West Final: Lions at Bombers

[B.C.FAN]

Congratulations to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They earned their fourth straight trip to the Grey Cup, and they did it by masterfully shutting down B.C.'s one-dimensional offence. The Lions have lived and died with the pass all year. Today their season died through their passing game. This was a defensive game, and the Lions couldn't figure out the Bomber defence that sacked VA 9 times, intercepted him 3 times and held him to just 221 yards passing. The Bombers scored 13 points off turnovers, including a blocked kick, and won by 11. The B.C. defence stepped up and held the Bombers to just 263 yards of net offence despite being pounded on the ground on the Bombers' opening drive, but they couldn't couldn't come up with any turnovers and managed to sack Zach Collaros just twice.

Let the planning for next year begin.

[swervynmerv]

What a sad *frig* performance that was.

Tartly *frig* unprepared.

This is a longtime pattern. BC hasn’t been in a Grey Cup since 2011 in a 9 team league!

I asked earlier if anyone knew what their record was in the West Final. It’s not good I’m sure.

Even when they were hosting at home the Lions have layed an egg.

This loss is solely on you Rick Campbell! You are Head Coach AND GM. Failure to provide an adequate running game which we all saw this season is unacceptable.

The D stepped up after early struggles and gave us a chance. By having no run game, the Bomber D could just tee off on the Lions and every play was a deep throw. Maybe one or two screens, but most plays were deep throws and almost “hope” plays.

Campbell said they would be prepped this game. You can’t prep what you don’t have.Another wasted season

[Sir Purrcival]

Back yourself into a corner with a one dimensional offence then get completely exposed in the biggest game of the year.

Good for 2nd in the lousy West but nowhere near good enough to knock the Bombers off their pedestal

Unfortunately, the exposition was long before this game. Most of us here have been silently hoping for a quiet miracle but most of what we have seen here today is what we have been seeing since about game 6 of the season. I am still a little choked about the scheduling this year. We played 4 times against the 2 best teams. 3 of those were away games. Consider what a difference could have been had we had the WF as a home game. Couple that with the fact that the Argo's took a holiday in their final game against the Bombers and I have to say, I have lost a lot of faith in the schedule makers. Yes, we make our own fate but nobody did us any favours this year.
So for the record for next season we need....
A running game
Better front 4 pressure
A better run defense
Better protection for the QB.

Anything else?

[rburns13]

What a sad *frig* performance that was.

Tartly *frig* unprepared.

This is a longtime pattern. BC hasn’t been in a Grey Cup since 2011 in a 9 team league!

I asked earlier if anyone knew what their record was in the West Final. It’s not good I’m sure.

Even when they were hosting at home the Lions have layed an egg.

This loss is solely on you Rick Campbell! You are Head Coach AND GM. Failure to provide an adequate running game which we all saw this season is unacceptable.

The D stepped up after early struggles and gave us a chance. By having no run game, the Bomber D could just tee off on the Lions and every play was a deep throw. Maybe one or two screens, but most plays were deep throws and almost “hope” plays.

Campbell said they would be prepped this game. You can’t prep what you don’t have.Another wasted season

Well said.

[Sir Purrcival]

Well one thing is for sure. Montreal does have a better run defenses and Stanback while he has lost a step is still a punishing runner. It won't be a walk for the Bombers.

[OV:54-40]

Ultimately it is like we all said: Lack of effective offensive and defensive line and lack of effective running back.

Yep for sure; need to re-tool there - need way better DTs, most of the O_line are not good enough, and have to be able to find a better RB or at least go with a 1-2 punch and more ground game to help take pressure off the QB.

Campbell & Makysmic are one trick ponies for offence, and not sure Ryan P is good enough as a DC either. Doubtful big coaching changes are made but they should be IMO

[Lion Guy]

I have invested too much in this crap over the years. Been going to games since 63. Every year I get excited around May to see what the new year has in store. I might be done now.

I don’t think as I age I can do this anymore. They are just so frustrating.

Listening to Adam’s right now. I missed some things. He missed EVERYTHING! Campbell giving credit to Winnipeg. Perhaps he could say that his offence sucked?

And I’m tired of Moj and Carravetta and Adam’s tipping their hat to Winnipeg. Winnipeg was there for the taking and they choked. Period.

On to the NFL and the NCAA. It’s easier to watch when you’re not invested so much.

Maybe I’ll change come the new year, but it almost feel like a relief now.

[swervynmerv]

I have invested too much in this crap over the years. Been going to games since 63. Every year I get excited around May to see what the new year has in store. I might be done now.

I don’t think as I age I can do this anymore. They are just so frustrating.

Listening to Adam’s right now. I missed some things. He missed EVERYTHING! Campbell giving credit to Winnipeg. Perhaps he could say that his offence sucked?

And I’m tired of Moj and Carravetta and Adam’s tipping their hat to Winnipeg. Winnipeg was there for the taking and they choked. Period.

On to the NFL and the NCAA. It’s easier to watch when you’re not invested so much.

Maybe I’ll change come the new year, but it almost feel like a relief now.

I get it and feel your pain. 1975 for me. In a 9 team league it sure is frustrating cause there have been so many times when the Lions should have won and didn’t. Not many years (94?) that they won when they weren’t expected too.

Again to beat the dead horse, the most frustrating thing to me is how we all see it and the management doesn’t seem to.

Go back over the season and see the posts and how everyone pointed out how the lack of a running game made the Lions one dimensional and it would cost them in the playoffs.

We have made the same points in this board for years:

1. Lack of a running game
2. Inability to stop a running game
3. Poor offensive line play

I’m at a loss to understand how we fail to address these issues for so many seasons when everyone knows in the CFL playoffs come in the cold of fall. Only one team
plays on the fast track of a dome so if you aren’t hosting the West Final, you better have someone who can pound ball.

[SammyGreene]

-Lions now 1-7 in Western Finals since 2007

-2023 season ends up being an exact duplicate of 2022. 12-6 regular season records followed by home semi-final wins over Calgary then losing at IG Field to the Bombers.
Heading into a Grey Cyp hosting year and the Bombers again will be the ultimate measuring stick. Will they keep this core intact to take another run at them or make changes?

-Pending free agents include: Betts, Hatcher, Hladik Cottoy, Whitehead, Woods and Evans.

[swervynmerv]

-Lions now 1-7 in Western Finals since 2007

-2023 season ends up being an exact duplicate of 2022. 12-6 regular season records followed by home semi-final wins over Calgary then losing at IG Field to the Bombers.
Heading into a Grey Cyp hosting year and the Bombers again will be the ultimate measuring stick. Will they keep this core intact to take another run at them or make changes?

-Pending free agents include: Betts, Hatcher, Hladik Cottoy, Whitehead, Woods and Evans.

1-7? Pee Yew

[Sir Purrcival]

I have invested too much in this crap over the years. Been going to games since 63. Every year I get excited around May to see what the new year has in store. I might be done now.

I don’t think as I age I can do this anymore. They are just so frustrating.

Listening to Adam’s right now. I missed some things. He missed EVERYTHING! Campbell giving credit to Winnipeg. Perhaps he could say that his offence sucked?

And I’m tired of Moj and Carravetta and Adam’s tipping their hat to Winnipeg. Winnipeg was there for the taking and they choked. Period.

On to the NFL and the NCAA. It’s easier to watch when you’re not invested so much.

Maybe I’ll change come the new year, but it almost feel like a relief now.

I get it and feel your pain. 1975 for me. In a 9 team league it sure is frustrating cause there have been so many times when the Lions should have won and didn’t. Not many years (94?) that they won when they weren’t expected too.

Again to beat the dead horse, the most frustrating thing to me is how we all see it and the management doesn’t seem to.

Go back over the season and see the posts and how everyone pointed out how the lack of a running game made the Lions one dimensional and it would cost them in the playoffs.

We have made the same points in this board for years:

1. Lack of a running game
2. Inability to stop a running game
3. Poor offensive line play

I’m at a loss to understand how we fail to address these issues for so many seasons when everyone knows in the CFL playoffs come in the cold of fall. Only one team
plays on the fast track of a dome so if you aren’t hosting the West Final, you better have someone who can pound ball.

I feel both of your pains. Mid 70's for me too and I honestly had to walk away from the TV before the end of the 2nd Q. Looked in briefly from time to time and saw when we were down by 5 and marching. Just in time to see Adams throw a pick and walked away again. Maybe that makes me a bad fan but I used to be the guy who would stay till the bitter end but now, just too disgusted when they make the same cardinal errors again and again. Field a complete team and perhaps I can be more tolerant but when you see to obvious flaws, year after year or even add to them by giving up a good running game from last season for instance, you get sick and tired and lose patience. That is where I have been for awhile. Consider how bad this would be if 2011 hadn't happened.

[Clash Dance]

Love this team. Even more than Canucks! Love that this post is now 21 pages deep, as Doman has brought a buzz back to this team. He deserves a better return on his investment from the football decision makers he is paying. They inherited alot of great pieces to be in the GC (which we host next year), but can Doman trust the current braintrust fix the obvious holes that they haven't been able to do since they arrived? Looking forward to hopefully an eventful off season.

[Lion Guy]

I have invested too much in this crap over the years. Been going to games since 63. Every year I get excited around May to see what the new year has in store. I might be done now.

I don’t think as I age I can do this anymore. They are just so frustrating.

Listening to Adam’s right now. I missed some things. He missed EVERYTHING! Campbell giving credit to Winnipeg. Perhaps he could say that his offence sucked?

And I’m tired of Moj and Carravetta and Adam’s tipping their hat to Winnipeg. Winnipeg was there for the taking and they choked. Period.

On to the NFL and the NCAA. It’s easier to watch when you’re not invested so much.

Maybe I’ll change come the new year, but it almost feel like a relief now.

I get it and feel your pain. 1975 for me. In a 9 team league it sure is frustrating cause there have been so many times when the Lions should have won and didn’t. Not many years (94?) that they won when they weren’t expected too.

Again to beat the dead horse, the most frustrating thing to me is how we all see it and the management doesn’t seem to.

Go back over the season and see the posts and how everyone pointed out how the lack of a running game made the Lions one dimensional and it would cost them in the playoffs.

We have made the same points in this board for years:

1. Lack of a running game
2. Inability to stop a running game
3. Poor offensive line play

I’m at a loss to understand how we fail to address these issues for so many seasons when everyone knows in the CFL playoffs come in the cold of fall. Only one team
plays on the fast track of a dome so if you aren’t hosting the West Final, you better have someone who can pound ball.

We had Butler. He was a stud both running and pass catching. Why did we move from him? The line has been as issue for years. Both of them. Why we don’t address these things is beyond me.

[B.C.FAN]

I’ve been a Lions’ fan since 1963, and lived through a lot of lean years when the team wasn’t competitive. Despite the finish, the 2023 Lions have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in 60 years. The entertainment on the field, in the stadium and engagement in the community has been top notch. I plan to be in the stands at Hillside Stadium for training camp next May and in B.C. Place for the Grey Cup next November. This team has a solid nucleus of players. I hope the Lions’ braintrust can find the missing pieces to get them over the hump and into the big game.

[swervynmerv]

Sounds like both Lee and Hatcher has Achilles ruptures.