at the time IIRC.

Shivers looked good especially breaking to the outside. Fun to watch and good that this didn't lead to penalties.

Shivers taken out of the game by the independent analyst was a good call as from my angle I thought he took a head shot.
On the broadcast I went back to it several times with the usual thought - Why can't Glen Suitor ever say head shot? A pattern there.

It'd be great to see Shivers and Mizzell together but I guess with Whitehead, they'd not do that.

Receivers:

Great game for Cottoy and hard to find fault with Vernon Adams passing choices.
Tons of talent to throw to.

Where do you store 3 pit bulls during a game? Hopefully, the big one was friendly.

MTL:

Same guy committed most of their kick return penalties.

Surprised that Stanback had about one good play and the play calls after that bottled him up.
Their run play calls for him were suspect.

Overall the Lions were the superior team in all facets and that special teams blocked kick was incredible.

I agree, Bagayogo had great positioning.

[David]

Yes, I see that they've corrected the attendance figure. On this site (link below) earlier, they had posted 15,565. They've now corrected that to 20,106. Still quite a drop from the first home game.

https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/sched ... mtl-at-bc/

I was even mildly surprised when it was announced at 20,106. It felt like 21K, maybe even 22K, whereas some stadiums announce 22K or 23K and there's like, 14K in the stadium.

Tarping has helped. They tarp two sections in the East Endzone and now have a smaller one that covers the top 10-20% of one of the sections in the West Endzone. It is labeled the Save-On-Foods Family Zone.

As for the drop, not unexpected. Montreal is just not a big draw (the $10 tickets for season ticket holders must have helped. We bought 6 of them). How many Eastern teams would be happy to have over 20K in the stands to see the B.C. Lions on a hot Sunday afternoon? All of them? Some even ecstatic?


DH

[Hambone]

I agree, Bagayogo had great positioning.

Montreal went after him ruthlessly and immediately as witnessed by the fact he recorded 3 tackles in his first 3 plays. The Als did move the ball 59 yards on 3 plays exclusively targeting Bagayogo before Fajardo killed the drive with 2 incompletions from the BC 5. On his first rep after JEC went down they connected on a deep sideline route for 41 yards. He had great positioning on that but the completion was still made. I think he was trying too hard for the pick instead of the break up. He wound up with 3 tackles in only 21 minutes of play. He might have had more had Fajardo been more accurate on some throws.

[OV:54-40]

Yes, I see that they've corrected the attendance figure. On this site (link below) earlier, they had posted 15,565. They've now corrected that to 20,106. Still quite a drop from the first home game.

https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/sched ... mtl-at-bc/

I was even mildly surprised when it was announced at 20,106. It felt like 21K, maybe even 22K, whereas some stadiums announce 22K or 23K and there's like, 14K in the stadium.

Tarping has helped. They tarp two sections in the East Endzone and now have a smaller one that covers the top 10-20% of one of the sections in the West Endzone. It is labeled the Save-On-Foods Family Zone.

As for the drop, not unexpected. Montreal is just not a big draw (the $10 tickets for season ticket holders must have helped. We bought 6 of them). How many Eastern teams would be happy to have over 20K in the stands to see the B.C. Lions on a hot Sunday afternoon? All of them? Some even ecstatic?


DH

Ive been to both Ottawa home games this season and they have announced attendance at 18 k and a bit range. I don't see any reason a team would announce less attendance than actual attendance, but seems to me - and from being there so many times - there was easily 20K plus at both games.

The Northside stands hold 14 K I believe, and in days of weak attendance past, you would see reams/rows of empty seats in both upper corners there; from my vantage point down lower, I could see almost nothing empty on the Northside. The Southside looked only about half full, but it almost always does now because a lot of ticket holders there choose to stay on the Concourse (close to food & beer) there and there are also large end zone areas that are usually full at both ends (East - a bridge, plus new seating in end zone; West - large area under & around the big screen).

I just find it very hard to believe there was actually under 20K at either of these first 2 games; maybe paid attendance announced does not include some sort of freebies or give-aways?
And if several hundred or more season ticket holders decide not to show - is that not counted in announced attendance? - another factor with empty seats. Maybe I'm mistaken though, but I intend to try to talk to some of the ticket window guys next game to see if i can to get their opinions.

[David]

* Great bounce-back game from VA. Although he didn't face as much pressure as he did against the Argos, that is still a stout, athletic defensive line in Montreal that was in his face quite a lot (and 3 sacks). His decision-making under pressure was far sounder this week - 80% completion rate (glad to see him throw the ball into the stands on one occasion).

* Bagayogo will be a great DB for us in the future. I am quite confident of that. It's really hard to be inserted into your first CFL game in the 2nd half. Thought the PI in the 4th quarter was a bogus call but his positioning for the most part was sound.

* Does Shivers remind anyone else of Winnipeg's diminutive Charles Roberts? Yea, he had the ball stripped on the 1-yard line. But let's not forget he didn't have a training camp. He must have felt gassed going from PR to game action - and 16 touches - in a just a couple of weeks. Would love to see us commit to the run game and have Shivers and Mizzell in the line-up.

* I thought Montreal's play-calling was horrendous. Is that on Maas? No effort to run the ball. Cody has never been a great deep ball passer...but it was working against us the few times he tried.

* I have been critical at times of Stefan Flintoft but, credit where it is due. I thought he had a much better game, booming lots of towering punts and even had a TD-saving tackle (which I believe was called back but an outstanding effort nonetheless). Only a 43.6 yard average but really great hang time (that handcuffed Chandler Worthy on one occasion).

* 20 penalties. Wow. Not blaming this all on the refs but we (the league and its stakeholders) must find a way to bring this number down. Maybe it's letting things go that, say, don't affect a return (away from the play), but flagapalooza takes away from a spectator's enjoyment. Sad seeing fans head for the exits after 3 quarters of play.


DH

[CrazyCanuck89]

I agree, Bagayogo had great positioning.

Montreal went after him ruthlessly and immediately as witnessed by the fact he recorded 3 tackles in his first 3 plays. The Als did move the ball 59 yards on 3 plays exclusively targeting Bagayogo before Fajardo killed the drive with 2 incompletions from the BC 5. On his first rep after JEC went down they connected on a deep sideline route for 41 yards. He had great positioning on that but the completion was still made. I think he was trying too hard for the pick instead of the break up. He wound up with 3 tackles in only 21 minutes of play. He might have had more had Fajardo been more accurate on some throws.

Of course they will go after a rookie Cornerback. The one was just an amazing catch, not bad defense and the PI call was just a terrible call.