Lions at Ticats Oct. 13, 2023

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions have ruled out running back Taquan Mizzell (ribs), DB Jalon Edwards-Cooper (shoulder) and DE/ST Josh Archibald (shoulder) for Friday's game in Hamilton. That means recently acquired 225-lb. RB JaQuan Hardy, who was getting first-team reps in practice, may be activated from the practice roster to replace Mizzell. I've been waiting all year to see if a bigger back can be more effective in the running game, particularly at gaining yards after contact and converting second-and-short situations.

CB Mike Jones has been activated from the 6-game injured list and will likely start in place of Edwards-Cooper, as he did previously when JEC was out. Last week the Lions juggled the roles of DBs Adrian Greene, Garry Peters, Quincy Mauger, Manny Rugamba and Siriman Bagayogo after JEC was hurt late in the fourth quarter against Winnipeg. Zach Collaros led the Bomber offence to 18 points in the final five minutes plus overtime after JEC was hurt, completing 6 of 9 passes for 68 yards and a TD, setting up a game-tying field goal to force overtime and a rushing TD and 2-point pass to win the game in the extra session.

For Hamilton, Bo Levi Mitchell is expected to get his first start on home field since being acquired by the Ticats in the offseason. Last week, Mitchell was 4 of 6 in limited duty as he returned from injury on the road in Saskatchewan.

The Ticats are 5-2 in their past 7 games, including a 30-13 beatdown of the Lions on Aug. 26, which was the Lions' first home loss of the season. The Lions are 4-3 and have given up an average of 31 points a game in the same period.

LONS, TICATS INJURY REPORTS

[Toppy Vann]

The East just got a lot more interesting with the resurgence of the Ticats and BLM and Matthew Shiltz who looks very good again both back from injury and James Butler looks to be on fire.

A total turnaround for Hamilton so I doubt this game will be anything less than a tough, physical battle with the always present, cheap shot artist still there - none other than Simoni Lawrence. He'd put his momma out of the game if he saw a shot at her much like he did Zach Collaros on that deliberate head shot.

BC best protect VA from getting sacked this game.

Hopefully JaQuan Hardy (5-10, 225 lbs) can run over/ around some guys but most importantly block.

I suspect BC would not have changed RBs if Mizzell wasn't injured as these dudes don't care much about running.

My take is that it's the system not the running back.

However, I got one thing wrong when I said Mizzell isn't about to risk injury in a post after the bombers game as it turned out he has rib injuries. He's not the problem in my view.

As Yogi Berra should have said but didn't - you can't make chicken salad out of chicken manure no matter how much mayonnaise you use.
You can't run if you don't have the schemes and just use the same out plays.

JaQuan Hardy Instagram where you can see him training:

[B.C.FAN]

Clips from JaQuan Hardy and Rick Campbell after practice Wednesday. Campbell confirmed Hardy will play in Hamilton.

[B.C.FAN]

As expected, JaQuan Hardy is activated from the practice roster to replace Taquan Mizzell (ribs) at running back Friday. The offence is otherwise unchanged.

On defence, the Lions have made several changes. Mike Jones is activated from the 6-game injured list to replace Jalon Edwards-Cooper (shoulder) at cornerback. Manny Rugamba is listed ahead of Quincy Mauger at SAM for the first time in three games. Adrian Greene, who had an interception last week against Winnipeg, again starts at safety. Bo Lokombo starts ahead of Josh Woods at WILL. Nick Usher remains a healthy scratch at defensive end.

Lions depth chart

[Toppy Vann]

The Chad Kelly interview end "Let's go Argos" is starting to be a thing across the CFL including an Argo team mate imitating Kelly in an in-game look at the camera also using that phrase and now JaQuan Hardy ended his interview with "Let's go Lions." You could see in his demeanour he was looking to get that in.

Ticats have gone 5-2 over the last seven games and 8-8 on the year.

Going into these next two games with WPG in the bye week I'm confident that BC is out for a win in Hamilton and know it's going to hard fought.

https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video/dropping-b ... ts~2783572

3 Down Nation Weekly Awards:



Let's hope the Ticats think the win over the lifeless Riders means they'll roll over BC but they're fighting for their lives even more than BC.

In fact, I thought Steinhauer deserved to be fired after their first few games as they looked as bad the early season Elks and the Riders who not only lack a QB but some intensity.

Still I'd take this Hamilton game as seriously as the Bombers game.

Offensive line of the week: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Hamilton’s unit of Jordan Murray, Brandon Revenberg, David Beard, Coulter Woodmansey, and Tyrone Riley allowed zero sacks against Saskatchewan and paved the way for the club to record 38 points and 546 yards of net offence. This marks the second time the Tiger-Cats have won this award this season and the first time since way back in Week 5.

Honourable mention: Montreal Alouettes

Coach of the week: OL Mike Gibson, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich was away from the team this past week due to family reasons and his unit didn’t skip a beat with Gibson calling the plays. Bo Levi Mitchell and Matthew Shiltz combined for 400 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while James Butler carried the ball 25 times for 107 yards, becoming the club’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2010. Hamilton’s offence appears to be playing its best football of the season.

https://3downnation.com/2023/10/11/3dow ... f-week-18/

I'm a fan of Bo Levi Mitchell but I'm not yet convinced given the short length of play that he's fully back from not forcing balls into INTS.
I thought Shiltz looked better and more confident.

[Walt67]

As expected, JaQuan Hardy is activated from the practice roster to replace Taquan Mizzell (ribs) at running back Friday. The offence is otherwise unchanged.

On defence, the Lions have made several changes. Mike Jones is activated from the 6-game injured list to replace Jalon Edwards-Cooper (shoulder) at cornerback. Manny Rugamba is listed ahead of Quincy Mauger at SAM for the first time in three games. Adrian Greene, who had an interception last week against Winnipeg, again starts at safety. Bo Lokombo starts ahead of Josh Woods at WILL. Nick Usher remains a healthy scratch at defensive end.

Lions depth chart

Watching Hardy's highlights from college and NFL on youtube - hope he can bring something better to the ground game though, as many note, he needs the O-line to do its job.

[B.C.FAN]

I see that Jalon Edwards-Cooper has been placed on the 6-game injured list, so the offseason acquisition of Mike Jones could pay dividends into the playoffs.

[Hambone]

One note on BLM that caught me unawares. Tomorrow night will be his first home start as a Ticat. His previous 4 starts were all on the road.

[almo89]

Really intrigued on how Hardy will be. I've always preferred bigger backs even if speed is sacrificed. Millington and Smith were a couple of my favourites. Since the Lions offense is heavily revolved around the passing as attack, I'm really interested to see if Hardy can pick up blitzes and block well. Smoke has had problems blocking all year. Too many times the opposing defense blitzes and he has no idea who to block and ends up in no man's land.

[tedbear]

Really intrigued on how Hardy will be. I've always preferred bigger backs even if speed is sacrificed. Millington and Smith were a couple of my favourites. Since the Lions offense is heavily revolved around the passing as attack, I'm really inter ested to see if Hardy can pick up blitzes and block well. Smoke has had problems blocking all year. Too many times the opposing defense blitzes and he has no idea who to block and ends up in no man's land.

[Toppy Vann]

Really intrigued on how Hardy will be. I've always preferred bigger backs even if speed is sacrificed. Millington and Smith were a couple of my favourites. Since the Lions offense is heavily revolved around the passing as attack, I'm really interested to see if Hardy can pick up blitzes and block well. Smoke has had problems blocking all year. Too many times the opposing defense blitzes and he has no idea who to block and ends up in no man's land.

Being greedy, I'd like to see both backs at the same time or more use of slots to run. 12 rushing attempts is for losers.

Either back's effectiveness is a function of what the Lions do predictably and that's pass.
When that's not on it's like the second half in the Bombers game when the offence couldn't pass for more than 100 yards and couldn't run.

Even if the fumble recovery went for a TD or Rhymes had fallen down and we got a FG to win or he scored a TD, that win would have masked the inability to run the football something that adds excitement to the game and inspires and motivates your offensive line.

Adams went 19 of 33, throwing 352 yards and one touchdown for B.C. in the loss.

But the Lions only had 100 passing yards in the second half as their high-flying offence sputtered.

"We definitely weren't clicking," said Adams. "I don't know what happened. We can't do that to a good team like that."

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/bombers-sta ... -1.6593075

I'd hazard a response to VA and I mean this with no disrespect to Adams as BC's success was totally reliant on his ability to fire darts successfully and his pass catchers to haul them in.

Bombers passed for 389 yards and rushed 127 versus 352 yds and 48 yds rushing for BC.

BC was willing to rush 12 times for 48 yds and only able to average 4.0 per run.
Bombers ran 20 for 127 yds (6.4 aver)

https://www.cfl.ca/games/6374/

When you live by the big plays, you die when you can't make that happen.

Like Almo, I like the idea of a big back but not at the expense of the back with speed and running effectiveness.
For this fan, it doesn't have to be a tradeoff but it comes at the expense of backups elsewhere.

[Blitz]

"Smoke on the water, fire in the sky"
Deep Purple

I did not write my keys to the game but in many ways tonight's game could be a key to the entire season.

Why?

Firstly, there is saying that where there is smoke there if fire. However that is not always true. If one has ever tried to light a campfire with very damp or wet wood there can be smoke and then nothing!

That is what has happened most of the season with our running game. We've given the football to "Smoke' Mizzell, he has juked enough times for smoke to be drifting upwards from his cleats, and them wham he is on the ground easily for minimal or no gain. In other words, there was smoke but no fire.

Its led to mostly a one dimensional passing offence for our Lions and amazingly we have been able to win a lot of games and score a lot of points without a strong running attack. But in a big game against Winnipeg, at home, in the warm confines of B.C. place, our lack of a run game against a very good defense cost us. Mizzells' inadequate pass blocking has also made the campfire more challenging to stay flaming.

In this contest, we are going to get to see JaQuan Hardy, a built low to the ground 225 pound running back. If he can perform well and stay in the lineup for there rest of the season, it could be a difference maker.

The ability to run and play action off the run would make our offence that more dangerous and difficult to stop. On the frozen tundra of Winnipeg, in a WDF contest, agaisnt the Bombers it could be huge.

I will be watching this game with interest hoping this time, when there is smoke in our backfield, it can light some fire under our running attack.

Du, du, du, du du, du duu, du du du, du do!!

[Lion Guy]

Somewhat mean nothing game. Just don’t get hurt.

[SammyGreene]

Horrendous protection takes them right out FG range

[TheLionKing]

Great punt by Flintoff.